The Grip is the life blood of your swing. It’s the only point of contact between your body and the golf club.
So start, as you mean to go on, by getting the correct hold on your golf club.
When you grip a golf club you must allow the handle to be gripped more within the fingers of both hands. Gripping in the fingers helps you to keep control of the club without holding it too tight. A tight grip is not recommended as it inhibits club-head speed and reduces the distance of the ball.
This will ensure you can gain maximum range of motion for the golf club and for it to help you engage in the correct body positions not only at address but also throughout the swing.
If you get this wrong you are going to have to create idiosyncrasies within your golf swing motion to compensate for it.
Which will lead to less swing efficiency, most likely swing inconsistencies and a possible long term injury.
How do you achieve a good golf grip?
Everyone’s hand shapes are different so it’s just as important to get right what’s happening on the inside of the grip as it is just looking at it.
Is your grip Air Tight?
When placing your top hand on the club check to make sure it’s a secure fit between the handle and all the way round back of the little finger.
There should be no gaps.
This provides great contact with the club, reducing the amount of possible club movement within the hands during the swing.
It also allows for a great range of motion for this wrist with the least amount of effort. If you remember the routine of fingers under & hand over you won’t go too far wrong.
The lower hand
Again placed in the fingers where the thumb pad fits with a nice snug male/female fit with the top hand’s thumb.
Keeping the hands together throughout the swing is important, so a good fit is imperative.
Use the clubs grip markings to your advantage.
A lot of manufacturers design the style of markings to help you place your hands consistently in the same place each time.
This is not always the case but you could always change your handles if you feel its going to help you remember the correct position each time.
A word of warning when making a grip change
Even the slightest grip change can make your swing feel completely different and in my experience it often initially gives the feeling of less power when the hands are positioned correctly.
Undoubtedly changing old habits and creating new pathways to your brain will be a challenge.
It’s all about getting out of your comfort zone and stretching your learning, generating new and unfamiliar feelings. If you repeat a new process enough you will forge a new pathway.
Old habits die hard. I often see golfers soon drifting back to their old grip and swing movements. These old movements will always be there.
All we can really do is to create a new pathway and keep the process on that new parallel pathway to the brain.
For example try folding your arms the opposite way to how you normally would, or even lacing your fingers together with the other thumb on top.
An unfamiliar feeling, possibly feels awkward, doesn’t it?
There is always something new to learn at golf. Make it your mission to keep challenging your brain and create these new pathways.
It will keep your brain stimulated and generally improve your overall awareness and zest for golf. Out with the old and in with the new.
You must understand a grip change alone will probably not solve any problems or lack of power you are experiencing at the moment. Its just the key starting point of the golf swing.
