The golf grip is a fundemental part of your game and
very important. It can be applied in three different ways.
The
best golf tips for beginners is to try to adopt one of these methods
straight away, as
bad habits are really hard to break. Beginners tent to start with a
baseball grip, which is basically hands wrapped around the
shaft, and to be honest some have a lot of
success with it.
However, their game doesn't really improve because they don't apply
either one of the three proper golf grips.
The terms 'strong' and 'weak'
are used when referring
to the grip, and are meant to describe the position of the hands.
When one or both hands are rotated clockwise, the grip is considered
strong. When rotated anticlockwise, the grip is weak. The ideal golf
grip is neither too strong nor too weak. Another rule of thumb is the
more knuckles you can see on either hand as you look down the shaft,
the weaker the grip is. Ideally you only want to see the first two
knuckles.
Golf Grip Tips.
Imagine you are holding a Budgerigar in your hands, then
you won't
grip the club tightly, the grip must be light and loose, your grip
will naturally tighten on impact, through the swing.
Place the palm of your left hand flat against the front
of your left
thigh. Now, keeping your little finger on your thigh, rotate the thumb
side of your hand a quarter-turn anticlockwise. This motion puts your
hand at a 45 degree angle, with your little finger on your thigh and
your thumb in the air. This is the angle at which you want your left
hand to grip the golf club.
Hold the club in your left hand, maintaining the 45
degree angle.
The shaft should lay snugly in your curled fingers than in your palm.
This will enable you to hinge your your wrist more
naturally.
Having properly aligned your left hand on the golf club, add your right
hand. Grip the club in the fingers of your right hand, and notice the V
formed at the base of the right thumb and forefinger. The V
should point at a spot between your right ear and right shoulder (as
will the V formed with your left hand). This is
known as the Vardon grip, named after Harry Vardon.
The three grips illustrated above can all be used
successfully. Most golfers use the Vardon overlap
grip (far right). Fewer golfers use the ten finger grip (far left), and
fewer still use the interlocking grip (centre)- but those that do
include Tiger
Woods and Jack
Nicklaus!
Golf Grip Tips
Remember, the tighter you grip the club, the less
flexible your
wrist become, and the slower the club head will be able to strike the
ball. The looser you grip the club, the faster the club head will
travel, the further the ball will be projected in the air.
The constant contact between your left thumb and its
point of
contact with the right palm is important to your grip. The
pressure point should stay constant all the way through your golf swing.
As a practice exercise, place the pointed end of a golf
tee where
your thumb and palm touch as you grip the club. Then swing the club or
hit some golf balls. If the tee comes out, you haven't kept contact,
and your elbows are pulling apart in your swing.
