Struggles with "crisp" contact and compression w/out a strong grip

[stlouismark]

I used to play with a pretty strong grip, but have been trying to play with a more neutral grip. The reasons being that while the strong grip worked well with short and mid irons, I had problems with woods. I was also always fighting a shank because the strong grip would encourage an overly inside-out path in the downswing. It was also hard to get a good strike on the ball with a driver - I had more power with a neutral grip with the driver. The strong grip would also tend to get the club whipped around to the inside early in the backswing, and then across the line at the top, and a bowed wrist.

 

Anyway, my issues with the more neutral grip are that it is a lot harder to get crisp contact and compression with irons. Fairway woods are almost impossible to hit as well. I can get decent contact with my irons off of a tee with a neutral grip, but if the ball is on the ground, or in even a remotely thin lie, contact is VERY difficult to be consistent on. A lot of thin fades/slices is what I experience.

 

My questions are as follows:

 

1. Why is it easier to get good crisp contact and compression with a strong grip on short/mid irons? Seems like the clubhead just "finds" the ball, there's forward shaft lean, and the strong grip forces your hips to turn through the shot.

 

2. Conversely, why is it much more difficult to get crisp contact and compression with a neutral grip? Why does a neutral grip make you want to come over the top in the downswing, as opposed to a strong grip, which "forces" the club on an inside out path?

 

3. Why does a neutral grip seem to make your brain tell your body to stall your hips, and open your shoulders early, and hit thin shots? Why is good compression so hard?

[sonofagunn]

As you rotate your forearms to close the clubface, you lose forward shaft lean. You might have to feel like you have a bowed lead wrist at impact with a weaker grip.

[OlleEriksson]

I have the exact same feeling, and it amazes me how the impact feeling can be so different. However when you hit a solid shot with a neutral grip it just feels so effortless and elegant, not the feeling of brute force as with the strong grip. I cant decide between the two.

[Red4282]

Weaker grips need lead wrist flexion ala jordan speith

[MonteScheinblum]

Most likely, the strong grip suits you better and there are additional issues at work causing the shanks and problems with longer clubs.

 

Post a videos.

[airjammer]

Try more a lot more lead wrist bow from the top and see if the crispness comes back. You have to close the face with wrist flexion no that your grip doesn’t do it for you.

[Ri_Redneck]

I'm with Monte. I tried to play with a traditional "neutral" grip for a long time. Only got better when I realized my body structure needed a stronger grip. No issues with any club.

 

BT