Sam Snead Says, "Tilt Your Head To Help Relieve Tension During Your Backswing"

4

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , , , , , | Posted on Saturday, January 22, 2011

Since writing this post, I have been using a tip from Sam Snead that is supposed to counteract the amateur golfers tendency to sway during the backswing. Snead suggests that if we tilt our head slightly in the direction of our backswing, it will relieve a lot of the tension in the back and left side that keep us from making a full turn.

I like the way it feels. It has become part of my pre-shot routine and is a trigger for me to begin my swing. I used to sway a lot which resulted in a lot of thinned shots because all of my weight was on my back foot. When I tilt my head, all I have to do is swing around my core, because my head is already in a good position and not fighting against the natural movements of the body.

Below are two videos. The first is Sam Snead explaining how your head position will make all the difference in producing the best shot possible. He mentions that the legendary Bobby Jones used the same technique for every swing. Jones is known to have a free-flowing swing which he accomplished by eliminating all forms of tension during his routine.

The second video is of my swing on the par 3, 17th at Palmetto Golf Course, using a 22 degree hybrid. If you look closely, you will see that I tilt my head at about the :03 mark. It is very subtle, but it is the last thing I do before I start my swing. I do find however, that if I tilt my head too much, I get to steep with the backswing instead of swinging around the body. This brings the dreaded coming over the top move back into play which I have worked so hard to eliminate.

My reaction at the end of the video is due to the fact that I hit the top lip of the bunker which guards the front of the green. It was a nice looking shot, as you can tell from the reaction of my buddy Kevin. Right on the flag as soon as it left the club face. Had it carried just another half inch, it would have funneled down to the hole. So close.

Give this tip a try and see if it works for you. Each of us has our own unique swing. The problem we have is that we allow ourselves to become distracted and tense. Anything that can put us at ease will only help us make a better smooth and rhythmic swing. Have a great round and always hit your target.

Sam Snead photo found here.





Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

Lower Your Golf Scores With Better Chipping - A Chipping Drill From Troy Vayanos

0

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , | Posted on Thursday, January 20, 2011

Chipping is something I need to work on if I am ever to break 80. Until I can improve my greens in regulation percentage(currently a dismal 15.54%), a premium is put on my short game to get up and down to save par. Here's a great drill from Troy Vayanos that will help the amateur golfer take the fear out of chipping around the greens.

Looking For The Best Golf Chipping Drill? Try This Proven Technique That Works In Just Minutes!

Every golfer at some stage in their life has struggled with their golf chipping around the greens. Either you have hit the golf ball fat or skinny and the end result is a poor chip that leaves you very little chance of getting up and down. I am here to reveal what I believe is the best golf chipping drill to get you chipping the golf ball like a professional.

The key to great chipping as most golfers know is keeping most of your weight on the front foot as well keeping the shaft angle leaning towards your target throughout the entire shot. But, there is one more key element that's vital to enhance the effectiveness of the above 2 key points. Here then is what I believe to be the best golf chipping drill that you can start practising today.

(1) On the practice chipping area, take your regular chipping club and also grab a second club of similar length. Place the regular club as it normally sits and with the second club turn it upside down so the two grips are aligned together. This can also be done with an old shaft or tube like object as long as you can grip the two of them together it will work fine.

(2) Take you normal chipping stance, weight on your front leg and shaft leaning towards the target. Straighten your lead arm (closest to the target) and hold it together as one with the golf clubs. The aim whilst performing the stroke is to keep the left arm and golf clubs as connected as possible so that the wrists don't flip over.

(3) When you are performing this correctly the top golf club will not make contact with your body after the follow through. This is because you are keeping the club face square, down and through towards the ball at impact. If the top club hits you at any stage then you have become disconnected with both golf clubs and the wrists have taken over.

Practice this golf chipping drill until you can stop the top club from touching the side of your body after the follow through. Continue to work at it and remember to keep your lead arm and connecting clubs all as one. Once you feel like you have trained your body and developed the right technique try chipping without the second club. You should find yourself making solid contact with the golf ball and getting a nice feel off the clubface.

