Massive Divots!! All Point Left!!

I had a huge problem with this for the past month. Yesterday at the range I took a weak grip and kept my hands passive throughout the swing. When I started doing this my shots went farther and straight except one. I was losing distance before this also even when I made good contact which was not often. Before this my grip was tight and now it feels as if I don't have control of the club in my hands with this grip but it seemed to work. I hope it lasts I don't know if grip can cause so many bad shots.

Probably the main reason for the good shots now.

gripping the club to tight causes all kinds of problems, grip it lightly and swing easy

Just an interesting phenom that I experienced yesterday.

I went out for a round with a buddy (in 20 km/h winds, gusting to 45 ) and while I was waiting for him to show, I had a chat session with the local USGTF guy (and fellow club builder). He watched me hit a few balls and changed 2 things in my swing (well, he wanted to change 3, but I don't like letting my left side collapse during the backswing). At any rate, he changed my setup - hands neutral (in the middle of my body, ie no forward shaft lean), and he weakened my grip. A ton. You see, like any good duffer, I struggle with a slice. So, to combat it, I strengthen my grip. And strengthen it some more. And some more. And I fight a serious OTT move.

Well, after weakening my grip (2 knuckles on the top hand), and really, really weakinging my bottom hand grip (well, I suppose now he was putting it back to neutral), I started absolutely striping shots - into the wind.

It took me half a round to get used to it (I shot a 54 on the front), but shot a 45 on the back to keep it under 100.

How odd that weakening my grip improved my ball striking AND all but eliminated my OTT move.

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I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

why does a neutral right hand, with the V pointing at the chin make the swing more natural? anyone play tennis, how do you grip the racket, neutral right? Go up to a wall that has padding and make a backswing with the right hand only and smack the wall, hand lands flush with no thought. Do that same thing wiht the left hand but smack the back of the left hand against the wall, hand does not land as flush as right. so left should be stronger. ALso in tennis on a backhand you have the left hand neutral or stronger then the right? when the body pulls a hand, left shoulder pulls left arm and hand, the hand when it is lagging behind will be turned, then the body pushes a hand, which is what the right side does to the right hand, the hand will want to stay square.

Look at the grips of Hogan, Daly, Els, all great swingers who look very fluid and natural

The grip should ideally be neutral. It should respect the natural position of the hands and arms. If you simply let your arms hang down by your sides your hands will both point inwards at around 45 deg towards the thighs, that's why the handlebars on a motorcycle are shaped this way, they allow your hands to grip them with respect to their bio-mechanical design, thus maintaining a natural comfortable position.

A neutral grip has the benefit of instructing your eyes to automatically focus on what is realistically an achievable target, instead of scanning and searching for a safe place to miss the shot.

Any other grip is a band-aid to compensate for swing flaws that can create a series of power-sapping and inconsistent compensations.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

but brian, in the golf swing the hands will be pulled or pushed by the body and that will change the "neutral" position that they hang in at address. Tennis players adhere to the correct grip the best when holding a tennis racket. So when thinkkng of the natural position of the hands and arms, we need to think of what they do naturally while swinging, not hanging. The left hand because it is being pulled, wants to be turned a little right untill it catches up in a stragiht line with your left shoulder. The right hand, because it is pushed wants to be square, untill the left hand gets square

Shootin,

A neutral grip that respects the equality of both sides of the body will negate the need to make adjustments to square the clubface. Golfers tend to use a strong grip to close the clubface due to an out to in swing path or to compensate for poor timing in the release. Weak grips likewise are used to compensate for hooks.

The club can be returned perfectly to the ball with a natural grip. What you suggest happens to the left hand is catered for with this type of grip, the back of the left hand is not set square to target, it naturally points inwards at around 45 degrees.

At impact there is not really such a thing as a strong or weak grip, the hands will return to their natural hanging position unless complex adjustments are made with the body. In a strong grip the fact that the hands were rotated around the shaft at address will push the face of the club closed as the arms speed towards the ball. I am not suggesting that no one should use a strong or weak grip, that's their preference, I am suggesting that it is not the best place to start.

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Best Regards
Brian

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Funny o'l game!

Brian What You Said Has Worked For Me. I Read A Butch Harmon Tip About Letting Your Left Arm Hang Naturally Outside Your Left Thigh. This Is The Position Your Left Hand Should Be As You Grip The Club. I Tried This Yesterday At The Course And My Shots Flew Farther And Straighter Than They Ever Have. I Had To Take One Less Club Than Normal Actually Because My Shots Were Going Over The Green Sometimes.

Also I found out I was slicing because of a weak grip. So I tried a strong grip and I overcompensated too much and started hitting shots immediately to the left. The neutral grip worked more for me.

Hi,

Pleased to be able to assist. Did you read my Article on ball position?

I just read it. I actually have used both methods but I prefer the second method of varying ball position.

Brian,
because the shoulders are in motion and because the shoulders are open at impact, the natural hanging position do not apply. The natural hand positions while swinging is what applies. Tennis players are good examples of this, right hand is square with raquet on forehands, left hand is turned stronger on backhands.