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.

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.



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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.



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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 2: Securing your left hand

Step 3: Setting your left thumb

Step 4: Positioning your right hand

Step 5: Securing your right hand

Step 6: Setting your right thumb

What your grip should look like

Try this!

Same position every time

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