Trigger finger

[arny660]

What is the significance of the trigger finger? How does it help the swing?

[Robert O' Keeffe]

Re: Trigger finger

I woud suggest it gives a feeling that the left hand is more prominent on the shaft and is in control of the club.

[GolfJunkieSr]

Re: Trigger finger

In the 50+ years I have been golfing I never really paid any attention to my trigger finger in my full swing. As long as it felt comfortable was my only concern. I would guess that with all the information on the golf grip, that there is some value to using the trigger finger properly. Others on here may have that information. Maybe depending on whether someone uses the long, or short thumb might have something to do with it.

In putting by extending the lead hand trigger finger straight down the shaft on top of the rear hand fingers is supposed to help with getting the two hands to work together. I believe Stan Utley teaches this reverse overlap grip, and it is the only putting grip I have ever used. (long before Utley came on the golf scene)

Also, believe it or not, the trigger finger in the golf grip is listed as one of the more common injuries incurred by golfers. I have no idea why, but I did injure my right trigger finger once when I hit a rock with the club head that was just under the turf I was hitting off of. I have also heard that hitting off mats too much can injure the hands/fingers/wrists/elbows.

Trigger Finger - Symptons, Treatments, Do's and Don'ts

GJS

[Timothy Slaught]

Re: Trigger finger

Hey Arnie:

Ben Hogan had some interesting comments concerning the right trigger finger and right thumb as related to the full swing. He felt that if misused, the finger and thumb could cause some real issues with the swing and even refered to them as "swing wreckers".

He felt that if there was too much tension exerted by the finger and thumb on the shaft that it would also create too much tension in the muscle tendons that are activate by this "pincer" action. This would prohibit a free release of the right wrist through impact. Another problem of misuse is the tendency to activate the trigger finger and thumb at the start of the downswing which can cause casting.

To combat these maladies, Hogan recommended using a slight amount of pressure where the thumb meets the hand and formes a crease up to the lower portion of the trigger finger at the knuckle. By doing this you are not really squeezing the shaft with the thumb and finger but more or less letting them rest gently against the shaft handle without controlling the shaft. The idea is to close the gap formed by the detached thumb and hand with enough pressure to keep the gap closed throughout the swing but not so much pressure as to over tighten and restrict the free release of the right wrist. This action when assuming your grip will also keep the right hand in place without the club flopping around if that crease is left open. This is one major cause of overswinging or loosing the club at the top of the backswing.

When I first started practicing this enhancement to my gripping of the club, I would wedge a dime in that crease I described and keep it there through out the swing. It has been a help to me.

I know it sounds like perhaps a little too much information for just a thumb and a finger but Hogan knew a thing or two and he understood their importance. This information is in his Five Fundementals book, Also as I study the grips of many pros, most close this crease by the method he described.

Good luck,
Tim S

[arny660]

Re: Trigger finger

Thanks Tim, interesting reply.

I have just started paying attention to this after reading a tip from cmays and I have found that it is making a big difference to my swing. I close the gap between my right thumb and the index finger, set my trigger finger and then set my hand on the club. The first time I set my hand on the club in this way, I felt that I had less control of the club but was somewhat surprised to find that, when I swung the club, I actually had more control. I seems to have shortened my thumb and this in turn seems to have stopped me from overswinging. It`s surprising how in golf such a small thing can make such a big difference.