Like all golf chipping drills you have to practice them. The good thing about this golf chipping drill is that you should be able to see some really positive results in just a short amount of time.

Troy Vayanos has helped thousands of golfers play their best golf using simple, easy to follow techniques.

Get your copy of his FREE eBook Golf Swing Secrets which shows you how to 'fix the 6 most frustrating areas of your golf game by 3:15 this afternoon'.



75¢ For Air? - Living The Pipe Dream

0

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , | Posted on Tuesday, January 18, 2011

The other day I got ready to go practice as I normally do. Pulled out my gap wedge, 7-iron, and shag bag and headed out the door. I ride my bike to my practice course, but on this particular day, I noticed that my back tire was a little flat. No problem. I grabbed 50¢, my bike, and headed out the door.

I walked the bike two blocks to the gas station, pulled out two quarters and suddenly stopped as I was about to drop the first quarter into the slot. 75¢? What's going on? Air is supposed to be 50¢. Actually air should be free, but...

Now I had to walk all the way home just to get another quarter, then walk all the way back to the gas station to fill up my tire. I contemplated not practicing at all. But then I remembered the premiere episode of Pipe Dreams, a new reality/documentary show about former golfer Mark Burk.  

Burk had it all. He was on his way to becoming a pro on the PGA tour. Burk had moderate success on a few mini tours and was about to make a big push, hoping to take his game to the next level when his life came crumbling down. His girlfriend accused him of domestic abuse and before he knew it, he was evicted and living in a huge pipe.

Burk's only possessions are his bike and his clubs, which as the previews suggest, go back and forth between him and the local pawn shop. In one scene he rides up to the air pump at a gas station and is complaining about the air costing a dollar. Without his bike, Burk would not be able to survive and here I am complaining about having to walk two extra blocks.

I usually do not get choked up watching television shows, but you have to feel for this guy. From what we know, or from Burk's perspective, he was framed. He had no choice in the matter. All that he had worked for was stripped of him.

Stories like this are always a reminder for me to be thankful for what I have. My petty little issues can not compare with what some people are going through. I really hope Mark can get through this. It is tough to say whether or not he will fulfill his dream and make it to the Champions Tour, but I hope he at least makes it off the streets and clears his name.

The definition of a Pipe Dream is "a fantastic hope or plan that is generally regarded as being nearly impossible to achieve." I am living the same Pipe Dream in that I want to play on the Champions Tour someday as well. The odds are against me seeing as though I started playing after the age of thirty, but at least I have given myself a fifteen year window. Mark's time is running short.

From now on, every time I hop on my bike, I will remember Mark Burk. If he has the will to go on despite what life has thrown at him, I have no excuses when it comes to practicing. For Burk, it may be a life or death situation. For me, it's a dream that has been strengthened by the courage of another. Have a great round and always hit your target.

Catch Pipe Dreams, Tuesday nights at 9:30PM EST on The Golf Channel.

Photos Found At Golf Channel.com.



Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

FORE!!! - Plane Makes An Emergency Landing On Greynolds Park Golf Course

0

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in | Posted on Monday, January 17, 2011

As golfers, we know that when we hear "FORE", it means, cover your head and duck. Someone has just hit an errant shot and it may be making a b-line for the back of your skull. On Saturday, golfers at Greynolds Park Golf Course had to duck. Not because of a mis-hit tee shot, but because a small plane was preparing to make an emergency landing.

Anette Simon, 35, of Avial Banners Inc, was forced to land the plane when its carburetor became iced over, causing the engine to malfunction. I've played this course many times. It is a nice little nine hole track, usually played by the locals in the North Miami Beach area.

If I know the golfers who play there, they probably took it in stride and just asked to play through. Luckily nobody was hurt in the incident as Simon was able to land the plane in the middle of the 9th fairway. I would not be surprised if she is a good golfer. Apparently she knows it's best to end up in short stuff. Have a great round and always hit your target.

Photo found here.

Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

You Wouldn't Believe It If You Didn't See It - Total Shank

2

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , | Posted on Sunday, January 16, 2011

Just got in from early morning practice. Had to get in some swings before MY CHICAGO BEARS play the seattle seahawks(BOOOOOOO!!!) for the right to move on to the NFC Championship. I noticed that I had a comment from my last post. I answered as I normally would and proceeded to publish the comment. 

I wasn't signed in yet and even though I am the publisher of this blog, I still had to do the word verification thing. I don't know if I should take it as a bad omen or just laugh it off, but this is what I got...

Visual verification

Listen and type the numbers you hear
Type the characters you see in the picture above.

How appropriate is that huh? Well time to go watch Da Bears decimate the Seahawks. Just hope my predictions aren't a total "shank". Have a great round and always hit your target.

***Editor's Note: I don't know what happened, but where it says "visual verification", it used to say "shank". That was the point of this whole post. Oh well...Not so funny when the word isn't there. At least you got a good lesson from Michael Breed on how to shank-proof your game. Have a good one:-)



Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

Hitting The Driver - Before, After, And Beyond

6

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , , , , | Posted on Saturday, January 15, 2011

I finally got out to play a round of golf today. I was eager to see how I would play after the changes I have made with my swing in the past few months. I played with Hurchell and Kevin whom you met when we golfed with Al E. Gator and made friends with "Iggy" the Iguana.

We played at Palmetto Golf Course which has always been a challenge for me. I have never played well there in the past. Never broken 90 on this track until today. I posted an 85, losing only one ball in the process, which is a feat because there is a good amount of water on this course.

My ball striking is very much improved. I have also gained a lot of distance. I flew the green on a couple of occasions, not realizing that the ball even had a chance to travel that far. Believe me. I am not complaining:-)

I should have shot as low as an 80 if I were able to knock in a few five footers. I think I missed four or five from that distance. But here's the kicker. On the par 3, 11th hole, I hit my tee shot over a net that guards the adjacent street. Luckily, the ball hit a palm tree and fell straight down. I had a slight angle into the green and pitched it to forty feet away from the cup. At least I was putting. The putt was downhill and pretty much straight. I told myself that all I had to do was start it on the correct line and let gravity take over. I hit the putt at a perfect pace and it trickled into the hole to save par. I can't hit a five footer, but a forty footer drops, dead center. This game can really mess with your head if you allow it to.

I filmed my driver swing for the first time since  "Ruthless" Mike Southern first saw a video of my swing a several months ago. Mike has been teaching me how to understand the golf swing so that I could get rid of my coming over the top move. I think we have made tremendous progress and what is amazing, is the fact that he been able to help me with only the aid of one video clip and the written description of my swing here on this blog. 

The following are before and after videos of my swing with the driver. I still start my swing to the inside a little bit too much and I am still kind of over-the-toppy(making up phrases now), but I think the improvement is evident.

My posture at address has improved. In the first video it looks like I am reaching for the ball. This caused me to be off-balance. The other thing I noticed was the positioning of my head throughout the swing. If you hold a ruler at the top my head in both videos, you will notice that my head is all over the place in the first video. But in the second video, my head stays level pretty much throughout. This is a sign that I am maintaining my spine angle better now, than I did in the past.

So we have come this far and I feel good about what is to come. Mike has done an excellent job with the limited resources he had at his disposal. As mentioned before, Mike has been teaching about the golf swing. Now that I have a better understanding of what needs to be done, I can look at the video and make the necessary adjustments to my swing.

I still need work, but we're getting there. There are other parts of my game that I need to pay attention to, such as chipping and putting. I definitely left more than a few strokes out there today. Now that I have the Kodak Playsport, I will be shooting more videos of drills pertaining to these facets of the game. Until then...Have a great round and always hit your target.  

BEFORE



AFTER



TO BE CONTINUED...

