Changing to a 10 finger grip fixed my swing.

[jportz]

Maybe it could help you too....

Just sharing some info.....

I've always played with a Vardon grip.

I've always struggled with a lateral slide and over the top move on my downswing.

At a recent lesson the pro suggested I try a 10 finger grip to help solidify my backswing.

It made a huge difference....

before the change my swing got a little too long at the top....the club would drop just a bit too far and I was on a recovery effort for the rest of my downswing...sliding forward as the club came over the top.

The pro told me I should be able to take a club to the top of my swing and stop...pause for 2 seconds and then hit the ball. This drill would eliminate the slide and the over the top....but I couldn't do it until I changed my grip.

Now that my right hand is in more control of the club I'm on perfect plane all throughout the swing and the best thing is that I'm retaining my angle (more lag) later in the swing and hitting the ball MUCH farther and straighter.

There's a few other drills and KEY checkpoints for me but I don't want to make this too long. If anyone is interested let me know. I always thought the 10 finger grip was for hacks.....it's also for people with small hands, weak wrists, and a short, wide, and powerful golf swing.

If my short game holds up I just might shoot under par today....I'll check back and let ya know.

[jportz]

2 over on the front ( 3 bogies and 1 birdie and a 3 putt par on the Par 5 9th) :)

 

 

1 over on the back (8 pars and 1 bogey)

 

75....I'll take it.

 

Felt invincible with the driver....hitting fades and draws as needed.

 

Solid and accurate with the irons and putted pretty well too.

 

Overall a pretty solid round....of course I wish a few more putts would fall for birdie but I rolled the ball well so no worries there.

 

Like I said before...the 10 finger grip is perfect for me. I don't feel like I'm overswinging but once I get about halfway down in the swing I can really release that lag and it is a very powerful feeling move and even better...I feel like the clubhead is traveling longer on line through impact giving me a lot more accuracy.

 

A lot of people fail at the 10 finger grip because they pick the club straight up and come over the top....it's important to get the club on plane going back and that your swing is wide and not necessarily long. My club doesn't even come close to parrallel but I consistently hit it 280+ (average) with my occassional 300 yarder when I really bust it. My shoulders and arms complete their respective turns at the same time and the result is LONG and STRAIGHT shots.

 

I'm sure it's not for everyone but don't knock it until you try it.....I love it.

[MidWestPro]

Your hands are supposed to work as one unit, this really helps :)

 

I HIGHLY recommend that people DO NOT try this and i am actually a little astonished that a PGA Certified Professional suggested this.

[Points]

Did you know that there are several players on the PGA and LPGA tour using this grip? The grip's main function is to form a relationship with the clubface. There is such a long list of different grip types. Weak left and strong right, strong left weak right, 0,1,2,3,4 knuckle grips can be scene on tour. There are overlap, double over lap, interlocking, ten finger, and cross handed grips.

 

Grip adjustments should be made to help the player improve their ball flight. Changing a grip is very uncomfortable for the player. There is no perfect grip and the ten finger is a great grip for women and young kids.

[KingOAces]

When I first started playing, i used the 10 Finger and was killing it. then after about 7 rounds, i was slicing everything. I needed more control so i went to interlock. Works like a charm. But for long drives when i need to rip it, I use the 10 finger.

 

KinG

[dorfblee]

I recently switched from an overlap to an interlock-overlap grip. I'm a righty so my left index and right pinkie interlock, then my right ring finger overlaps my left index. It's just the way my fingers bend- there just isn't enough room to just overlap.

 

I went to that grip because my right hand would to more than it's "fair" share and I wanted to take it out a little.

 

Grips change as the "best player" of the current time changes.

[rony]

Same story with me. You have to remember that no two people are built the same way. What works for one will not necessarily work for another. I started with the interlock, tried the Vardon, didn't feel comfortable with either. Resisted going with the ten finger because everyone said it was incorrect. Finally said "The Hell With It", because I realized that for ME.......The Ten Finger Grip was the one that enabled me to strike the ball with a squared club face and hit a long accurate ball with a slight right to left draw. Best single adjustment I ever made in golf. Come to find out that MORE people use this grip than you realize.......They just never tell anyone to avoid criticism. I just had a session with a club maker on a launch monitor to get a new Graphite Design shaft on my driver. Before I began to hit, I told him that I used the ten finger grip. He said, "Me too, have all my life, its always been the best grip for me." Go figure! :)

[jportz]

MidWestPro...come on man. If you've been in the business long enough you know (like Points said) that there is no such thing as one perfect grip for everyone. What do you think about Chris Couch using the cross handed grip? Hmmm, much more controversial than a standard 10 finger grip but he just won a PGA tour event using it.

