Forced to change my grip

[kc8kir]

Well, I should have figured it would happen eventually. I have had a persistent calluse / blister on my left index finger, below the first joint, on the inside of the hand, as a result of pressure from the overlapping grip and the club shaft. Started hurting so bad yesterday, I had to switch to interlocking after 2 holes, just to keep it from aggitating it. Couldn't grip the club otherwise. Needless to say, the rest of the round was a crapshoot. Nothing quite like completely changing your feel for the game by switching grips in the middle of a round.

I think I'm going to have to stick with the interlock. Any suggestions on how to make the switch and not totally lose my swing in the process? I'm thinking just start with wedges and work on pronation, 3/4 swings. Then move up, making sure I keep my hands solid on the club.

Feels absolutely horrible right now. Can't get any sort of club head speed or return the face to square. Yesterday was 3 woods off the tee, weak 200 yard banana slices. Short irons were a pull hook festival. Aaaaaarrrggghhh....

...amazing what a grip change will do.

[jambalaya]

If you are getting persistent blisters on your hands anywhere, you are just not gripping the club correctly I would think. The first thing to look at is having the club gripped more with the fingers. That should put the sides of the fingers in a position where they would be less likely to rub against the grip. The next thing would be grip pressure and finally, and the figner grip should help this, the club slipping around in the hands as you swing. The latter is more likely with more of a palm grip. I used to have blister issues myself but after I figured out how to grip the club they went away even when I hit a lot of balls on the range. Do you wear a golf glove?

Good tips here on how to grip the club. Read the articles on how to grip the club with the lead and trailing hands.

http://golf.about.com/od/golftips/ss/golfgrip_lead.htm

[kc8kir]

Sound advice, but I already grip the club in the fingers. The blister is right where any pressure from the overlapping pinky finger of the right hand would put additional pressure on the left index finger into the grip of the club. I can't stretch the pinky into the groove between the fingers (hurts to do so). I just use a standard vardon grip. I've had my grip reviewed by a pga pro, and it is apparently sound. I wear a glove, but still get the blister. Tried changing grips (both softness and size) with no effect.

I have no problem going back to the interlock. It just feels really wierd at this point, and my hands are a bit sore overall just from the difference in placement and pressure.

On a better side, my hands feel more unitized at the top of the backswing with the interlock. That's probably a good sign.

BTW, I found if I overlay my hands with the pictures in "Golf My Way" they are almost exactly the size of Jack's. Maybe interlock is the way to go for me (I started that way and my instinct has always been to interlock, but after reading 5 lessons, I stopped interlocking and have done the Vardon ever since).

I also have a relatively weak grip and wrists (exercising to change this, but that takes time). I have read interlocking is good for people with small or weaker hands and wrists.

[jambalaya]

Sounds reasonable. I started out interlock also but haven't used it for a long time. That kind of change is going to feel weird for a little while but I don't see why it couldn't work for you.

[mirv]

i started out with an interlock, but i took a handful of lessons about a year ago, and one of the first things the instructor suggested i do was change to a vardon grip. it felt a little weird for a very short time, but i took to it really quickly overall, and now the interlock feels strange and unstable to me. i've got a real mother of a callous on my left index finger below the joint, but mine's on the outside of the finger instead of the inside. i'm pretty sure that's not good, but i haven't taken the time out to correct it yet.

[jambalaya]

The only callous I have is on the outside of my right ring finger. I have nothing on my left index finger and don't ever remember having any trouble with it. Since both of you have had the left index finger problem, do you grip the club strong or weak or neutral? Your right pinkie is on top of your left hand right?

[Zeph]

Blisters doesn't neccessarily come from a bad grip, could also be the club moving in your hands during the swing. You can get them with a strong, weak or advised grip strength (in terms of clenching the grip, not hand positions). Wrong wrist movement can also cause the grip to move inside your hands during the swing and cause blisters.

Try to calm down the swing and focus on not letting the club wander inside your hands.