Jump to content
Subscribe to the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
Note: This thread is 5997 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

Posted
today I went to the range and I found out that if I grip with my right hand having the thumb pointing straight on e top of the grip I slice bad. Now when I turn the club closed alittle grip it and then make it so the club is square, this makes my right hand fingers point up...not the most comfy grip but when I did it I hit everything straight. I was wondering if anyone else has had to do this. and if needed I can post pics. I know it isn't easy to visualize what I am saying.

Bag: Ogio
Driver: Cleveland HiBore XLS 9.5 gold stiff
3W: Pro Select 15*
Irons: Pro Select 3-PW
Wedge:Adams Tom Watson set GW, SW, LWPutter: Cleveland VP 1balls: E6+ or Srixonshoes: Adidas powerband"Stop looking at my ears and play!"Home course. Antler Creek; tees; Black 77.5/150, Gold...


Posted
Rotating your hands to the right on the grip (as you described) is called strengthening your grip. You can also strengthen your left hand grip. Having your right thumb directly on top of the grip would be considered a pretty weak grip. Typically, a strong grip will close the clubface more at impact than a weak grip. Your slice could've been at least in part due to a weak grip (another major factor for many golfers is an outside to in swing). Good luck with the new grip!

What I play:

Driver: XLS Hibore 9.5* Fit-On Red (S)
Woods: Tour XPC 16* Graffaloy ProLite (S)
Hybrid: Exotics 3HIrons: Reid Lockhart 3-SWWedge: rac 60*Putter: a crappy $20 Academy putter (but it works!)


Posted
I tend to place my thumbs off the top of the shaft when I grip. The left thumb is at 1:00 (if the top of the shaft is 12:00) and my right thumb is around 11:00. I never place my thumbs at the top of the shaft for wood and iron shots. I do place the thumbs near the top for my putter, though.

Posted
thanks for the input. I am still looking for some lessons as I am almost sure on the outside to in swing could be hindering me as well. Is a strenghening my grip a bad thing? I know there is no one right swing or anything but is that considered a band-aid to my swing?

Bag: Ogio
Driver: Cleveland HiBore XLS 9.5 gold stiff
3W: Pro Select 15*
Irons: Pro Select 3-PW
Wedge:Adams Tom Watson set GW, SW, LWPutter: Cleveland VP 1balls: E6+ or Srixonshoes: Adidas powerband"Stop looking at my ears and play!"Home course. Antler Creek; tees; Black 77.5/150, Gold...


Posted
No. Strengthening your grip is a very good thing. Very hard for most any amateur to square the club face with a weak grip. You want to be able to see at least the two biggest knuckles on your glove hand as you address the ball. Weak grip promotes slicing action and more severely, the shanks....

In the bag:

Irons X20 5-SW
Hybrids Slingshot 20* and 23*
Fairway Wood SasQuatch 15* Rescue:18* Perfect Plus (Don't laugh! I fairway people to death with that thing!)Putter Dual Force 550 Proudly, I hit no Driver. Who needs it?


Posted
Strenghtening the grip is not a bad thing. You will know when you get too strong. Also consider that what now feels like a strong grip, may be very neutral. I'm not ashamed to admit that it took me some 2 years to really get my grip where I want it. Grip changes always feel very unatural at first.

I wish there was more attention payed to the grip (which I understand is a boring subject to many) than to all the full swing mechanics, checkpoints and theories. IMHO if you are getting a straight ball flight, you are squaring your clubface pretty well. It's hard to square the clubface with a poor grip. Once I started hitting a straight ball I knew my grip was getting close to where I wanted it. But then I was hitting straight pulls. Before my grip changes, if I pulled it, my poor grip put a cut on the ball and made the results WAY better than the swing. A pull cut can still center cut the fairway.

Only after I started hitting a straight ball (straight pull) with a good grip was I able to know I was coming over the top. After filming myself I was able to see what needs fixing and I'm now working on that. But I would have never gotten to that point had I not worked my grip into a nice position.

I'm amazed at how much I held the grip in my palms in the past. Now, with the butt of the club set really deep in my fingers, I can hold the club with almost zero grip pressure. My wrists hinge naturally. If I resist the urge to hit, and just let it flow, the face squares naturally with no manipulation whatsoever.

Sounds like you are on the right path! You are starting where the rubber meets the road - or in this case where the hands meet the club.

Good Luck!

