Author: Erik J. Barzeski

Your grip is your only link to the club, and your grip pressure says a lot about you. Slice? Hook? Your grip might be telling on you. With some understanding, a change in your grip pressure may help you hit better shots.

If you’re looking to stop slicing the ball, ease up on your grip. A firm grip inhibits the ability of the clubhead to release through impact, holding the face square or open. A gentler grip will allow the forearms to rotate, the hands to rotate, and the clubface to release (close after impact). On the contrary, people who hook the ball may be releasing the club too much, and are advised to grip the club a little tighter.

The next time you’re on the practice range, give this tip a try. Or, give it a try on the course if you’re confident. Perhaps there’s a hole that requires a draw when you normally play a little cut. Give it a go!

This tip comes from Masters champ Jackie Burke, widely regarded as one of the best putters of his day and, perhaps, ever.

The tip is relatively simple: practice two-footers with your left hand only. Start with two-footers, and bang several dozen of them in. It may be difficult at first, but your stroke will become smoother as you continue. You’ll strike your putts more solidly. This helps to eliminate the dreaded breakdown of the left wrist.

When you’re confident in your ability to make the two-footers, move back to 10 feet. When you’re comfortable with that, put your right hand back on the putter. You’ll be surprised at the difference.

This drill works for cross-handed putters, “claw grip” putters, and more. According to Burke, it may be the quickest way to turn you into a good if not great putter nearly instantly.

“Casting” is releasing the club from the top of the swing. Your wrists unhinge early, and your club resembles a fishing rod “casting” a lure to a pond behind you. Casting results in loss of power and accuracy.

To stop casting, think of your body as a hurricane. Your arms are like the outward arms and your body the middle of the storm. As the head stays still (the eye of the hurricane), the body uncoils. The arms follow behind but at extremely high velocities. Your upper body effectively pulls your arms and thus, the club, into the ball.

This tip was inspired by the January 1 entry in Bill Kroen’s “Golf Tip a Day” calendar. He’s also written a book, which you can find at Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and other book retailers.

Today’s Tip of the Day is actually several, and it’s brought to you by MJ of MJ on Golf. Here is a sampling:

• The 4C chain of golf – Consistency, Concentration, Confidence and Commitment. All are related and if any one weakens, your game falls apart.
• Single-Axis golf is much easier to learn and allows one to reach their potential faster.
• The timing and tempo required to shoot par using the traditional finger grip swing is beyond the genetic capabilities of the vast majority of golfers.
• “I want to be like Moe.”
• If you have to think about your swing while on the course you haven’t practiced enough.

And, finally…

• Beware of the tip mongers. Their tips are often based on their perception, not reality, and can be contradictory to your game.

Check out the complete list at mjongolf.com.

Whenever you talk to a PGA Tour player about the shots they play, undoubtedly they’ll mention that they look at the lie of the ball before doing anything else in determining shot selection. Is the ball sitting up? Sitting down? Sidehill? Is there a tuft of grass beside the ball? Did I land in a divot? Is the grass thin here? Is the ball resting on some hardpan?

Amateur players rarely consider their lie until they’ve gotten into their pre-shot routine and addressed the ball. At that point it’s far too late to make any decisions or changes. I know of some amateurs who determine their next shot before the ball even comes to rest from the previous swing!

Start every, and I do mean every analysis of the proper shot selection with an inspection of the lie. The quality of the grass, the height of the ball, the cleanliness of the ball (any mud on it?), and innumerable other factors have a great impact on the type of shot you can play.