 

Whatever grip allows the player to consistently square the clubface through impact is the best grip and for me it is the 10 finger grip.

 

I have small hands with even smaller fingers so I have trouble releasing the club properly using an interlock or vardon grip...the 10 finger grip is perfect for ladies, juniors or even players like me who use ladies grips because of my small hands.

 

I'm a 5 handicap who has broken par a handful of times so obviously it's working for me just fine...and there are a lot of certified PGA Pro's that would recommend the 10 finger grip for someone who would benefit for it.

 

Too many pro's try to make their students swing like Tiger Woods or some other pro.....instead of helping them develop their own swings. Sure...Tiger Woods, Adam Scott, Stewart Applebee...they all have the stereotypical "perfect" swing....but they also get beat by guys like Kenny Perry, Jim Furyk, John Daly....heck there's so many different swings and grips on tour it's ridiculous.

 

Don't force yourself to swing or grip like someone else....find a pro that will help you develop the best swing for your body, strenght, and athletic ability.

[Ken_In_CA]

I like the 10 finger grip cuz I feel that I can put lighter pressure on the grip versus the traditional grips, and with that, I feel that I have more control. Whatever works right?

 

Ken

[mfo]

In one of the Harvey Penick books, he quotes Jimmy Demaret as saying he would use the ten finger grip if he were starting over again. the Vardon grip was a grip Vardon developed to compensate for a hook. he allegedly had very large hands and long fingers. Bob Estes used the ten finger grip for a while. If it works why not?

[braveheart]

I use the 10 finger grip with driver/woods/hybrids. I use the overlap with irons. I recently tried this due to my frequent push/slices with the long clubs. Since switching to 10 finger grip, deviation is only a push, which is not a clubface issue. My shots are more solid and more often straighter. When I tried it with irons, it results in more pulls and fat shots. So I dont use it with them. Many more people use the 10 finger grip than you think. I dont think it relates to being a beginner, woman or having weak wrists. Im very strong in wrists and forearms. Being an ex-baseball/softball player where you always have all fingers on the club made it seem feasable to use it with the flatter swing plane in the longer clubs. Im just a struggling 2 year player and some things you can be instructed to use or do but not everyone is built the same or there bodies dont work the same way. Its working right now.

[sky72]

Does anyone know which Penick book refers to Demaret's comment about the ten finger grip? Thanks, sky72

[avrag]

Your hands are supposed to work as one unit, this really helps :fool:

 

I HIGHLY recommend that people DO NOT try this and i am actually a little astonished that a PGA Certified Professional suggested this.

 

Read Harvey Penick, then.

 

 

In one of the Harvey Penick books, he quotes Jimmy Demaret as saying he would use the ten finger grip if he were starting over again. the Vardon grip was a grip Vardon developed to compensate for a hook. he allegedly had very large hands and long fingers. Bob Estes used the ten finger grip for a while. If it works why not?

 

Not only does he quote Demaret, he also writes:

"Looking back on my teaching career, I believe now that I should have taught the full-fingered grip to nearly every woman pupil, with the exception of powerful hitters like Babe Zaharias and Mickey Wright.

Perhaps I should have taught it to more men, as well. The full-fingered grip, with the hands properly placed, can be just as pretty to my eye as the Vardon grip.

There is no doubt that putting that one extra finger on the handle will supply a bit more authority when your clubface whips through the ball."

 

 

Does anyone know which Penick book refers to Demaret's comment about the ten finger grip? Thanks, sky72

 

It's from "The Game of a Lifetime", the last book he wrote. It is also in the compilation "The Wisdom Of Harvey Penick" (p. 308). The chapter is called "Jimmy Would Have Changed His Grip."