Grip Issue

[Rich8P]

Dear All,

How do I know whether my grip is OK?

I'm tending to wear through gloves and get blisters so I assume that something is wrong. If anything my grip must be too light because the club sometimes twists when I hit the ball but if I grip it tighter my shot becomes curved (usually hook).

What is the best way to correct the grip?

On a recent trip to the US, I saw some guys training with a weighted club called momentus which has a formed grip making sure that you hold the club with the fingers in a certian place. I realise that this kind of grip covering is not allowed for the game but does this really help?

I'm a little concered to try a fixed grip because I read from Harvey Penick, that the grip is a personal thing to do with the natural hang of the arm. He also mentioned that a bad grip allows you to groove faults with the swing and hit a good shot which will later limit the upper end of your game. Is there any truth in this? In which case, do I need a pro lesson to correct the grip?

Many thanks in advance guys.


Rich

[gord962]

Re: Grip Issue

Hi Rich,

It sounds like you grip is too tight. You would not get blisters and wear through gloves if it wasn't. The ideal grip pressure on a scale of 1 - 10 (1 being lightest and 10 being a death grip) would be about 3 or 4. Any tighter than this and your forearm muscles are too tense and you can not release the club head properly at impact.

As for your club turning in your hands, that could be due a couple of things. First thing that this can be attributed to is a worn grip. When was the last time your grips on your clubs were replaced? Are the hard, brittle and/or shiny? I would check that first. Second, is the style of grip you grip your club with. I find that people who use the 'baseball' grip tend experience their club turn in their hands more than than an interlocking or overplapping grip. Third reason you might be feeling your club turn in your hands is that you are not hitting your clubs in the sweet spot. If you constantly hit the bal off the toe of your club, your club will turn a bit in your hands.

As for the correct grip, yes a correct grip is personal, but it could be the problem in your game as well. A strong grip to a weak grip is the difference between a fade/slice and a draw/hook, so do not overlook how important it is to have the correct grip.

Here is a little tip on where you should have your hands. Take two clubs (one in your left hand and one in your right hand) and grip each club as you normally would with each hand. Make sure that both clubs are aligned to the target. Take each club back at the same time (one in each hand) and when you come down in your downswing, stop when you get back to the ground. Now check where each club is aligned. This will tell you if one or both hands are not in the correct position on the grip.

[Rich8P]

Re: Grip Issue

Thanks for reply.

My grips are fairly new although I am using bargin basement clubs so they might not be up to standard. I have seen a freind hit a couple of great shots (although not as far as he usually hits) with my irons so until my precision is OK, I'm going to keep blaming my technique.

Unfortunately, I only have one club at work so I'll have to practice the two club drill this evening. I assume that I should be trying to swing both clubs in the same position that I normally swing?

I used the interlock grip from my first swing because the guy showing me didn't mention alternatives to the way he played. Since reading a little and watching some videos, I'm inclinded to switch to overlap because my hands are fatter than average and my fingers are longer (I'm built more for rowing and rugby but need golf for work). Is it advisable to switch for this reason?

Thanks again.

[gord962]

Re: Grip Issue

Hi Rich,

Unfortunately, I only have one club at work so I'll have to practice the two club drill this evening. I assume that I should be trying to swing both clubs in the same position that I normally swing?

Yes, swing like you normally would, but slower, obviously. Swing both back at the same time - it will keep your hands repeating the same movement that occurs during your swing.

I used the interlock grip from my first swing because the guy showing me didn't mention alternatives to the way he played. Since reading a little and watching some videos, I'm inclinded to switch to overlap because my hands are fatter than average and my fingers are longer (I'm built more for rowing and rugby but need golf for work). Is it advisable to switch for this reason?

Overlap is much better for people with larger hands, but again it comes down to what works best for you. I use interlock because that worked best for me when I started. Of course I was only 10 so I had quite small hands. I have tried the overlap, but I didn't get the same sense of a solid grip as I do with the interlock.

[Rich8P]

Re: Grip Issue

Thanks for the tip. I tried the excercise yesterday and sure enough the left hand was stable and club head parellel to the target but I struggeled to even swing the club with the right (I'm right handed). The head was way open on the downswing and then rotated and came thorugh closed.

I've done my best to correct it with the grip but not been to the range yet. I've found that the overlap grip actually feels better with my hands in the new position so I'm going to try with that one for a while. The whole thing is still a little awkward.

A further questions is whether the thumbs should actually wrap around the club or lie along it?

Thanks again.


Rich

[gord962]

Re: Grip Issue

Your thumb on your top hand should run down along top of the shaft. Your bottom hand thumb should wrap around. Make sure you are not using pressure with your thumbs while gripping the club. This tenses up the forearms too much and prevents proper release. You will also find that excessive thumb pressure will wear out your grips faster as well.

Grip changes do feel awkward for a while. Stick with it - it will get better as will your game accordingly. Also, about once a month go through the drill I mentioned earlier. It's amazing how your old grip will creep back into your swing.

[chen]

Re: Grip Issue

I had a similar problem. My butt of my left hand was wearing out my glove and my fingers were quite sore. It turned out that I had a weak grip (ie the left hand butt was not on top of the club but more on the side) therefore when I got to the top of the backswing the club was not held in a firm position and was causing the club to slip. As soon as I got the pad (butt) of my left hand on top of the grip all seemed to be ok. It felt very strange at first but was well worth the results.

[hathaway]

Re: Grip Issue

Keep the butt of the left hand on top of the club shaft and when you get to the top of the backswing the club rests on it nicely. See below.