Golf Tips & Quips

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.

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.