How Important Is Your Grip?Of all the components that make up a golf swing, few are more important than the grip. In order for the wrists to release properly through impact, so that control and speed can be maximized, it is important that the hands be placed onto the club properly. As a general rule, the V’s of both hands, formed by the thumbs and palms when the grip is taken, should point toward the right shoulder (right-handed player). The club should be gripped in the fingers and not in the palms of the hands.
As the grip is taken and the club laid across the curved fingers, the palms of the hands should stretch slightly from the fingers before the hands are closed. Stretching the hands as the grip is taken, causes the club to be bound within the grip when the hands are closed, and the club can be held very securely without having to squeeze the grip. This allows for total freedom in the release of the wrists through impact. If the club is held properly, the pronation of the club-head through impact is automatic and never needs to be forced to square the club-face.
All this having been said, and with many subtle details omitted, I must tell you that when I work with a beginning student, if he/she has no glaring grip issues, I initially concentrate more on footwork and body dynamics. A player can have a perfect grip, yet if the footwork and movements of the core are not correct, there is little chance that the golfer will strike the ball solidly. Once the swing itself is functioning correctly, the harder the ball is struck, the more important that the grip becomes. The hands are so sensitive, that an untrained player has great difficulty concentrating on proper body movement if the grip is being constantly manipulated. In other words – he can’t get his mind off the grip and onto more important things.
In my opinion, the best way to develop a proper grip is to practice the “Gravity Golf” three-mode drills. The brain will quickly figure out how to hold the club properly in order to hit solid shots in the right and left hand modes. Once each hand is trained to hold the club correctly, they will function as a single unit when put together in a normal two-hand mode. Study this drill and you will develop a great grip!
