Extending the right index finger down the grip.

[jfrain2004]

Anyone tried or use this where you extend your right hand index finger down the grip which seems to lend itself to giving better support at the top of the swing and allows more leverage when releasing the club through impact? Maybe it's just the placebo effect but it seemed to work for me the other evening at the range :)

[Golf_Gal]

Are you referring to using any club or putting in particular? I know that my BF does this method when he's putting!

[kpaulhus]

Are you referring to using any club or putting in particular? I know that my BF does this method when he's putting!

I too do this when putting, but not with any other club.

[right handed phil mickelson]

Yea I don't think it will help when you swing with the other clubs. I myself do this when putting, and it's helped tremendously. I've tried it on full swings too with results that can be summed up in one word: FAIL.

[iacas]

Anyone tried or use this where you extend your right hand index finger down the grip which seems to lend itself to giving better support at the top of the swing and allows more leverage when releasing the club through impact? Maybe it's just the placebo effect but it seemed to work for me the other evening at the range :)

Let me exaggerate this "better support at the top" by suggesting that you just split your hands apart a foot on the grip. That'd give you the best support at the top, right?

Perhaps my exaggeration will register, maybe it won't. Suffice to say if this was a valid idea, I think we'd have heard of it before, and someone on the PGA Tour would use it.

[shortstop20]

I can't see how it would be comfortable in a full swing.

I use that method with my putter though.

[James_Black]

I pull shots when I tried it.
I also pulled putts aswell.

[RIduffer]

I played 9 holes with an older gentleman this year who had his right and left fingers extended down the shaft on all shots. He never hit the ball more than 150 yds, but was dead straight all day.

It was funny, he kept complaining about his lack of distance, but was using clubs that had to be at least 50 years old. Another guy in our foursome suggested trying some newer equipment. The older gentleman waved his hand and scowled at such a ridiculous idea.

[Golf_Gal]

I played 9 holes with an older gentleman this year who had his right and left fingers extended down the shaft on all shots. He never hit the ball more than 150 yds, but was dead straight all day.

Some people are just creatures of habit and fear change! Its always good to try new things

[yygolfnb]

Are you referring to creating and sustaining lag?

[calicoe_15]

I wouldn't advise placing the right index finger down the grip. It is actually creating some of your lack of control at the top. It gives your right hand a disporportionate amount of control of the swing when instead you want to have your hands working as one. It will often times lead to flipping the wrist prior to or at imact. Depending on where your weight is at impact it will lead to either weak slices or hooks; neither good. It will keep your left hand, arm and shoulder weak and get the swing started with the hands and not the lower body.

Maybe try placing your left hand in a normal grip with your right hand applying weak pressure and simply guiding. Try a couple practice swings holding off the left wrist through impact. That will help to visual the connection of the back of the left hand to the club face. The back of the left hand is in direct correlation to the club face. You'll notice that the left hand is always pointed at the target. When we're off, it's pointing at our misses.

Another thing to try would be to place your left hand with a normal grip and place your right hand in a four finger overlapping grip that again allows you to feel the pull from your left side, starting with your weight transfer from right to left leg. Make sure your left back hand is facing the target until just after impact and get your weight on your front leg.

I hope this helps. I think you'll be amazed at all the feel that it adds to the left side. I think that it can provide the confidence that we all need to get onto our left sides and not stay back. For most of us righties, our strong side is our right side. No matter how much we work to balance it, we will always favor the right just a bit. In practicing using a strong left side it will make the imbalance we have marginally less and that could be the difference of a couple strokes a round.

[J_Bone]

Anyone tried or use this where you extend your right hand index finger down the grip which seems to lend itself to giving better support at the top of the swing and allows more leverage when releasing the club through impact? Maybe it's just the placebo effect but it seemed to work for me the other evening at the range :)

I use that grip for Putting only.

[jbishop15]

I've started to do this recently, and it's given me much more stability at the top of the swing, as well as creating a better impact position. Feels a little weird at first, but its helped out a lot. To each their own, though.

[Craptastic]

I extend my index finger often for practice swings, but don't hit shots with it because I tend to hit pulls. Its a great way to feel clubhead lag, which kind of helps calibrate the rest of my swing. When I hit the ball, I just slide my fingertip off and under the grip at address. I still have a pretty long trigger finger but put it in a better position to feel the club without directing it. BTW, this is how I originally learned to feel lag which even the pure ball striker couldn't do for me.

[SloopDanB]

Started doing this with my putter & wedges a long time ago. Gives me a better “tighter” feel. So today, I decided to try it on every shot on the last 3 holes. Hit all three fairways with D, and fairway/approach shots were dead straight and accurate. Par-Bogey-Par. I feel like it limits my backswing, which is what I needed. I’m sold on this (at least until it doesn’t work anymore 😂)and would recommend anyone to try it. If you’re worried your buddies will laugh at you....trust me...they already are. Just do whatever you need to do to get the ball from Point A to Point B. 

[Greg 504]

I only extend my right index finger while putting. Seems I've done this as long as I can remember so it feels natural for me. I'm not convinced it helps me putt better as I can still three jack 'em with the best of them at times. 

[FlyingAce]

One of my instructor taught me to do this when I used to grip too tightly with my right and had too much “hand” on my swing. He said the grip should come from the palm and last 3 fingers, not thumb/index. He said his own coach used to have him hold a golf ball with his index finger while swinging to take his index finger out of the equation. I couldn’t hold a golf ball but I extend my index finger in the air instead. I don’t do that anymore since I figured out how lightly to hold the grip. 

Edited August 11, 2020 by FlyingAce