Cack-Handed Golfers!

[boogielicious]

10 hours ago, SneakyBoyQ said:

Posted 37 minutes ago · Report post

I refuse to shake with anyone that is cack handed 

What you mean buddy???

 

I am confused??

I think he was joking! 

I've played with a few golfer who did this. They did pretty well too. Thanks for posting and welcome to The Sand Trap!

[Gator Hazard]

12 hours ago, SneakyBoyQ said:

Posted 37 minutes ago · Report post

I refuse to shake with anyone that is cack handed 

What you mean buddy???

 

I am confused??

Just having a little fun with phonetics is all. I haven't grown up yet mentally. 

[DaveAlfieLee]

As a newbie cack hander this makes interesting reading. I have only been playing now for about 4 months and I play cack handed. I got completely criticised by a fellow golfer in my group today for playing the way I do, I was told to change my grip or buy left handed clubs if I want to play well. Nice encouragement for a new golfer, I was currently beating him and I had just out driven him, nice drive of 331 yds. When he started. Anyway went on to beat him and another seasoned golfer in my group and he had a go at me and stormed off the green on the 18th. I don't think he liked my fun attitude and saying it's only a game!! Had to laugh after.

in contrast other golfers at the club have said they might try cack handed as I hit it much further than them the only problem has been my putting but changed my putter and all now much better

[David in FL]

20 minutes ago, DaveAlfieLee said:

As a newbie cack hander this makes interesting reading. I have only been playing now for about 4 months and I play cack handed. I got completely criticised by a fellow golfer in my group today for playing the way I do, I was told to change my grip or buy left handed clubs if I want to play well. Nice encouragement for a new golfer, I was currently beating him and I had just out driven him, nice drive of 331 yds. When he started. Anyway went on to beat him and another seasoned golfer in my group and he had a go at me and stormed off the green on the 18th. I don't think he liked my fun attitude and saying it's only a game!! Had to laugh after.

in contrast other golfers at the club have said they might try cack handed as I hit it much further than them the only problem has been my putting but changed my putter and all now much better

Welcome to the forum!  

I'm genuinely curious, what was it that made you, as a new golfer, decide to try a method that almost no one else, including those that earn their living playing or teaching golf recommend or use?

It would be great to see a video of your swing.  Maybe some of us can learn something!

 

[boogielicious]

Welcome to the Sand Trap @DaveAlfieLee. 

[GOLFER 77]

DIFFERENT STROKES FOR DIFFERENT FOLKS!

[Patch]

If I was a 4 hdcp, wanting to get to scratch, I would keep the grip that got me to 4.

I would be afraid if I changed my grip, while I was getting use to the new grip, my 4 might turn into a 6 or 8. I would then need more time to get back to a 4, and more time after that to get to scratch.  This, assuming I was actually  capable of playing  to scratch. 

I remember reading something about Lee Westwood, and VJ Singh doing something with this grip. Not sure if they were actually playing, or just practicing with it. It's been a while ago since I read about it. They may have just using it in their short game.

I use to putt with the left hand low. Even chipped with it for a while. It's a viable grip.

[iacas]

10 minutes ago, Patch said:

If I was a 4 hdcp, wanting to get to scratch, I would keep the grip that got me to 4.

I would be afraid if I changed my grip, while I was getting use to the new grip, my 4 might turn into a 6 or 8. I would then need more time to get back to a 4, and more time after that to get to scratch.  This, assuming I was actually  capable of playing  to scratch. 

You would be afraid, but yeah… sometimes… going backward a bit is required to move forward more. Sometimes you've reached the peak of your current… whatever.

Otherwise, you could use the "I'm afraid of going backward" as a reason not to change anything, ever.

[GolfLug]

IMO, not a big risk in switching. It's like golfers who are ambidextrous. You can always go back to being cack (sounds like a fusion between cross and back) handed anytime with not much work. Hard for body to learn new motion but not hard to go back to a previous motion. Sensory paths still exist. 

[SneakyBoyQ]

On 18/02/2018 at 8:10 AM, GolfLug said:

IMO, not a big risk in switching. It's like golfers who are ambidextrous. You can always go back to being cack (sounds like a fusion between cross and back) handed anytime with not much work. Hard for body to learn new motion but not hard to go back to a previous motion. Sensory paths still exist. 

