Help getting hands going...

[Saks]

I have just started playing golf this year. I hit a long ball and have had a couple of lessons so far to help my swing. It is getting fairly consistent except I struggle to get my hands turning on the downswing (release?) This of course causes a range of shots from a nice little fade to the dreaded slice.

I have been on a swing video analysis and the pro says my path is fine. I can feel it when I do manage to get the hands to go and the result is a much nicer right to left travel.

Any tips to help get my hands through a bit easier?

Cheers

[King Cobra II]

Heres one my dad tried to explain to me (he got it from a lesson). Take an iron and put one hand on the top part of the grip (like you normally would), and the other below the grip. Now take the club back and then like a 1/2 swing come down. Because of the grip your hands will roll over. Do this 50 times or so when you're warming up and it might help you, it helped me. Good luck.

[bwinger79]

I have just started playing golf this year. I hit a long ball and have had a couple of lessons so far to help my swing. It is getting fairly consistent except I struggle to get my hands turning on the downswing (release?) This of course causes a range of shots from a nice little fade to the dreaded slice.

Release the death grip you most likely have on the club. With proper grip pressure, your hands will turn over properly just from the weight of the club. Hold the club like you are holding an egg..... and maintain that same pressure throughout your swing.

[Saks]

Thanks for the replies. So I have been trying a softer grip to no avail. After a weekend of having everything slice, I decided to rotate my grip a few degrees clockwise (to the right) on the club (righty). Only hit a few old balls into the empty land behind our place but they were all nice little draws. I'm guessing however that this isn't good practice? Any thoughts?

[Qudplyr80]

http://www.golfdigest.com/instructio...wedges?slide=6

Here is more from an article tha talks about releasing the club properly. It has already helped me quite a bit in eliminating my slice.

[TheGolfer]

This is what I do, rotate the hands so they are square, not open or closed. I went through a period of thinking more about my hands the=an contact with the ball. Also, the hands might not be the only thing. If you dip your right shoulder coming down, it will create a predominantly inside-out path, leading to slices. http://www.golftipsmag.com/instructi...y-riggs_4.html
To fix this I started thinking of shoulder back, and now almost never hit it fat, hit it further, and hit it straight every time.

[beung]

Thanks for the replies. So I have been trying a softer grip to no avail. After a weekend of having everything slice, I decided to rotate my grip a few degrees clockwise (to the right) on the club (righty). Only hit a few old balls into the empty land behind our place but they were all nice little draws. I'm guessing however that this isn't good practice? Any thoughts?

Nothing wrong with having a bit of a stronger left hand grip and having more a body release instead of relying on perfect timing from your hands.

[Saks]

Nothing wrong with having a bit of a stronger left hand grip and having more a body release instead of relying on perfect timing from your hands.

Really? Thats good news! I dont think I have ever hit as crisper shots as the two I tried with that grip. Might have also been that I was fuming that I hadnt hit the ball well all weekend and actually swung my proper swing speed instead of trying to hit it soft (at least if I hit it soft it would slice and stay in bounds instead of disappearing!).

I have a lesson tomorow night so will run it past the pro. So a strong left hand grip is common?

[beung]

Really? Thats good news! I dont think I have ever hit as crisper shots as the two I tried with that grip. Might have also been that I was fuming that I hadnt hit the ball well all weekend and actually swung my proper swing speed instead of trying to hit it soft (at least if I hit it soft it would slice and stay in bounds instead of disappearing!).

It's not common, that is why so many people hit fade/slices. Next time you watch a pro on TV or even see a pretty good golfer, take a look at their left hand (for right handed golfers) and note how much of the back of their hand is pointing up and not straight down the line at address. The counting of the knuckles is a common way for you to check and see if you are weak or strong - you should start to see the knuckle of your ring finger, if you don't you're probably too weak with your grip.

IMO, too strong of a grip is better then too weak of a grip. Becarefull not to be too strong, you will end up hooding the clubface. The stronger grip will get you to compress the ball a bit more square and have less of a glancing blow on the ball.

[Saks]

Had my lesson tonight. After the case of the slices my back swing has reduced to about 1/2! Thought as much. My problems were: tempo to fast (he said it will be something to always be watchfull of. I'm a cricket player which involves having a very snappy backswing!)
Need a bit more wrist bend at the top of the back swing, and my hands were in front of the ball at impact. The wrist bend has helped me start the hands at the top, now just working on getting the timing right at the bottom and letting the hands rip through.

He said A fade should be my standard shot. It has to go one way or the other and it suits me better.

Just got to work on that timing at impact and get it a consistent amount. It is now typically between about 5 metres (good) and 30 metres (that horrible s word again!) but no more of those horrible ob tainted massive slices! Lets just hope it works at interclub on Saturday!