How Can Using a Stronger Grip Possibly Help With Eliminating Fat Shots?

[Hugh Jars]

I was on the range tonight working on making contact with the ball first before the ground to get solid iron shots. I was struggling a little with a problem that creeps back on me quite regularly - duffing my shots and striking the ground before the ball. I've recently made my grip stronger, after I was told my an instructor that my grip was very weak. I have gained a lot from changing my grip, however after hitting some fat shots I decided to really exaggerate the strong grip thinking that maybe I had gone back to my old weak grip habit. I noticed I was, for the most part, hitting the ball more cleanly and striking the ball then the ground.

Why might this be the case?

[iacas]

Because you don’t have to flip to square the face.

[djake]

@iacas sorry for sounding stupid here, but when you stated "you don't have to flip to square the face" do you mean flipping the wrists?

If so, would this stop me from getting so wristie on chip shots around the green?

[JGus]

I think that's what he meant, but won't answer for him.

In regards to getting wristie around the green, I'm not sure if a stronger grip would help with that short of a swing motion.  I would recommend when you setup for a chip shot, move your hands forward (e.g., forward press) and then focus on only swinging your arms, keeping your wrists set in the forward press position.  This helped me reduce my flipping while chipping the ball.

[iacas]

6 hours ago, djake said:

@iacas sorry for sounding stupid here, but when you stated "you don't have to flip to square the face" do you mean flipping the wrists?

If so, would this stop me from getting so wristie on chip shots around the green?

I liked what @JGus had to say about that, yeah.

[Hugh Jars]

11 hours ago, iacas said:

Because you don’t have to flip to square the face.

I find it fascinating that the human brain can make subconcious adjustments like this to bring the club face square when given new constraints like a new grip. Like when I had a very weak grip the cutting across the ball, over the top tendency was just the brains way to try and hit the ball straight, and no amount of prompting could change it probably because my brain knew doing an in to out, flatter swing would just result in the ball starting way, way right with a massively open clubface.

Edited July 29, 2019 by Hugh Jars

[saevel25]

1 hour ago, Hugh Jars said:

Like when I had a very weak grip the cutting across the ball, over the top tendency was just the brains way to try and hit the ball straight,

I wouldn't say that a weak grip causes a golfer to cut across the ball. Tons of amateurs hit slices with very strong grips. 

[iacas]

1 hour ago, saevel25 said:

I wouldn't say that a weak grip causes a golfer to cut across the ball. Tons of amateurs hit slices with very strong grips. 

I would. Weak, palmy grips = face open = golfer swings left as a means of compensating.

[Vinsk]

3 hours ago, Hugh Jars said:

I find it fascinating that the human brain can make subconcious adjustments like this to bring the club face square when given new constraints like a new grip. Like when I had a very weak grip the cutting across the ball, over the top tendency was just the brains way to try and hit the ball straight, and no amount of prompting could change it probably because my brain knew doing an in to out, flatter swing would just result in the ball starting way, way right with a massively open clubface.

It is painfully fascinating. You name the club face position and I can deliver the hosel to the ball. Every...single....time.

[boogielicious]

13 hours ago, Vinsk said:

It is painfully fascinating. You name the club face position and I can deliver the hosel to the ball. Every...single....time.

It's time for therapy my friend. 

My Evolvr instructor(s) have had me strengthen the grip and also add a bit of palmar flexion (wrist flattening) from the top of the swing. It helps with contract for both full swings and chips and is a pretty easy feel to get down. When I was more neutral in my grip, I was a bit more flippy.

[Vinsk]

1 hour ago, boogielicious said:

It's time for therapy my friend. 

I had an appointment but then I was told the therapist was a golfer and he said he had to cancel.

[billchao]

22 hours ago, Vinsk said:

You name the club face position and I can deliver the hosel to the ball. Every...single....time.

Challenge accepted.

Show me your right-handed swing with your wedge flipped over.

[Hugh Jars]

Back at the range yesterday and I've gone to the complete opposite extreme. I'm hitting severe hooks now. Three weeks ago and if anyone said to me Id be moving the ball right to left, yet alone hook, I would have laughed at them. Im still in the honeymoon phase of just being happy Ive gotten rid of my slice and pushes so not getting frustrated and angry...yet.

So, where do I start to fix it? I don't want to change my grip and bring back bad habits.

Edited July 31, 2019 by Hugh Jars

[Carl3]

16 hours ago, Vinsk said:

I had an appointment but then I was told the therapist was a golfer and he said he had to cancel.

You can't let on to your problem mentioning the "s" word and hosels. Reading some of your posts brings on anxiety attacks. I may need to make an appointment.

[TeedotFox]

I've had the complete opposite result!

I've always played with a pretty strong grip, and the miss that has always plagued me is a fat shot (especially with 3/4 wedges).

I tried out a significantly weaker grip at the range after seeing some video of myself that made it look like i was playing a severely strong grip. Weakening my grip pretty much cured hitting fat shots on my full and partial swings with wedges.

That being said starting out with a grip change is difficult and i've started to hit high flare pushes that I never used to hit.

But I'll take playing with a weak flare compared to hitting fat wedges that travel 50% of the intended distance!

I'm not entirely sure why the weak grip has helped, but I have a pretty big in to out swing and my tendency is to have my arms to get stuck way behind and under me on my downswing. I feel as though having a weaker (maybe in reality neutral) grip has allowed me to feel like i'm not getting as stuck and under the proper plane in the downswing.

Anyways just wanted to share my thoughts, as I seemed to have success making the opposite change!