Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

[Broadus]

If I use the same strong grip with my woods that I use with my irons, I hook the woods terribly. However, when I use a weaker grip with my woods, these shots vary from straight to a draw like my irons with the stronger grip.

Any ideas?

Bill

[SandCC]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

Wow.....I'm new here and 4 years after your post I can say that THIS is EXACTLY what is going on with my swing today. If you're still posting here, can you tell me what you've learned over the past few years to help you correct or balance this anomoly? I have a grip like yours as described in another of your posts. After squaring the face at address, it's 3.5-4 knuckles. I can hit SW - 5 Iron with a lot of compression. I'm not quite there but close with the 3-4 irons. Teed up with a driver? Duck hook city with the same grip! I can weaken the grip slightly enough to complete the swing and it does straighten out some, but I feel soooo robbed of power and balance without that strong grip. I've tried moving the ball into various different positions and just haven't found a good combo for power and accuracy. Any tips?

[keiko]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

Your body is telling you YOU DON'T NEED A STRONG GRIP. Listen to it.

If I use the same strong grip with my woods that I use with my irons, I hook the woods terribly. However, when I use a weaker grip with my woods, these shots vary from straight to a draw like my irons with the stronger grip.

Any ideas?

Bill

[BrianW]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

A strong grip is good for irons due to your hands leading the clubface into impact and creating lag. If your hands lead with a neutral grip then the clubface will be open, not the same as they were at address. A stronger grip will square the clubface in this case.

With your driver and fairway woods you dont want your hands leading the clubface at impact but level or very near level. In this case a more neutral grip is preferred.

Try a stronger grip with shorter clubs and a neutral grip with longer ones.

[SandCC]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

Your body is telling you YOU DON'T NEED A STRONG GRIP. Listen to it.

Thank you....that was really helpful. You've missed your calling.

[SandCC]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

A strong grip is good for irons due to your hands leading the clubface into impact and creating lag. If your hands lead with a neutral grip then the clubface will be open, not the same as they were at address. A stronger grip will square the clubface in this case.

With your driver and fairway woods you dont want your hands leading the clubface at impact but level or very near level. In this case a more neutral grip is preferred.

Try a stronger grip with shorter clubs and a neutral grip with longer ones.

Thank you Brian. I will definitely take note of what you're saying. I'll give it a try.

[BrianW]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

Thank you Brian. I will definitely take note of what you're saying. I'll give it a try.

I foud this Video that shows nicely what I mean:

[SandCC]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

I foud this Video that shows nicely what I mean:

YouTube - Golf pro Lesson Weak Grip O...r Strong Grip?

Excellent video...thank you!

[keiko]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

I apologize if my post offended you. I was trying to be helpful and succinct but obviously I only scored 50%.
All I was trying to convey was that perhaps you would do better if you practiced weakening the grip; will it feel uncomfortable, yes, is it going to take some time, yes, will you hit awlful shots at first, yes. This game is one of trial and error. You should be willing and open to trying new things so that you can get better.
All of us have been stuck at times and until one tries something different, the same old things keep happening.
Again, please accept my apology. I may not be the person who can help you but stick to this site and you will find the right one.

Thank you....that was really helpful. You've missed your calling.

[SandCC]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

I apologize if my post offended you. I was trying to be helpful and succinct but obviously I only scored 50%.
All I was trying to convey was that perhaps you would do better if you practiced weakening the grip; will it feel uncomfortable, yes, is it going to take some time, yes, will you hit awlful shots at first, yes. This game is one of trial and error. You should be willing and open to trying new things so that you can get better.
All of us have been stuck at times and until one tries something different, the same old things keep happening.
Again, please accept my apology. I may not be the person who can help you but stick to this site and you will find the right one.

Thanks for clarifying your intent. I really do appreciate the fact that you guys take the time to come here and try to help. Really......I could stand to loosen up a bit. As far as the strong/weak grip issue: You're right, it's tough trying out new things. I'm not SO prolific with any part of my swing that I refuse to change any of it. I'm looking for change. So....I'm at a cross-road where I am seeking advise on both grips. It's quite daunting at the moment, because my practice sessions are very un-inspiring to say the least right now.

[kennyc]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

BrianW,
Thanks for the Sean Clement video. In it he talks about a 2-knuckle grip requiring a squaring up of the clubface by turning the body and releasing the club early which causes pulls to the left. (I take it that the 'snuff box' to which he refers is the depression between the left hand
and the left forearm at the top?)

He then advocates using a 4-knuckle grip which allows for a weight transfer to the left side. With the hands well in front at impact the clubface can now square up at impact.
So the more lag you achieve the less the clubface will square up.

When I look at pro swings I see one fluid movement from the top. No attempt to release the clubhead, just a turn through the ball and a finish on the left foot facing the target.

