Grip

[CaptStubins]

Strong vs Weak

I have generally played with a fairly weak grip in the past (two knuckles on left hand) and have been working on making it stronger over the past month. My question is how do I know how strong to make it? I'm hitting some pretty bad hooks right now, but I'm not sure if that's just a result of swing flaws developed to combat my weaker grip. What are your thoughts on grip (strong vs. weak)? Thanks.

[jportz]

2 knuckles is actually a neutral grip, not weak. My opinion is to keep your grip neutral and fix the swing. Why did you change your grip? The stronger you make your grip the more you have to fight off your release through impact....I'd prefer you use a neutral grip and allow your arms to release naturally.

 

Are your hooks starting straight and hooking or starting right and hooking or are they pull hooks? Gotta know your ball flight to help you out.

[matt411]

2 knuckles doesn't seem very weak to me.

[CaptStubins]

2 knuckles is actually a neutral grip, not weak. My opinion is to keep your grip neutral and fix the swing. Why did you change your grip? The stronger you make your grip the more you have to fight off your release through impact....I'd prefer you use a neutral grip and allow your arms to release naturally.

 

Are your hooks starting straight and hooking or starting right and hooking or are they pull hooks? Gotta know your ball flight to help you out.

 

My shots start straight and then hook. If I consciously try to loop the club to the inside at the top of the backswing, I can hit shots that start right and then draw back to my target. If I don't do that, I'm in the woods. The problem with the "looping" thing is that I tend to hit shots thin more often than I normally do. What a game:)

[jportz]

You definitely don't want the ball starting off to the right of the target...not too much anyways. There's only 2 things that effect ball flight direction. Swing path and clubface. Without video it's tough to guess but you should start there....what's your clubface doing through impact and what path is your clubhead traveling on?

 

Video is magic....it's worth bribing a friend to tape a few swings so you can check it out or even post it on here.

 

I thought I was swinging pretty for a few weeks but then all of the sudden I was missing right and left. So I had a friend tape me at the range the other day....wow....I was way off plane on my backswing and was compensating through impact to hit the ball straight.

 

It was such a simple fix but I would've struggled for a week trying to figure it out on my own. 3 minutes with a video camera and I was back in action.

[Cameron Circle T]

You may also be taking it too far inside, which causes you to compensate and can cause these hooks that start way out right and when timed right draw right back to target but if the timing is not right youll hit it waaaaaaaay left. Two knuckles you should be fine thats a pretty neutral grip (strong would be about what i use all FOUR knuckles showing on left hand, weak would be like none showing.)

[jportz]

Don't get hung up on the old saying...swing out to right field....to me that's a terrible swing though and caused me to play with an inside to out block shot for a long time. Inside to square to inside is the proper swing path. And when it says come from the inside you have to be careful not to over-do that statement. Your swing path should be 'slightly' from the inside...but a big looping swing that comes from behind you is not good at all. You'd be better off swinging over the top and hitting a fade than a big sweeping hook.

[MrBig]

I don't agree with the over the top would be better theory. An inside out hook has more power to it. In my opinion, if you feel you have to work hard to get the club moving inside out to start shots right of target you are in good shape to hit a power fade. Go back to that two knuckle grip and set up a left of your target and trust your swing to send the ball online. If you don't have enough distance or power from that shot shape go to a two and a half maybe three knuckle and aim slightly right of your target. Make the same swing and trust your ball to work a little left back on your target. For me, I prefer the nuetral two knuckle set up. I can safely hit a power cut from this position. I get into trouble when I don't trust the natural shape and open the face/weaken my grip to "force" the cut. Conversly, rather than actually strengthening my grip at address, to hit a draw I toe the club in a little and aim right. This dynamically strengthens my grip, though I keep my hands in the same look at address. Problems occur when I don't trust the set up to produce the shot shape I'm looking for. Hitting the draw I may get anxious and work my hands over to help and produce a quick hook instead, or for the fade open the face and hold off the release on bomb it straight right to right. Learn your set up and what shot shapes result and trust that it will work, it's all physics after all and the course between your ears. HTH

 

G

[CHRIS509]

A good test for grip problems. Take your normal grip, stand up right and extend your arms out. Now if your grip is good for you!? There will be no rotation of the club face either open or closed.

[profsanjo]

a strong grip is best for distance shots. i only use neutral for pitching shots within 100 metres

[dachtor]

Anybody else adjust their grip on the course depending on the club and the shot you are trying to hit? I have found that by strengthening my grip a little I can hit a draw almost every time. In addition, I have found that by having a little stronger grip with my driver, I hit straighter, more powerful shots. It's the only club I do it with though....