I disagree. I myself am a cack handed golfer. I got down to scratch a few years ago. Was persuaded by the professional at my club that if I changed grip I could be very good. Decided was worth a shot. 9 months later after hitting at least 50 balls everyday(7 days a week) with the "proper grip" I was still struggling to hit it good. Every muscle in my body was hurting. They were continuously doing something which was all new to them. I then decided that i couldn't continue with trying to change as my muscles were so use to the cack handed swing. I went back to my old grip and my handicap was out to 6. It took me a full year to actually play to a 6 handicap. Now 2 years later i am back down to 2 but struggling to get back to scratch. My whole set up got screwed up by trying to change and now i seem to always get stuck with the weight on my back foot at impact. The whole set up swing is totally different between a cack grip and a proper grip. With a cack grip taking it slightly on the inside on way back helps with getting the club face square at impact. otherwise i find the club face stays slighly open and a slight fade occurs. Also the left shoulder will be level if not slightly lower than the right shoulder(which pros will tell you is not what you want) so can cause closed set up...i could go on with even more set up differences which i have noticed between trying both. I also find with cack grip your weight is already slightly on back foot at set up, so no real need to transfer much more weight on the back foot on back swing, better to almost stay neutral allowing the weight to move forward as you downswing, as our downswing is more pulling through the ball than pushing with the right hand at impact.

[Buckeyebowman]

I tried hitting the ball cack handed a couple of times. I couldn't figure out how those who do don't break their wrists! I've played with exactly one cack handed player in 50+ years of golf! pg == This is what prompted the experiment.

[DaveAlfieLee]

A year on into my golf and I’m still hitting it cack handed.

In a previous post someone asked why I chose to grip that way, it’s what I have always done since being a kit playing any kind of sports, golf, cricket etc and it’s what my body and muscle memory knows.

i get so many comments off the other members at my club and I think there are maybe two of us there who play cack handed and I think currently I’m the only one playing in comps at the club cack handed. 

Ive made some good mates there and we play often and they never comment, I’ve had lessons with the pro and he said he will never try and change it as I hit it well as I am.

My handicap last year was 24.1 as I’d never had one before and I stupidly changed my clubs which messed up my game so I only came down to 23.1 by the end of the season.

so far 8 weeks into this season Things are going well, I’ve played in a few comps, had a second place, Won the first round of a two round comp then won the overall aggregate. 

I’m niw playing off 19.1 so have come down 4 in 8 weeks, I know it will get harder as I come down but that’s great I want to earn it!!!

im still getting the curious ones who ask about my grip but have started getting a lot of respect off other members which is really nice.

ill never change my grip it just feels alien to try the normal method.

at the end of the day I’m enjoying my golf and improving which makes me happy!!!

[Vinsk]

My dad played cross handed all his life...and left handed as well. Needless to say it was always a conversation starter when he would go to the tee not only left handed but with a glove on his left hand. 

He claims he switched to cross (cack) handed due to an uncontrollable snap hook. That was the early 50’s so unfortunately I’m sure had he had some instruction he could’ve had a normal grip.

He played entirely off compensations. A ridiculously closed and wide stance yet played a huge cut shot that makes Bubba’s look like a straight ball.

[SteveMags]

Evening everyone, I play cross handed, only been playing 12 months mind but when I was a kid, few of the boys in the neighbourhood would go knock a few balls ups and down a field tucked away near the woods. I remember holding the club this way back then. Anyway didnt pick up a club for 30 years then got involved last summer. Theres a driving range not to far away so before going out with the guys around a course I spent a couple of nights at the range on my own. No one about to say i wasnt gripping correctly so carried on using this grip. Even played a few rounds with others and wasnt pulled on it. When i was eventually called up about it from another golfer, i knew no different and by then the grip had become in as comfortable as to say, the orthodox grip felt alien and awkward. 

Has anyone here made the grip change from cross to orthodox and any tips on making the alteration easier? Was it worth the change?  And, what noticeable differences were there? 

Cheers everyone. 

Steve.