By Garth Goodbrandson, Director of Player Development, Golf Manitoba Building a Proper Grip
Discover Golf… In South East Manitoba
When it comes to playing good golf, it’s essential to grip the club properly. Why? The answer is simple. A good grip will increase your chances of success, while a poor grip will make it difficult to be consistent and reach your full potential as a golfer. Many mid- to-high handicap players would play much better golf if they only took the time to develop a sound grip. In an ideal world, a golfer would learn to grip a golf club properly from a young age. In many cases, to assist themselves in hitting the ball further, young golfers tend to have a strong grip starting out, with three knuckles showing on their left (top) hand and the handle of the golf club placed well into their fingers, if they’re right-handed. Others start with a weak grip, with less than two knuckles showing on the left hand, and the handle of the club in their palm. The best grip is a neutral one, with two or two-and-a-half knuckles showing on the top hand. While many golfers might play well with a strong or weak grip when they’re young, that faulty grip can cause problems as they get older. Misses will hook or slice further into trouble because they’re hitting the ball longer. The remedy for this inconsistency is a grip change. While it sounds simple enough to do, it really isn’t. After years of playing with an overly strong or weak grip, that grip has become ingrained. As a result, making a grip change is easier said than done. Even though a golfer knows their grip is the source of their annoying inconsistency, they make excuses about changing; the main one being that the grip is just comfortable, making change impossible. Or, after taking a lesson and being shown how to grip the club properly, they go back to their old grip because they get discouraged after hitting a ton of bad shots. This is where discipline is required. Whenever you make a swing change, you’re guaranteed to hit bad shots – in this case, because the new grip feels uncomfortable. The reality is that change requires commitment. If you know your old grip was incorrect and the new grip your PGA Manitoba golf professional showed you is correct, you need to stick with it. Eventually, you’ll become comfortable with it, and will start to hit better shots. By the same token, you may want to undertake a grip change over the winter if your grip is too strong. It’s actually easier to change from a weak grip to a neutral grip than it is to change from a strong grip to a neutral grip. So if you decide to change your grip from strong to neutral, take lessons over the winter when you’re not worried about results. The bottom line about the grip is this - the better your grip, the better your chances are of hitting quality golf shots. Take the time to develop a sound grip, and you’re guaranteed to play more consistent golf.
Grip - too weak
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Grip too weak – hands are turned too far to the left on the club. This grip promotes slicing shots.
Grip - too strong
CALL 204-437-2777 WWW.BUFFALOPOINT.CA
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Grip too strong – hands are placed too far to the right on the club. This promotes hooking the ball.
Open to the Public 25 minutes North of Wpg on Hwy 7 Phone: 204-886-4653 Email: teulongc@mymts.net Website: Teulongc.com
Grip - neutral
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A neutral grip works best to hit straight, accurate shots. Two knuckles are showing on the top hand, and the “V” of the thumb and forefinger is pointing to the right shoulder (for right-handed golfers). PHOTOS BY: Todd Lewys
Phone 204- 476-5711 www.neepawagolf.com
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