Posted
i have often fought a slice in my game and yes like most amatures i probably do have the outside to inside swing but this thread has got be thinking about my grip. When i just went and grabbed a club and gripped it and looked at my golved hand i can see the first knuckle easy but the second one is barley visible. I rotate by thumb to the 1 o'clock postions like someone said before and it seemed to square up the face at adress even more. Is this what it is supposed to do? My only question is when i didn't that it seems i need a little more grip pressure to hold the club.

Speed LD F Stiff Shaft 9.5*
3dx dc 2 ironwood 17*
3dx dc 4 ironwood 23*
710 AP1 5 - P
50.08 Spin Milled CC 56.11 Spin Milled CC 60.04 Spin Milled CCDual Force 2 Putter #1 Pro V1xForget your opponents; always play against par. ~Sam Snead


Posted

JMHO knuckles and thumbs and such are OK indicators of your grip. But you can grip the club poorly, twist your hands into position and have what looks like a good grip.

I think it was Sam Snead (maybe not) that Harvey Pennick told the story about that went like this.

The amateur asked the pro (Snead?) if he could see the calluses on his hands. The pro said he didn't have any calluses, although he obviously had hit a ton of balls over the decades. Pennick went on to say that blisters and calluses come from putting your hands on the grip and then twisting them into what looked like a good position. He said to get your hands in the right position the first time.

I am no expert obviously as my handicap will show. I've just really been thinking about the grip a lot lately. The feeling of a good grip is a lot like casting an open faced fishing reel. I bass fish in a lot of ponds where the moss is so thick you can only use a plastic worm with no weights or sinkers. To really throw that extra light bait out there you need to have fluid wrists, and not try to over power your cast. The only way I've been able to do this is by holding the rod loosely in my throwing hand in my fingers. It's a finesse thing more than a power thing. That same feeling reminds me of a good golf grip.


Posted
i feel in the minority both my thumbs are in the middle,which someone said was weak hmm i fel strange now.lol

I use the same grip, with both thumbs on top, because it feels natural, and a "strong" grip produces a hook for me.

Not sure why its called weak. I suppose its refering to how aggresively, or unaggresively, the club face is turning over during and after impact.

Posted
  bIGwIRE said:
Not sure why its called weak. I suppose its refering to how aggresively, or unaggresively, the club face is turning over during and after impact.

I always wondered that myself. If I had to guess I'd say you are right. It is a problem for a lot of beginners, that misnomer as it were. I know it was for me. If someone said grip it stronger, I'd probably have squeezed like hell.


Note: This thread is 5997 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.



  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    PlayBetter
    TourStriker
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo
    Direct: Mevo, Mevo+, and Pro Package.

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • Is anyone going to be there?  I won a couple tickets for Saturday.  Likely spend a half day walking and watching. 
    • Day 298 - 2025-07-25 Got some work in after a lesson at Whispering Woods. I hit one SPICY shot during the lesson, too, ha ha.
    • They need to mark it or declare it as such. Even just a thing on the back of the scorecard would do.
    • There are utilities buried along there. I did talk to the one of the course owners today and he said it was OB. When I mentioned "the committee" (USGA and R&A terminology) it didn't seem to register with him.
    • Have played 3 serts of 18 holes since Monday and last night added 6 holes but had to quit because it got dark on us.    My last time I shot a 56 on the front nine with 16 puts. I shot a 57 with 16 puts on the back 9.  I am ordering a 60* Pure Spin Wedge this Tuesday that I found on Ebay.  I am having trouble controlling my drives, but a lot of it is being nervous and still just starting to relax a little.  I am planning on playing Men's Senior this coming Tuesday.  It is definitely an adventure but so far it has been worth it.  My back pain (lower) is gone, and my leg cramps are almosrt gone.  My putting is improving.  Okay, Golfers: As of this morning, starting on January 1, 2025: Steps = 1,035,587 ; MIles = 472.14 ; Stairs = 1, 664 Not bad for a 78 year old golfer that is 5'10"and 150 pounds.  I will quit bragging for now and say a big "Thank You" for all your encouragement.  Will play a little more over the next few weeks and see if I can lower the score.  I even have a book: "Lowest Score Wins" by Erik J. Barzeski & David Wedzik; I think I have seen some strategies somewhere inside. 😄   Thanks,  Retired Old Man, Terry       
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.

The popup will be closed in 10 seconds...