How to Use the Tour Striker Smart Ball to Fix a Hook in Golf

A hook in golf—where the ball starts straight or to the right before sharply turning left—can be a frustrating flaw, robbing players of both accuracy and confidence. A common cause of this shot pattern is improper arm and wrist coordination, which leads to a closed clubface at impact. The Tour Striker Smart Ball is a versatile training aid designed to help golfers improve their swing mechanics and reduce common errors like over-rotation of the hands and early wrist release, both of which can cause a hook. Click here to purchase the Tour Striker Smart Ball on Amazon.

In this article, we’ll explore how the Tour Striker Smart Ball works, why it’s effective for fixing a hook, and how you can incorporate it into your practice routine for straighter, more controlled shots.

What Is the Tour Striker Smart Ball?

The Tour Striker Smart Ball is an inflatable ball that fits between your forearms during the swing. It helps you maintain proper connection between your arms, shoulders, and body throughout the swing, promoting synchronized movement. This helps prevent several common swing flaws that contribute to a hook, including overactive hands and a disconnection between the arms and body.

The Smart Ball’s design allows you to feel when your arms start to separate or move independently from your body, providing immediate feedback. By encouraging more consistent arm movement and better synchronization, it helps you achieve a more on-plane, connected swing—essential for fixing a hook.

Why the Tour Striker Smart Ball Is Effective for Fixing a Hook

Promotes Proper Arm Synchronization:
One of the main causes of a hook is poor synchronization between the arms and the body, which leads to an overactive hand action at impact and a closed clubface. The Tour Striker Smart Ball forces you to keep your arms connected to your torso throughout the swing, ensuring that your hands don’t flip or roll excessively. By keeping everything moving in sync, you can prevent the clubface from shutting too early, eliminating the hook.
Reduces Over-Rotation of the Hands:
Over-rotating your hands through impact is a common reason for a hook. The Smart Ball helps prevent this by encouraging a more controlled release of the club. With the ball between your forearms, it becomes harder to roll your hands too much through the hitting zone, which in turn helps keep the clubface square at impact.
Improves Timing and Tempo:
Golfers who hook the ball often have a fast, aggressive release of the wrists. The Tour Striker Smart Ball promotes smoother, more consistent tempo and timing, preventing early wrist breakdown. A more gradual release will allow you to maintain a square clubface longer, giving you straighter ball flight.
Encourages Better Body Rotation:
Proper body rotation is critical to fixing a hook, as many golfers who struggle with this issue tend to stop their body rotation prematurely, relying too much on their hands to square the club. The Smart Ball helps you feel the connection between your arms and torso, encouraging full body rotation through impact. This keeps your swing more on-plane and reduces the likelihood of flipping your hands at impact, which can lead to a hook.

How to Use the Tour Striker Smart Ball to Fix Your Hook

Using the Tour Striker Smart Ball to fix your hook is simple, and it can be incorporated into your practice routine with ease. Follow these steps to start improving your swing mechanics and eliminating your hook:

Inflate the Smart Ball and Place it Between Your Forearms:
Inflate the Smart Ball to a comfortable size, just enough so it fits snugly between your forearms. Once in position, it should create a natural feeling of connection between your arms without being too tight or restrictive.
Practice Half Swings First:
Start by making small half swings with the Smart Ball between your forearms. Focus on keeping your arms together and maintaining the connection throughout the swing. This will help you develop the feeling of synchronized arm and body movement, preventing the hand-flipping motion that leads to a hook. The goal is to swing with control and maintain the ball’s position between your arms through impact.
Work on Full Swings:
Once you feel comfortable with half swings, progress to full swings while still keeping the ball in place. The Smart Ball will encourage you to make a more connected, rotational swing, reducing the chances of over-rotating your hands or breaking down your wrists early. Focus on keeping the ball between your forearms from takeaway to follow-through, ensuring a more on-plane, controlled swing.
Focus on the Release:
A major benefit of the Smart Ball is that it teaches a proper, gradual release of the club. As you swing, pay attention to how your wrists release the club through impact. With the ball in place, it becomes much more difficult to flip your wrists and close the clubface too early, which is the primary cause of a hook. Instead, you’ll feel a more passive, controlled release that keeps the clubface square.
Use it in Short Game Practice:
The Tour Striker Smart Ball isn’t just for full swings; it’s also an excellent tool for improving your short game. A hook can affect your chips and pitches if your hands become too active and the clubface closes down. Use the Smart Ball during short game practice to promote better hand control and a more connected, rotational motion, resulting in more accurate and consistent short shots.

Additional Drills with the Tour Striker Smart Ball

In addition to regular swings, here are a few specific drills you can try with the Smart Ball to further eliminate your hook:

Connection Drill:
Place the Smart Ball between your forearms and practice hitting pitch shots or chip shots, focusing on keeping your arms connected to your body. This will help you develop the feeling of staying connected, which is crucial for preventing an overly active hand release.
Impact Drill:
Practice making slow-motion swings while maintaining the ball between your arms. Focus on achieving the proper impact position, where your hands and wrists remain steady, and the clubface stays square. This drill is especially useful for developing muscle memory and promoting a controlled release, reducing the likelihood of a hook.
Tempo and Timing Drill:
Swing with the Smart Ball while focusing on a smooth, controlled tempo. Many golfers who struggle with a hook have an overly aggressive swing, which leads to a fast wrist release. The Smart Ball will help you slow down your swing, improve your timing, and prevent the hands from flipping through impact.

Conclusion

The Tour Striker Smart Ball is an invaluable training aid for golfers looking to fix their hook and develop a more connected, controlled swing. By promoting proper arm-body synchronization and preventing over-rotation of the hands, the Smart Ball addresses one of the key causes of a hook: an overly active hand release and a closed clubface.

Incorporating the Smart Ball into your practice routine will help you build muscle memory for a smoother, more on-plane swing, leading to straighter, more accurate shots. Whether you’re working on full swings or short game shots, the Smart Ball provides immediate feedback and helps you develop better mechanics that will eliminate your hook over time.

With consistent practice and dedication, the Tour Striker Smart Ball can be a game-changer, allowing you to hit more controlled, consistent shots that stay on target.