Whenever I have tried to copy what the pros do a block to the right or a slice usually ensues. Because of this I have always been rather flat-footed in my swing, tending to stay back rather than getting onto my front foot. It's the only way I've been able to hit the ball straight! This, of course, leads to many fat or topped shots.

I take it that what has always felt to me to be a 'comfortable' grip of 2-knuckles is in fact much too weak with the proper mechanics and that with a stronger 4-knuckle grip I could finally get onto my front foot and finish properly without having to look for balls in the
right-hand rough!

So what I should be aiming for is a 4-knuckle grip, a snuff box at the top, a clubface that points to the sky, a move to the front foot and a turn through the ball ensuring lag pressure is maintained well into the follow-through?

Thanks in anticipation.

Ken

[mahbo]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

I foud this Video that shows nicely what I mean:

YouTube - Golf pro Lesson Weak Grip O...r Strong Grip?

Hi Brian

thanks so much for putting that video in. Outstanding video! Very relevant to what I have been goiong through. My question is- you know how this guy says talks about if our grip is too open at the top of our backswing, we "intuitively" need to compensate and cut the ball. And conversely I have heard David Leadbeater say the same thing, if we have a closed club face at the top of our backswing, to avoid the ball shooting off to the left, we will tend to compensate by hittiing IN-to OUT. My question is, do you guys really believe this to be true? As in, I have kind of been thinking, unless you see your swing on camera with an open or closed club face, how would you know its open/closed, and hence need to compensate? Just curios what you guys thought. But apart from that thought, I agree with what this guy is saying, and have noticed most of the pro's have a really strong grip....

thanks

Mahbo

[keiko]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

Sorry to disagree but most pro's do not have a "really strong grip", two knuckles at most. A few pro's have "really strong grips"
Also, if one sets up with a square clubface and shoulders/hips/feet, completes one's backswing, has good posture and swings without tension, one will be on plane and not have to worry about all that other stuff.
as for leadbutt, he is notoriously saying stuff that he later changes after he is challenged, he is actually not a very good teacher and if you notice, not too many pro's would use him ever.

Hi Brian

thanks so much for putting that video in. Outstanding video! Very relevant to what I have been goiong through. My question is- you know how this guy says talks about if our grip is too open at the top of our backswing, we "intuitively" need to compensate and cut the ball. And conversely I have heard David Leadbeater say the same thing, if we have a closed club face at the top of our backswing, to avoid the ball shooting off to the left, we will tend to compensate by hittiing IN-to OUT. My question is, do you guys really believe this to be true? As in, I have kind of been thinking, unless you see your swing on camera with an open or closed club face, how would you know its open/closed, and hence need to compensate? Just curios what you guys thought. But apart from that thought, I agree with what this guy is saying, and have noticed most of the pro's have a really strong grip....

thanks

Mahbo

[BrianW]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

This is a simple way to understand it for me:

Take a mid iron and address the ball with a neutral grip. At address your hands will probably be very slightly ahead, your hips and shoulders square to the ball.

Now move yourself from here into a classic impact position without taking a backswing, your hands will be further ahead of the ball, your hips rotated to the left, your shoulders slightly open. Now look at the clubface behind the ball. It will be open, it has to be due to the shaft leaning further forward. The only way you can square the clubface from here is to either push your shoulders out and forward or rotate your right forearm over the left aggressively.

Another way to square the clubface is to have it in a slightly more closed position at setup, this is normally done by strengthening the grip. It is possible to close the clubface by aggressively turning the right forearm over the left through impact but this needs good timing and many cannot do it, this one of the reasons many golfers cut across the ball creating slices, fades and pushes.

Look at pictures of Zach Johnson, he has a strong grip at address and holds off the rotation of his arms at impact but squares the clubface. now see Ernie Els who has a neutral grip but can rotate his forearms aggressively through impact to square the ball.

It is possible to square the clubface both ways but many find reliance on arm rotation difficult and will perform better with a stronger grip.

[mahbo]

Re: Strong grip w/irons; weaker grip with woods

Sorry to disagree but most pro's do not have a "really strong grip", two knuckles at most. A few pro's have "really strong grips"
Also, if one sets up with a square clubface and shoulders/hips/feet, completes one's backswing, has good posture and swings without tension, one will be on plane and not have to worry about all that other stuff.
as for leadbutt, he is notoriously saying stuff that he later changes after he is challenged, he is actually not a very good teacher and if you notice, not too many pro's would use him ever.

Hi Keiko

No worries about disagreeing or differing views. Its all good mate. At the end of the day, if we all thought the same way, we wouldn't be learning anything new or teaching others.

In fact you guys have single handedly rescued my game!

thanks

Mahbo