Grip issue

[bluenar9]

So after I got off the range last night, I went to purchase a new box of NXT's. When I put my glove on the counter so I could pull out my wallet, the guy at the counter walked away, grabbed a book, and said "you're holding the club wrong." He said I was palming it too much, and that I should be holding it in my fingers more.

I've been playing for 10 years and the only thing I've done to my grip is making it a little stronger to correct my slice. I hit the ball well, pretty consistently but not "consistent." I've tried the new suggestion for the grip and it feels really funny.



My glove wears down at the point "150f" and he said it should be wearing at around "118"

Any thoughts? The new grip feels really funny, though I haven't tried hitting with it yet.

[cbe_golfer]

I am going out on a limb here. Some of the better players - please correct me if I am wrong... The left hand grip is more of a palm grip..the pressure point is the padding of your palm between your lifeline and the callus of your small finger. The right hand grip is more of a finger grip. If he says the glove should wear just beneath your small finger, he may be wrong.

[bluenar9]

He showed me a section from a David Leadbetter book. It was pretty clear that the picture in the "WRONG" section was basically a mirror image of my glove.

[cbe_golfer]

Heck..where are the low handicappers?..let us in on your little secrets once in a while.

[VanillaEps]

Heck..where are the low handicappers?..let us in on your little secrets once in a while.

I'm not a low handicapper by any means, but I've always been taught to grip the club in the fingers, not the palm.

[cbe_golfer]

"Hogan favored a palm grip for the left hand..."
Page 11 - The Fundamentals of Hogan by David Leadbetter.

I guess this depends on whom you favor..Ben Hogan or David Leadbetter.

To add some more spice to this topic, I think DL made a celebrity out of himself by taking subtle swipes at Ben Hogan's classic instruction book.

[fluxcapacitor]

I'm using the grip from the Hogan book (as best I can). I saw a pretty dramatic change when I started using it. I bought a callaway glove without a pad in the 150f spot of your diagram. After one bucket of balls I busted a hole in it.

I think if your grip works for you, then don't change it. If you're curious to see what the new grip might do, try it. To me, its all about preference.

[MAC]

okay so i took a look at my practice gloves and all of them are ripping or are wearing out at that 150 spot.. i've been gripping the club the same way every since i started. i agree with fluxcapacitor, it's totally up to you how it feels. if you're hitting it well then why change. up to you

[Divot Tool]

okay so i took a look at my practice gloves and all of them are ripping or are wearing out at that 150 spot.. i've been gripping the club the same way every since i started. i agree with fluxcapacitor, it's totally up to you how it feels. if you're hitting it well then why change. up to you

Interesting you make note of that. My instructor recently noticed that I gripped the club too strong (three knuckles showing with vees pointing to my right shoulder) which I did so to help get my hands turning over at impact. I too had this same problem with my gloves being worn out and it's interesting how a stronger grip will wear your glove at that spot. I've switched to a more neutral grip and a steeper swing plane as a result and I've noticed no wear on my gloves. The grip is definitely more in the fingers.

My theory is that, the more you rotate your hand clockwise around the grip, the fleshy part of your palm (150f) comes more into contact with the grip. Any subtle motion, loosening in the swing will only accelerate the wearing process, as friction is created between glove and grip. Different grips for different swings, that's how one should look at it.

[Divot Tool]

"Hogan favored a palm grip for the left hand..."

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Hogan employ a stronger grip?

[powerfade]

Yes, Leadbetter says to place the grip across the first knuckle of your left index finger to the base of you pinky (near 118).

He says a grip more in the fingers than the palm promotes better wrist action to release the club.

If you have a powerful unihibited release with your grip, then you may not want to change it. If you could use more speed through the ball then try the grip.

[cbe_golfer]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Hogan employ a stronger grip?

From what I read, Ben Hogan had to weaken his left hand grip to cure his hook. That was when his golfing career turned around.

Where are the swing gurus in this forum???.. Please..lets have your opinion.

[itzzzberny]

i grip the club, like the guy said, w/ my fingers more than my palm. the club for me sits, w/ the end of the grip lined on on my pinky where it meets the palm. then the grip is lined w/ my middle finger the first bend closest to the palm. when you look down the club will be at an angle ( like "/) if you hold your hand in front of you w/ figners pointing to the right and palm up. and grip hard enough just to keep the club form flying out your hands.
a lot of people hook,slice,push and pull the ball cause when the club face is about to make contact w/ the ball, they tend to squeeze the hands tighter... which will cause the club face to change/ possibly the swing path...

[I_Like_Turtles]

I was just at the range today after not playing for 5 months... I basically took the opportunity to start all over again. The very firt thing I did was figure out my grip.. And yes... When you palm it it feels more comfortable... but the ball doesn't fly correctly. I ended up trying to get my right hand to have as little contact with the club and et it as close to on top of my left hand as possible. The my left hand thumb would have to move out of the way and allow the club to rest just below my fingers on my left hand. Felt awkward but hits were clean and staright.... I realize that this makes no sense when you read it... I probably should not even submit this post but here goes...

[wolfy21]

don't put all your faith in me by any means since i am still a teenager, but i used to have problems with drawing the ball/ hooking, basically a low consistency level. I realized i was palming the club too much, and i now hold it more in the fingers, think of it this way, eat with your fork in your palm or your fingers? fingers give the most control when swinging a golf club, and i am sure 95% of all pga tour players would also say so

[Big Don]

From what I read, Ben Hogan had to weaken his left hand grip to cure his hook. That was when his golfing career turned around.

Yes you are correct. Some people have even unkindly suggested that he had a slicer's grip. Hogan struggled with a severe hook at the beginning of his career and changed his game to eliminate that tendency. As a result he had a neutral grip (some might say weak side of neutral grip) and preferred to hit a fade.

[handlez42]

im not sure if i can help in any way...im a "high handicapper" i would guess but what i do know it the grip i referred to use is the Vardon grip...where the top end of the of the grip is underneath the left thumb pad. Now i dont wear a glove but since my grips are slightly too small ive been getting some calices in roughly the "118" spot you referred to in the picture above. not sure if thats wear its supposed to be i do notice the butt end of my grip slides towards my fingers on the very peak of my takeaway. tried setting the club more in the fingers first to lessen the gaps between my middle finger, ring finger, and the grip, also to stop the soreness but the club has little to no contact with my thumb pad. more than likely a grip size issue but...maybe thats what this could be? simply the actual golf grips size? like i said im a young mid-high handicapper

so i dont know specifics

[montru]

My gloves used to wear out in the 150 area, my swing coach suggested playing the club more in the fingers, it promotes better feel and awareness of the clubhead throughout the swing. It took me quite a few weeks to get totally comfortable with it but it helped me with a more consistant club rotation through impact, totally took out the right side of the course, I don't even think about any problem areas out to the right and it dropped my handicap by about four shots.