The Grip
Your hands are the only parts of your body in contact with the club through the golf swing and therefore control the angle of the club face. We’ve seen, from the previous section, The Basics, the effects that an incorrectly angled clubface can produce. It is vitally important to return the clubface square to the target line at impact and we need to concentrate on achieving a grip which will constantly deliver the club face square when striking the ball.
If the hands are too far to the right on the golf club the clubface will return to the address position closed, which will cause hooking or pulled shots.
If the hands are to far to the left on the golf club the clubface will return to the address position open, which will cause slicing or pushed shots.
Numerous teaching methods have been published providing explanations of how to achieve the correct grip.
A method of finding the 'natural' position that your hands need to take in order for them to return to the same starting position is shown below. A ‘standard’ grip is difficult for every person to comfortably achieve and maintain. What we require is a method of gripping that will enable each individual person to return the club head to its original starting position every time.
Try the following method, firstly without a club:
Hold your hands up with palms facing your body as shown in Fig 1.
The little finger of the right hand should be resting between the first and second fingers of the left hand as shown.
Completely relax the arms and hands and let them fall down in front of your body. Because of this relaxed state your hands will come to rest in their own natural position as shown in Fig 2
A slight modification to the first finger on the right hand is shown in Fig 3. The finger is slightly bent, similar to holding a flat stone prior to skimming it across water.
Now you can see and feel how the hands will grip the club. It is merely a matter of holding the club in this same manner. Be sure to hold the club more with the fingers than with the palms of the hands as shown in Fig 4.
The final photograph, Fig 5, shows the club being held with the same grip, as shown earlier in Fig 3.
Always make sure that the club is held without pressure.
Holding the club too tight will prevent the wrists from moving correctly throughout the swing.
Test your grip out by holding the club as lightly as possible
and swinging the arms backwards and forwards before coming to rest again. You should find that the clubface always returns to its starting position.
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