A grip switch and OMG

Let me start by saying I have had my doubts about what grip works best for me for a while now. After video taping my swing I could see my hands with the overlap grip were NOT working together in the swing. Left hand control on the backswing was looping the club far to the inside, resulting in an across the line overswing. The right hand wasn't doing its job, or it was taking over and smothering the shot. For the last 6 months, I have not been able to hit fairway woods (severe heel hits, giant slices). Irons have been fine, but I have had serious episodes of the shanks. You name a club, I've probably shanked it. I have lost all confidence in setting up to hit the ball, as I don't know when one of those right to right monsters or 45 degree screamers is going to pop up. Combine this with not being able to hit fairway woods, and my golf game has been in serious jeopardy.

Last night I just said the heck with it and went back to interlocking grip. I immediately noticed I was setting the club on plane without thinking about it. The inside loop is almost completely gone, and no more overswing. The hands started working together. The best part...

No shanks!

Even my mishits were somewhat online. Gone were the giant chunks I had been hitting (alternating with shanks). The ultimate test was the fairway woods. Once I got my ball position nailed down, I started hitting them ok. This is a huge improvement. I can't wait to work on them more.

Lesson learned. The hands have to work together and stay together through the swing. For me, that means interlocking grip.

It's amazing what a good grip will do.

I've often thought about going back to a interlock grip. I literally spent the first half of my golf life with the interlock grip and the second half with the overlap. My hands are about average size. I've done just about everything in retooling my swing for the last 6 years except change the grip type. I have had some serious shank issues the last six months on and off. Never had them this bad before. Got rid of them at least for now using another swing method not changing grips. If it happens again I may consider it though.

interesting, i too share some problems that you mentioned sometimes and think i'll try an interlocking grip to see if it will make a difference

When I struggle I switch from my normal overlapping grip to a baseball grip. It helps me get back focused on releasing the club properly.

Does the interlock prevent the right hand from taking over on the downswing? I currently use an overlapping grip (re reading Ben Hogan's Five Fundamentals) and sometimes it feels like the right hand is dominating my downswing. Sorry if this seems like a hijack.

I roll with the baseball grip and Overlap. Depends on my mood to be honest, but man the baseball grip I can get some serious hook action going. With the overlap I get more of a fade shot, I play the overlap about 90%.


But with that being said thanks for sharing that info!

Not all teachers think the right hand working is such a bad thing. I've met a guy who coached a few highschoolers who went on to play for Illinois and they have a right side dominate approach. I'm not saying thats the best way, but not always the worst either. I am a hitter even though I am working on being a swinger.

I'd like to know the answer to that question. I am thinking my right hand starts to take over too and the result are shanks.

Some very interesting research is being done on the "hitter vs. swinger" debate. From what I have heard so far, not one test subject was a true hitter or swinger. Good swings are a combination of both, allowing the golfer to apply more than 85% effort and still maintain accuracy. Look at Hogan, he said he hit equally hard with both hands, and that the harder he hit, the straighter it went. Modern pros wouldn't tell you this, but their swings are not as perfectly grooved as Hogan's. They have many more timing issues. Nicklaus would have agreed with Hogan, as he hit hard with both hands and made it a point to swing fully on all his regular shots. No shot was a half effort because doing so would mess up his natural timing and rythym.

I think the best golf swings are not one side dominated or the other. The body propels the hands, and the hands are free to add some extra power just prior to impact by virtue of the wrists unloading.

In the case of the shanks, mine is due to the right hand basically giving up on the backswing, then playing dead on the downswing and not helping square the face. The club tracks severe in-out with an open face, and there it goes. Shank city.

Unfortunately, my success was short lived. Range yesterday, the interlock wasn't working for crap. Went back to overlap and started pounding it. So maybe it was just a quick retraining of my hands. Hit a few shanks though... and those really ticked me off. I need to work on my takeaway, and keep it from looping inside so much. Low and sweeping is ok, but not if it goes so far as to put me way across the line and past parallel.

How many times has something worked like magic for me one day only to disappear the next? Too many times.

No kidding! One day everything is clicking and I think man I've got it! Day later its like I've never pick up a club before!