How to Grip a Golf Club, Commonalities of a Functional Golf Grip

[GOLFNINJA]

  On 8/1/2018 at 1:43 AM, iacas said:

I'm still not entirely sure what you mean by "relates to the clubface." I mean, I know what you mean, but I don't talk about it like that with students. I typically point out how the grip affects the clubface (Key #5), but I don't specifically often talk about how it "relates."

I move a lot of grips from the palms into the fingers. I strengthen a lot of weak grips that people have to flip and roll. I do start-line drills with students.

I don't often talk about how, for example, your right palm is like your clubface.

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No that's cool - it's sometimes difficult when one isn't in person to explain what you mean. But, yes your answer is spot on IMO. Many of my guys are surprised when it comes to putting it in the fingers. 

[iacas]

Just updating for the image embed picture.

[iacas]

I shot these in a mirror and then flipped them. I progressively close my fingers and grip on the club in each one.

And no, my watch is not too tight. It's medium, and when I have the ulnar deviation like in a grip, it squeezes on the ulna side. 🙂

Pretty open hand here to show the alignment across my fingers.

Closing the fingers around the grip.

Closing the rest of the hand around the grip. My hands are a bit larger than most, so there's a small gap between the palm. I try to minimize it a bit, but as long as it's barely there, I'm okay.

As you can see the fingers are closer to "perpendicular" than "parallel" with the shaft. I've been working with @NatalieB lately because she's let her hands separate a little on the club and the left index finger (interlocking) gets pulled down the shaft a bit, and goes more "parallel" than "perpendicular."

[Vinsk]

  On 8/15/2018 at 1:21 PM, iacas said:

I shot these in a mirror and then flipped them. I progressively close my fingers and grip on the club in each one.

And no, my watch is not too tight. It's medium, and when I have the ulnar deviation like in a grip, it squeezes on the ulna side. 🙂

Pretty open hand here to show the alignment across my fingers.

Closing the fingers around the grip.

Closing the rest of the hand around the grip. My hands are a bit larger than most, so there's a small gap between the palm. I try to minimize it a bit, but as long as it's barely there, I'm okay.

As you can see the fingers are closer to "perpendicular" than "parallel" with the shaft. I've been working with @NatalieB lately because she's let her hands separate a little on the club and the left index finger (interlocking) gets pulled down the shaft a bit, and goes more "parallel" than "perpendicular."

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This is a really good post. Great view of the lead hand. Thanks @iacas.

[Shindig]

@iacas - thanks, I appreciate it, because I've lately gotten a little self conscious about my grip and might be over-thinking it.  A week or so ago, I went back and reviewed a video @mvmac made for me years ago about my grip (back when I couldn't get a wood off the ground, and then he fixed my grip at the range and suddenly I was hitting great 3-woods).  Suddenly, last few rounds, I've had some amazing shots out of nowhere, including two times I intended to lay up 15 yards short of a green and ended up pin high on the putting surface.  Could be any number of causes though, of course.

Can you also make a note of what you do with your right hand?  I've lately been tucking my right index finger in on all 14 clubs (for what might be a stupid reason:  I realized how much more comfortable it was on the putter after your post about that finger on that club).  

[mvmac]

 

[billchao]

  On 8/29/2018 at 3:44 AM, mvmac said:

 

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I don't get it.

[boogielicious]

  On 8/29/2018 at 11:05 AM, billchao said:

I don't get it.

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Try holding a knife and fork with no grip pressure I guess.

[billchao]

  On 8/29/2018 at 11:08 AM, boogielicious said:

Try holding a knife and fork with no grip pressure I guess.

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Snead is the one who started the baby bird thing wasn't he? He was all about light grip pressure.

[boogielicious]

  On 8/29/2018 at 11:10 AM, billchao said:

Snead is the one who started the baby bird thing wasn't he? He was all about light grip pressure.

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Maybe it was a baby eagle or pterodactyl or something nasty.

[billchao]

  On 8/29/2018 at 11:14 AM, boogielicious said:

Maybe it was a baby eagle or pterodactyl or something nasty.

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IIRC, that was a Hogan quote, something along the lines of, "What Sam isn't telling you is that the bird is an eagle." Basically he said the whole light grip pressure thing is bupkis.

[iacas]

  On 8/15/2018 at 3:44 PM, Shindig said:

Can you also make a note of what you do with your right hand?  I've lately been tucking my right index finger in on all 14 clubs (for what might be a stupid reason:  I realized how much more comfortable it was on the putter after your post about that finger on that club).  

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The right hand fits the left thumb in the groove beside the thumb and palm, and "covers but doesn't smother" the left thumb in doing so.

Beyond that… I'm not sure what you mean. Once the left hand is on, the right "fits" as that sentence says, and that's about all I worry about with the right hand.

[mvmac]

  On 8/29/2018 at 11:05 AM, billchao said:

I don't get it.

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I took it to mean they would grip a fork in the palm.

Or in a way that isn't functional to the tool they're using. 

[billchao]

  On 8/29/2018 at 8:51 PM, mvmac said:

I took it to mean they would grip a fork in the palm.

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I thought about that, but you can totally use a fork holding it in your palm.

I mean I get the point the quote is going for, but it just lacks substance IMO.

[chipeacher]

Generally is the mistake too weak or too strong of a group for a high handicaper? I'm learning Rotary Swing and quickly finding I need a stronger grip for a complete release at impact. If I use 1plane swing technique than neutral to weak gripping works fine.

[Grizvok]

  On 12/4/2018 at 3:46 PM, chipeacher said:

Generally is the mistake too weak or too strong of a group for a high handicaper? I'm learning Rotary Swing and quickly finding I need a stronger grip for a complete release at impact. If I use 1plane swing technique than neutral to weak gripping works fine.

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I'd say too weak is probably a more common occurrence. However, I think you have to analyze the hands independently to get a real idea about what is wrong with the grip since you could have a weak left hand and really strong right hand which is probably the most common combination from high handicappers.

[Puttin4Dough]

  On 12/4/2018 at 4:19 PM, Grizvok said:

I'd say too weak is probably a more common occurrence. However, I think you have to analyze the hands independently to get a real idea about what is wrong with the grip since you could have a weak left hand and really strong right hand which is probably the most common combination from high handicappers.

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I'd say it's the opposite...beginners have strong left-hand grips.

[iacas]

  On 12/8/2018 at 3:31 AM, Puttin4Dough said:

I'd say it's the opposite...beginners have strong left-hand grips.

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Most beginners have weak palmy grips in my experience.