85
Posted: 1/15/2011 • Share on Facebook
Palmetto Golf Course (Palmetto) Tees: Blue, Slope: 136, Rating: 71.7


Palmetto Front Nine
Hole 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Out
Par
5
4
4
4
3
4
3
4
5

36

6 5 5 4 4 5 5 5 5
44
FIR:

# Putts: 2 2 1 2 2 1 1 1 2
14
GIR:


Back Nine
Hole 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18
In
Par
4
3
4
4
4
4
4
3
4

34

5 3 6 5 4 3 6 4 5
41
FIR:

# Putts: 1 1 2 2 1 1 3 2 2
15
GIR:


Birdies: 1
Pars: 4
Bogeys: 10
Doubles: 3
Par 3 Avg: 4.0
Par 4 Avg: 4.8
Par 5 Avg: 5.5
FIR: 3 / 14
GIR: 3 / 18
Putts: 29
Putts per GIR: 1.7
Scrambling: 2 / 15
Bounce Backs: 4 / 12


Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

Each Of Us Are Born With Our Own Authentic Swing - The Legend Of Bagger Vance Quotes

0

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , | Posted on Friday, January 14, 2011

~What I'm talkin about is a game... A game that can't be won only played~ Bagger Vance

~See, the trick is... to find your swing~ Bagger Vance

~Well you lost your swing... We got to go find it... Now it's somewhere... in the harmony... of all that is... All that was... All that will be~ Bagger Vance

~Inside each and every one of us is our one, true authentic swing. Something we was born with. Something that's ours and ours alone. Something that can't be learned... something that's got to be remembered~ Bagger Vance

~A man's grip on his club is just like his grip on his world~ Bagger Vance

~The rhythm of the game is just like the rhythm of life~ Bagger Vance

~Yep... Inside each and every one of us is one true authentic swing... Somethin' we was born with... Somethin' that's ours and ours alone... Somethin' that can't be taught to ya or learned... Somethin' that got to be remembered... Over time the world can, rob us of that swing... It get buried inside us under all our wouldas and couldas and shouldas... Some folk even forget what their swing was like~ Bagger Vance

~Put your eyes on Bobby Jones... Look at his practice swing, almost like he's searchin for something... Then he finds it... Watch how he settle hisself right into th emiddle of it, feel that focus... He got a lot of shots he could choose from... Duffs and tops and skulls, there's only ONE shot that's in perfect harmony with the feild... One shot that's his, authentic shot, and that shot is gonna choose him... There's a perfect shot out there tryin' to find each and every one of us... All we got to do is get ourselves out of its way, to let it choose us... Can't see that flag as some dragon you got to slay... You got to look with soft eyes... See the place where the tides and the seasons and the turnin' of the Earth, all come together... where everything that is, becomes one... You got to seek that place with your soul Junuh... Seek it with your hands don't think about it... Feel it... Your hands is wiser than your head ever gonna be... Now I can't take you there Junuh... Just hopes I can help you find a way... Just you... that ball... that flag... and all you are~ Bagger Vance

~You got a choice... You can stop... Or you can start~ Bagger Vance

~Now play the game... Your game... The one that only you was meant to play... The one that was given to you when you come into this world... You ready?~ Bagger Vance

Top photo found here.
Bottom photo found here.



Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

See...Professional Golfers Hit Bad Shots Too (Jason Day's 106 Yard Drive)

2

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , | Posted on Sunday, January 9, 2011

I just got in from practice and am about to watch the final round of the Hyundai Tournament Of Champions held at The Plantation Course, Kapalua Resort, Hawaii. As the title suggest, the participants of this tournament are all winners from the 2010 season.

I know that golf is a hard sport, but I still get on myself when I hit bad shots. The fact is, professional golfers hit bad shots as well from time to time. They just do it a lot less often than we do as amateurs . As I mentioned in this post, the difference between them and us is that they know how to negotiate the next shot. They know how to get out of trouble.

Case in point, Jason Day. During the second round, Day step up to the par 4, 13th hole and like his fellow competitors pulled out driver to position himself for an easy second shot into the green.

