Tip 1. Grip

Get a Grip on Your Game
By Tom Talbott

Have you ever hit a slice or a hook, topped a shot or hit the ground before the ball, hit a shot that is high and weak or low and short, or even a shank? If so, effectively placing your hands on the handle can help you eliminate some of the inconsistency you’re experiencing. This is true because a proper grip can lead to an efficient sequence of events in your swing.

Some of the benefits to a conventional grip include:
• More power
• Consistency
• Solid contact
• Directional accuracy

For future reference we will refer to the hands as either the top hand or bottom hand. For right-handed golfers, the left hand is referred to as the top hand and the right hand is the bottom hand. The opposite holds true for left-handed golfers.

In Photo #1, notice where the handle rests across the top hand. After closing your fingers, your hand rests on the handle and your wrist bone and heel pad (denoted by the circle in Photo #2) are on top of the handle.

As you look down on your top hand, (Photo #3) notice that the thumb is placed against the forefinger and yet also slightly on the side of the shaft that is opposite the target.

The placement of the bottom hand on the handle is of equal importance as the positioning of the top hand. In Photo #4, you will see how the handle is placed into the bottom hand and in Photo #5 how it melds on top of the thumb of the top hand.

Placing your hands on the handle as shown in these photos has the potential to dramatically reduce or possibly eliminate your miss hits. This is a neutral starting point for your grip. Golfers that reach their potential experience self-discovery and proper guidance along the way. Part of self-discovery is being able to move your hands together in one direction to get your desired ball flight. What this means is that if you tend to slice your shots, you may benefit from turning both hands equally away from the target (Photo #6). Conversely, if you tend to hook the ball, you may benefit from turning both hands equally toward the target (Photo #7).

Additionally, the pressure applied to the handle with your hands can also affect your ball flight. Gripping the club too tight may decrease clubface rotation therefore causing a slice. Turning your hands on the handle and grip pressure are both examples of how you can find your desired ball flight. Ideally, in order to help you in the most positive and effective manner, we need to see how you hold the handle of the club and with how much pressure. The grip is a very personal and intricate part of the golf swing. A solid grip and other sound fundamentals will propel you to a future of golf filled with enjoyment.

As the top teachers in the state and contributing writers, Tim Odegard, Dana Smith, Tom Talbott, and Trent Wearner from the Meridian Golf Learning Center would like you to call with any questions you may have regarding this article or anything about your golf game. They offer golf schools, private lessons, after work clinics, the most successful junior golf programs, as well as custom club fitting.

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