The grip.
The way that you grip the golf club plays a huge role in the way that you will swing. A good grip allows you to control the club face through impact. It also makes it easier to hinge the wrists correctly throughout the swing; the hinging of the wrists plays a critical role in maintaining the correct shaft angle for the entire swing.
The difficulty in developing a correct grip comes from the fact that what is good for one golfer could be bad for another. For instance, a golfer with the tendency to slice the ball has an open club face through impact, This open club face will be made worse with a weak grip (left hand turned too much to the left). The reverse is true for the golfer with the tendency to hook the ball.
If I were to generalize I would say that most golfers would benefit from a neutral grip, although many golfers have a tendency to open the face through impact resulting in a slice. Golfers with a slice benefit from a stronger grip. Golfers with a hook will benefit from a weaker grip.
A neutral grip:
Keeping the face square, place the underside of the grip in the fingers of the left hand.
Place the heel of the left hand on top of the grip.
Close the hand and feel the club in the fingers, not the palm.
Rest the finger of the right hand on top of the index finger of the left.
Wrap the remaining three fingers of the right hand around the underside of the grip.
Place the life-line of the right hand on top of the left thumb.
Terry Gingell is the Director of Instruction at Eagle Valley Golf Courses. For more information, call Gingell, 887-7174.
