The Amazing Grip.

[hanalei]

I just find it amazing how just holding the club can make such a difference. Today I shot one of the best games I've had with a simple grip change. Ive always followed Ben Hogans grip and struggled, his grip had me holding the club almost diagonally across the left hand palm. Maybe he has different hands or I was doing it wrong. I found it a weak grip but never gave it a second thought as I focused on all the other variables, swing path, tempo, posture etc... But continued to struggle with slicing and flipping. So I started going over all aspects of the swing again starting with the grip and came across Mark Crossfields video on the grip. I was amazed at how low in the left hand he had held the club, mostly fingers, also he held the club more straight across the hand rather then diagonally like Ben Hogan. Overall it causes a much stronger grip, and helped me close the face so much easier, thoughtless really. Keeping the club low in the hand allows me to close the face whenever u grip the club harder, like when your at the bottom of your arc. Well to keep things short this different method worked for me. All my drives were FIR except one where I over shot a dogleg fairway. I mean dead straight, beautiful upward arcing, air pearcing drives. I still have a slight push on my woods, and I'm back to normal distances on all my wedges. Just thought id share this for people struggling with pushing, slicing and flips, especially if u feel your doing most other things correctly. Check your grip! :)

[Valleygolfer]

Interesting. Tell me how the next time you play goes.

[saevel25]

Hogan's grip was meant for hogan. Find a grip that works for you. Just because the father of the modern golf swing used it, doesn't mean it works for you.

[NotBillCosby]

Find the one that works for you.  However, it's best to use a consistent grip and keep that variable static for each swing.  It is easy to get the consistently grip right in the swing, so find one that works and try best not to change it.  The grip is so critical.  The hard parts all synching the correct body movements once you actually swing the club!

The major takeaway of the grip is to keep your hands balanced throughout the swing to avoid one overtaking the other.  Here, the neutral grip is preferred, in my opinion, but a pro should help you if you need to change something based on your physical attributes.  The vast majority of beginning golfers are right hand dominant and it feels instinctual but INCORRECT for most to get that right hand on on bottom cause its strong and pound at the ball with the arms only.  That's wrong because you will only be hitting with your arms, instead of your core, for loss of club head speed - not only that, you can't use centripetal acceleration to square the club face, leading to pulls and hooks.

[hanalei]

I had a problem with being left hand dominant as a righty. As of yesterday, had a few pushes on drives, not as many FIR since my original post, but my woods and long irons are straight, much more consistent bunker shots as well. Not getting the distance I'd like but I can fix that when I put some time in and groove this swing out. Still loving my new grip :-).

[cipher]

Bump,  has anyone else used this kind of leading hand grip?  I have never seen a left hand grip so far into the fingers like this.  "All world class players put the club more in the base of the palm"...Huh?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by cipher

Bump,  has anyone else used this kind of leading hand grip?  I have never seen a left hand grip so far into the fingers like this.

The grip seems fine in that video - in the fingers more, with the "heel pad" on top of the grip rather than beneath or to the side.

Disagree about the "release" stuff in that video, but the grip seems fine in a quick look through.

[stoverny]

I actually think Hogan's chapter on the grip in Five Lessons is awesome, however I've heard he was fighting a hook at the time so his grip was too weak for most players. I think for many if they follow Hogan's instructions but make it a little stronger they will have a fantastic grip on the club.

[cipher]

Originally Posted by iacas

The grip seems fine in that video - in the fingers more, with the "heel pad" on top of the grip rather than beneath or to the side.

Disagree about the "release" stuff in that video, but the grip seems fine in a quick look through.

I guess now that I look at it more and try and see with a club in hand, the left hand grip slightly strong with the thumb right of center(for righty), the club kind of naturally goes more into the fingers with the heel pad on top.

[soloredd]

I recently made this switch as well and its worked out fantastically. Before, I had the club somewhat diagonally through the palm. I've always used a neutral to slightly weak grip but the position in the hand was just killing me. Only reason I even looked into this was because my distance was just awful and I guess over the last year or so I had progressively put the club more and more into my palm. I remember hearing about Tiger and how he was trying to get the club more into the fingers so one day I tried it. Effectively, I'm holding the club like an umbrella but in the fingers and my palm pad sits on top of the shaft. Solid, solid, solid. I'm still trying to make it second nature so I will find every so often I move toward the palm again or I even make my grip too strong.

[DIABLO]

I've changed too this grip recently and found that it works well if your arms are in sync with your body turn..i found when i got abit lazy in my swing,i would tend to hook the ball more so than a diagonal version of the grip!! i did question how well this grip would work,but the proof is in the pudding

[LefyPapa]

Hogan's grip was meant for hogan. Find a grip that works for you. Just because the father of the modern golf swing used it, doesn't mean it works for you.

Yup... Too many variables to copy anyone else. Figure it out yourself; it can be done.

[Zachry Michael]

Hogan's grip was meant for hogan. Find a grip that works for you. Just because the father of the modern golf swing used it, doesn't mean it works for you.

Exactly! Every man is different