Active or passive thumbs

[jfrain2004]

Just started with a new instructor and he has tore into my grip.  Really weakened it ( both hands over to the right )  so much so that now my thumbs feel as if they have no purpose. That said the results are slowly starting to improve as I try to stick with the new grip till it feels more natural.

Any one find they're thumbs take a more passive role and barely touch the club. Same goes for my right index finger,  it's barely on the club.  All my grip strenght is through the two middle fingers of both hands.  I use the overlapping grip

[Etzwane]

Do you play left or right handed ?

[jfrain2004]

Right handed.  The new grip has seriously improved my ball flight.  Almost no tendency to slice or fade,  almost always a draw as it's so much easier to get the club closed.  It's just my thumbs keep wanting to do somethinig but the instructor tells me to try and keep them out of the equation.

[anthony]

I'd say that the whole grip should be pretty much passive, shouldn't it? Grip the club so it doesn't fly out of your hands and swing. I can't imagine swinging with your thumbs or index finger barely touching the club. I need as much grip as I can get.

Also, how do you swing with both hands rotated right?

[jfrain2004]

Easier to get the wrists hinged and loaded with the wrists in a weak position.  But with this new grip now in it's 4th week with me it still feels damm strange.

[shamus]

The fact he has your right index finger barely on the club seems strange. Maybe he's trying to build on something with your grip and plans to re-introduce the index finger later on with regard to lag pressure? In the grip section of Hogan's Five Lessons, he talks about keeping the right thumb and index finger off the club while swinging/hitting just when the golfer is starting out, so he can get used to the pressure in the right hand grip of the middle and ring finger.

[colin007]

hands turned to the right on a right handed player is a strong grip, not weak.

[Etzwane]

Squeeze the thumb and the index finger actuates a muscle in the top of the forearm and makes it difficult to pronate and supinate the forearm (not true for the other fingers by the way). That does not go well with some swing styles and I suspect this is why your instructor has you grip lightly with thumb and index.

[dak4n6]

As colin said, rotating hands to the right is a stronger grip, not weaker. Traditionally, this increases the ability to produce draw spin.

For me, I have never given thought to my thumb or index finger pressure, but to just have a nice relaxed overall pressure. When I'm hitting well though, I do feel that I'm pressing down on the grip with the base of my index finger during the downswing..

[Ernest Jones]

Got my head fairly steady - CHECK

Getting my hands good and deep - CHECK

Working hard on getting my hips to drive forward to start my downswing - CHECK

Good extension of the spine - CHECK

Thumbs - What? Wait a minute....I gotta worry about my thumbs now????

Holy crap this is a difficult game!

[dak4n6]

Quote:

Thumbs - What? Wait a minute....I gotta worry about my thumbs now????

Yup! And don't forget the ever important lower tip of your right scapula.