He Has "Great Hands"

[Old1964]

Good morning from Michigan - 16 degrees here with 8 inches of fresh snow. Feeling grateful that I don't live in Minneapolis (though they do have some very enjoyable courses.

What does it mean when the golf announcer repeatedly describes a golfer as having "great hands"?

a) the golf announcer is using slang to describe their technical ability to square the club face

b) the golf announcer is describing to make great contact in the center of the club face

c) the golf announcer is describing how attractive he finds the golfer's hands (a kind of fetish)

d) none of the above, but will supply the proper explanation

So, what do you think?

 

[ChetlovesMer]

15 minutes ago, Old1964 said:

Good morning from Michigan - 16 degrees here with 8 inches of fresh snow. Feeling grateful that I don't live in Minneapolis (though they do have some very enjoyable courses.

What does it mean when the golf announcer repeatedly describes a golfer as having "great hands"?

a) the golf announcer is using slang to describe their technical ability to square the club face

b) the golf announcer is describing to make great contact in the center of the club face

c) the golf announcer is describing how attractive he finds the golfer's hands (a kind of fetish)

d) none of the above, but will supply the proper explanation

So, what do you think?

 

You're hearing them right but you are misunderstanding what they mean. 
They aren't saying "Great Hands", as in the adjective great meaning much more than average or ordinary. They are saying "Grate Hands" as in the verb grate meaning to scrape or grind. 

It's a reference to the fact that they wear down their grips quickly because their hands grate on them. 

Of course, I could be totally wrong here... 😜👍👍

[TourSpoon]

This is a great question. I know 2 guys that I play with (out of maybe 30 guys) that are in the "Great Hands" category. 

Player A was a shortstop growing up through High School and Jr College. His golf game is pretty good but his short game is phenomenal.  To give you an idea, his preferred wedge is a 53 degree sand wedge that you would think was a 60 by what he can do with it. He hits shots all the time that you would never expect and the reason I attribute it to is superior hand/eye coordination. Most guys have to set up for the shot, pick the correct wedge, to hit the different shots and maybe they pull it off. This guy just moves the ball back or forward and manipulates the face to hit the shot he wants including the high floater. 

Player B who was a college pitcher, is in his 60s and is a big guy (not in particularly great shape). He doesn't use his lower body, takes a small back swing and powers through with some serious hand action. He plays 6,200 yards. Yesterday he had 3 birdies within 3 feet. Again superior hand/eye coordination that he times incredibly well. 

So, when I think of great hands, I think of my Player A when it comes to the short game. He can play that high soft shot, throw it in hard, put cut spin, or hit the low checker. It doesn't matter because he has great hands. Some people call that having exceptional FEEL. 

 

[klineka]

You could have made this into a poll, although I suspect most people would chose D given the choices you provided.

I think most of the time when a pro golfer is described as having great hands it is in the context of their short game/around the green, so I interpret great hands as they're highly skilled (moreso than their peers) at short touch/feel shots around the greens, they're adept at using their hands to manipulate a single club into hitting a variety of different shots from different lies (such as using a 60 degree and hitting a high flop, a low spinner, and a bump and run all with that same club)

[Vinsk]

Well I take it as being completely opposite of me. I lose my grip in the backswing. I never have any feel to where the club head is. The club face? Absolutely no idea where it’s pointing at any given time. If you took a large Turkey leg and stuck your club handle into it, then swung the club holding the Turkey leg….you’ll feel what I feel on a swing.

[ChetlovesMer]

8 minutes ago, Vinsk said:

If you took a large Turkey leg and stuck your club handle into it, then swung the club holding the Turkey leg….you’ll feel what I feel on a swing.

Mmmmm.... turkey leg... 

          Am I the only one who's hungry? 

Just realized I've made two dumb jokes in this thread but never answered the question. 

So, in my estimation if somebody says you have "great hands" I would assume that means you have what many people refer to as great touch, or great feel. 

I guess that's letter D? 

[iacas]

Depends on the shot they just saw.

If a short game shot, they often mean "good touch." If a full swing, they generally mean the ability to deliver the club with the proper face angle to create the shot or curve they just created.

[GolfLug]

"Great hands" always sounded like a backhanded compliment - as in they got good result by manipulating the stroke with their 'great' hands. implying that the rest of the mechanics weren't good enough to warrant the good result. 

1 hour ago, iacas said:

Depends on the shot they just saw.

If a short game shot, they often mean "good touch." If a full swing, they generally mean the ability to deliver the club with the proper face angle to create the shot or curve they just created.

Yeah, "good touch", OTOH, always sounded like a genuine compliment for someone's overall ability as you described.  

Edited February 24, 2023 by GolfLug

[boogielicious]

I thought it meant this.

[dufferifick]

4 hours ago, klineka said:

You could have made this into a poll, although I suspect most people would chose D given the choices you provided.

I think most of the time when a pro golfer is described as having great hands it is in the context of their short game/around the green, so I interpret great hands as they're highly skilled (moreso than their peers) at short touch/feel shots around the greens, they're adept at using their hands to manipulate a single club into hitting a variety of different shots from different lies (such as using a 60 degree and hitting a high flop, a low spinner, and a bump and run all with that same club)

and/or meaning kind of what TGM means when they say "educated hands"

[p1n9183]

Normally is great touch around the greens, watch Bryan Westly on his you tube channel when he is fooling around near a green. That guy have the ultimate "great hands", butter hands in my opinion.

[klineka]

41 minutes ago, p1n9183 said:

Normally is great touch around the greens, watch Bryan Westly on his you tube channel when he is fooling around near a green. That guy have the ultimate "great hands", butter hands in my opinion.

Do you mean Wesley Bryan?

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, klineka said:

Do you mean Wesley Bryan?

He’s in Argentina, so the Coriolis effect reverses the names.

[Denny Bang Bang]

I’ve been told by a couple instructors that my swing mechanics are not desirable, but I get away with it most of the time because I have great hands.  So maybe that falls in line with A).  Although, I do think I could probably be a hand model as well 😂