Charley Hull started the 2026 season on fire. She won the PIF Saudi Ladies International, climbed to a career-best World No. 3, and snagged two top-10 finishes in her first four starts. But right now, her body is not letting her be at her best. Hull is dealing with ankle and back injuries that are ruining her swing and keeping her out of the gym.

Speaking on the At Par 3 Podcast with J.R. Smith and Stephen Malbon, Hull was direct about where she stands.

“I feel like in the last month I’ve lost a bit of distance, but that’s because I’m battling my ankle injury and my back injury,” she said. “It’s very hard because I can’t get in the gym and do what I used to do, a lot of box jumps and stuff, and I’m not ready to do that yet. So it’s quite annoying when you lose a bit of distance.”

The numbers confirm exactly what she means. Hull sits 104th in driving distance on the LPGA Tour this season at 262.5 yards, down from 12th in 2025 at 273.21 yards. Ten yards gone. And her Strokes Gained Off the Tee ranks 50th on tour at +1.05, well below where a player of her calibre would expect to sit. The tee-to-green game has followed, ranking 64th at +0.78. The distance loss is not just a vanity stat; it is bleeding into her overall ball-striking numbers.

The ankle injury started in October 2025 when Hull tripped over a curb in the Centurion Club parking lot during the PIF London Championship. She heard a pop, did an MRI, and withdrew. Combined with reported cysts in her spine, the recovery has stretched past eight months.

At her Chevron Championship press conference in April, she said, “I’ve lost some ball speed and club speed since my injuries. It’s been eight months now, and I’m starting to notice it quite a lot.”

For Hull, the hardest part is the mental toll. She used the gym as a way to clear her head. Hull has always been clear that training is about her mind as much as her body.

“I don’t train for golf. I train because it’s good for my mental health,” she said in April this season. Losing that routine has hit hard. “You feel a bit depressed because I’ve not been able to go to the gym. It’s part of my routine, and now it’s obviously not there,” she admitted ahead of the Chevron.

The 2026 season has tested her in other ways, too. In February, Hull flew to Singapore for the HSBC Women’s World Championship days after being hospitalised with an undisclosed illness. She admitted she should not have made the trip, but did not want weeks off before the Chevron. She opened with a 72, bounced back with a 67, and finished tied 10th.

Notably, Hull is not alone in that struggle. Back in 2021, Lexi Thompson spoke openly about how injuries and the inability to train normally create mental and emotional stress that goes beyond the physical.

“You can only stay strong for so long and hide it,” Thompson has said, highlighting that for elite players, the gym is not just preparation; it is the thing that keeps them going mentally

The results have held up despite everything. She won the PIF Saudi Ladies International in February with a final round 65, finishing 19-under, and briefly reached World No. 3, the highest ever for an Englishwoman. Her SG Total of +1.18 still ranks 20th on tour, which shows how much she is compensating elsewhere, particularly with her putter ranked 10th at +0.51.

But Hull knows there is more in her when fully fit. With the U.S. Women’s Open, KPMG, the Evian, and the AIG Women’s Open all still ahead, she is clear on what comes next. “Hopefully soon be able to get my distance back because I’ll be able to do explosive work and running.” The second half of her 2026 could look very different.

Away from the tour grind, Charley Hull has been giving back closer to home.

Charley Hull attends the opening of Basingstoke Golf Club’s £20 million redevelopment

Basingstoke Golf Club has been relocated and redeveloped at Dummer on the outskirts of the town for £20 million. The new venue, constructed with the assistance of Weller Designs, opened this week after five years in the making with a brand new course and state-of-the-art facilities.

At the start, Hull was one of the headline names, joining Ian Woosnam, the 1991 Masters champion and 2006 Ryder Cup captain. Hull praised the new facility.

“The greens are great, and the world-class practice facilities and fun course make this a place you’d want to return and play again,” she said.

Woosnam was equally impressed, calling it “a proper test of golf” with excellent facilities throughout, from the clubhouse to the new academy. One of the biggest highlights of the new facility is the 1907 Academy, built with SYNLawn UK and named after the year the club was founded.

Local amateur star Charlie Forster also joined the event. General manager David Green called the day a celebration of five years of hard work, adding that having Hull, Woosnam, and Forster there made it a “fantastic occasion” for the whole club.