Day stepped up to his ball and unleashed a booming lack-luster swing which sent the ball hurtling all of 106 yards. Been there, done that. When I do something like that, I am looking at trying to save a double. Not Jason Day. He kept the driver in his hands for his second shot and used it off the deck. I've tried to hit my driver without a tee. Not so easy and not at all successful.

Day went on to par the hole. No harm, no foul. These guys really are that good. The hours that they put into practice really pays off when it counts. Day starts the fourth round seven shots off the lead and has an outside chance at the title. He will have to have a great final round and hope that the leaders give him a little help in order to pull out the win.

Win or lose, Day has impressed me. He is one of the up and coming stars that is supposed to make a splash this season. What Day pulled off  with his par is what saves rounds. He could have easily posted a double and ended any chance at being in the hunt. This is something I am going to work hard to improve during 2011. If I can do away with all of these doubles, breaking 80 will happen sooner rather than later. Have a great round and always hit your target.

Jason Day photo found here.



Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

My Grip Is Only As Good As My Setup

4

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , , | Posted on Saturday, January 8, 2011

I had a great practice session today. It was the best I have struck the ball since I change my grip. If you have been following this blog you know that I am going through a grip change. And as with any change, it takes a while to put all the pieces together.

In a recent post I talked about an article I read in Golf Magazine, and how I used their methods as a model for my own grip. Swing Coach Mike read my post and pointed out a few things that I needed to do in my setup that would make the grip change truly effective. He had a few concerns with the pictures featured in the article and made a few suggestions. This is what he had to say...

I'll be interested to see how this grip change makes you look at setup, Dex. Just from what you described, your grip was definitely too strong. (As he said, that's a common problem for over-the-toppers.)

But if you're setting up like those Golf Magazine photos, I think you've gone too weak. Here's the problem: See how the butt of the club is pointing directly toward the bottom of the photo? See how the left wrist is bent? To return your wrists to that position at impact, you're going to have to flip the club head instead of leading it with your hands, which can cause you to hit thin or fat shots.

Remember the Walter Hagen post I did on December 30? Go to the 2nd video (the iron shot) and start the video, then immediately stop it. See how Hagen's shaft and his left forearm form a fairly straight line? Hagen set up that way because he intends to contact the ball in the same position.

This means his grip has to be a little stronger than the Golf Magazine photos -- otherwise, he'll leave the face open at impact unless he twists his forearms to square the club face. That's going to affect your accuracy in a bad way because it's hard to turn them the same amount each time.

Here's what I'd suggest -- and granted, this is without seeing your new setup -- take the grip as shown in the Golf Magazine photos, then straighten your left wrist so your shaft is in line with your left forearm. The face will probably be open now. Without changing your hand positions, turn the club in your hands so the club face is square to your target again. You should get more solid contact without affecting your accuracy as much.



I immediately watched the video of The Haig and then grab a golf club and set my shaft to the angle of my left arm the way he did. Mike pointed out that this is the same position I want to be in at impact, so it makes sense to start the swing in this position. I understood the logic, but at the time, it felt like a lot of shaft lean. I told Mike about this and he retorted with this...

You said it seems like a lot of shaft lean. It is... if you're only thinking one-dimensionally. ;-)

Yeah, that sounds funny. Here's what I mean: You're thinking about your ball position on the straight line running back from the target:

|>>
|
|
o--------------------- a -------- b -------

where "a" is your original ball position and "b" is where it would be after you straighten your left wrist ala Hagen.

What you're forgetting is that you can stand farther away from the target line and the ball.

1) Put the ball in your original setup position, and take your original setup.

2) Set your left wrist so the shaft and your left forearm form a straight line. The club head is farther behind the ball, correct?

3) Now, don't move toward or away from the target (that is, parallel to the target line). Instead, back away from the ball (perpendicular to the target line) and lift your arms just enough to keep the shaft / forearm line. You probably won't have to move back more than two or three inches, but you can leave the ball in the same position on the target line that it was before.

This may make your one-piece takeaway easier as well. Your swing will feel like it's more around you. And you keep the "straight line," so you hit the ball more solidly. Try that and see how it feels.


Again, I grab my wedge, and practiced the motion in my living room. Mike was right. It did feel like I was swinging around my body more. As I practiced, I realized that this tip allowed me to make a better shoulder turn to where my back was facing the target at the top of my backswing. Which helps to generate more club head speed, and as a result, should mean more distance.

My last concern had to do with balance. As I moved away from the ball as Mike instructed, I felt like I was leaning too far forward. I asked Mike for the fix, and he gave me some suggestions, but as I thought about it, all had to do was move back a little closer to the ball. Another example of an amateur trying to make the game more difficult than it has to be.

Mike gave me some great stuff to work on. I hope that it will help you as well. The only way to find out is if you give it a try. For those of you who can not play due to weather, these are a few swing thoughts you can work on in your living room. By the time season hits again, you will be a few steps ahead of the rest of the field. Have a great round and always hit your target.

*Start the video and then immediately stop it. Notice Hagen's shaft at address. It is just about in line with his left arm. If it's good enough for Hagen, it's good enough for me:-D


Golf setup picture found here.

Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

Taking My New Kodak Playsport ZX3 Digital Camera Out For A Test Run

2

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , , | Posted on Friday, January 7, 2011

Merry late Christmas to me:-) I purchased the Kodak Playsport ZX3 Digital Camera a few days ago and I am so excited to use it. If you have been following this blog, you know that I have been working with Mike Southern on improving my swing. Everything that we have worked on has been basically based on our written word. Fortunate for me, Mike seems to be a master at deciphering what I am describing about my swing and giving me the proper instruction.

All that has changed now. I will now be able to film my swing so that he can analyze, criticize, and maybe, sometimes even agonize over the quality of my swing. I do not have a tripod yet but plan on buying one within the next few days. Then we can get down to work and make some big improvements during 2011.

I took the Playsport out for a test run today. It handles very well and is easy to use. Nothing complicated about this one, but the quality is excellent. It has a slow motion feature which will allow my swing to be broken down frame by frame. No more hiding behind these post. Everything will be exposed.

This camera is no bigger than most cell phones and fits easily in my pocket. I can take still pictures with as well, so I will be using it for everything. My fiancee likes to hike, so when I move to Arizona, the camera will help capture many memories.

The coolest feature of the Playsport is that you can film underwater to a depth of ten feet. I have not tried mine underwater yet but Youtube has
a bunch of videos of people using their Playsport submerged in water. I look forward to using my camera the next time I go snorkeling. The picture is so clear, it makes the user look like a professional.

The following video is my test run from today. As soon as I buy a tripod, I will be sharing more videos. I am a little nervous about showing the world my swing, but hopefully you will be able to learn from my mistakes and improve your game as well. I believe that sometimes you have to stick your neck out to achieve greatness. I might embarrass myself but it will make me better. Have a great round and always hit your target.



Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

What A Difference A "Grip" Makes

0

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , , | Posted on Monday, January 3, 2011

In my last post I talked about changing my grip. It has helped my ball striking tremendously. I just got back in from practicing and I have to say that I am very pleased. The way one holds the golf club really makes a huge difference. Those Golf Magazine guys might be on to something.

As expected, it took some getting used to when I first got out there, but after a while I started to see improvement. I hit 7-iron today and used my other club as an alignment aide to have one less thing to think about.

My shots were a lot more solid and online with the intended target. As I got more and more comfortable with the new grip, I began to hit a soft little draw. This means I am swinging more from the inside. What a beautiful sight.

When I switched over to my 52 degree gap wedge, I struggled a little bit. I hit a lot of shot right of my target at first. Then I remembered how Larry had me trying to pull hook the ball on purpose. Once I started turning my right arm over my left during the follow through, my shots improved.

The grip is truly the foundation of the golf swing. It all starts from there. My old grip forced me to take the club to the inside on my back swing, causing my infamous loop, which was an attempt to get back on the proper swing plane. The proper grip allows me to swing freely along the proper swing plane throughout the entire process. No adjustments are needed.

Another little adjustment that makes a huge difference. Golf truly is a game of inches and subtleties. Have a great round and always hit your target.



Claim Your Free Weekly Golf Swing Videos Here!

Trying To Get A Grip On My Swing

7

Posted by Dexter Francois | Posted in , , , | Posted on Sunday, January 2, 2011

I have been fidgety with my grip lately. As I am standing over a shot, I feel very uncomfortable. Sometimes I have to step off a shot because I grip my club, re-grip again, and then re-grip again. I fear that I have come down with a case of Sergio Garcia syndrome. Garcia went through a period in his a career in which he would re-grip it so much, the fans took notice, and even heckled him at one U.S. Open.






I began searching Youtube for grip lessons, but that proved useless, because it seems as if every teacher has their own philosophy as to why their grip is the best. As it turned out, a day after I set out to find the perfect grip, Golf Magazine did a special on proper grip technique for their January issue. An answer to prayer.

On the same day that I received my latest issue, I went out to my laboratory and started working on my grip. One of the guys that I see out there all the time was walking by and he said, "Nice swing. The only thing that bothers me about it, is your grip. Hi, my name is Larry." Hmmm...Here we go again. Someone trying to fix my swing.

Normally, I tune people out who try to give me advice about my swing. In my last post you met
Coach Terry Crick, and you might remember that his favorite saying is, "Amateurs teach amateurs to play golf like amateurs." I am very hesitant to listen to anyone who claims to have the "magic fix", but since my grip is exactly what I am struggling with, and the fact that he recognized that just by looking at my swing, I allowed him to go on.

Larry pointed out that my left hand was rotated to far to the right. I thought my grip was okay because I heard that I should be able to see the two knuckles of my index and middle finger. He said, "Exactly, but your perspective is all messed up." He took his club and gripped it like I did and asked me what I saw. I was surprised. What I saw was four knuckles.

From my perspective it looked like two knuckles, but when I looked at it from Larry's perspective, I could see what he saw. A poor grip. He rotated my left hand to the left and put my right hand in more of a neutral position. I had a very weak grip.

It took some time to get used to this hand position, which I can understand. I had never held the club like this before, so of course it would feel a little foreign at first. I told him that it felt like my right hand was too far underneath the club on my downswing. He said, "Exactly. This grip promotes more of an inside to out swing path. It will help get rid of going over that top."

Larry had me hit some shots trying purposely to hook the ball to the left. He said that with my old grip I was probably forced to "hold off" my swing so that the club would not be closed at impact. Now that I am swinging from the inside, I don't have to hold the club off. After a while, I started hitting some draw shots. Something that I never experienced before.

I think this little lesson, coupled with what Mike has been teaching me, will help take me to the next level. The one-piece takeaway that Mike introduced me to feels a little smoother now. I used to hit good shots, but I was still lacking consistency. Mike, being a "virtual instructor", never had a chance to get a close look at my grip. I am sure that he would have pointed it out right away. I plan on getting some new footage for Mike to look at in the near future so that he can evaluate my progress thus far.

The following pictures are from the Golf Magazine article. The last two pictures are a great teaching tool that anyone can use. Check out the article so that you can read the description that coincides with each step for yourself. Hopefully it will help you get a grip on this game as well. Have a great round and always hit your target.

Read the Golf Magazine article here.

Step 1: Placing the handle
Step 1, New Way to Take Your Grip
Step 2: Securing your left hand
Step 3: Setting your left thumb
Step 2, New Way to Take Your Grip
Step 4: Positioning your right hand
Step 4, New Way to Take Your Grip
Step 5: Securing your right hand
Step 5, New Way to Take Your Grip
Step 6: Setting your right thumb
Step 6, New Way to Take Your Grip
What your grip should look like
Slide 1, How to Make a Good Hold Second Nature
Try this!
Slide 2, How to Make a Good Hold Second Nature
Same position every time
Slide 3, How to Make a Good Hold Second Nature