After the last event for 2023 wrapped up in Mauritius I threw the clubs in the cupboard for 8 weeks and enjoyed the festive season. Lessons on the range, interspersed with social occasions with friends and family, it was a great way to recharge the batteries. Life as a touring pro is fantastic but it can also be very tiring so it is always great to forget about my game for a while and concentrate on others.
The new year of golf has now started and over the last two months I have started practising hard and have played some senior pro-am golf events in Victoria and South Australia. The results have been very solid and I am looking forward to going further a field later on in the year.
When competing in these types of events I have the opportunity to watch amateurs playing: playing a bunch of great shots and playing a fair few bad shots. Many have a pre-shot routine that focuses on the hip drive, hinging the wrists, and turning their shoulders etc etc etc with the hope that the next shot will produce the desired result. But the truth is unless you have a good grip to start with the other little tweaks can be a waste of time. A good grip is essential to playing good golf.
Every golfer has a natural way they move, and a good grip matches this natural motion. It will be slightly different for everyone but at the end of the day, you want a club that is balanced in your hands. I believe there are 3 keys to a good grip.
The lead hand (left hand for right-handed golfers) – The left-hand matches your hip rotation. It needs to be in a natural position. The easiest way to do this is to stand with your arms at your side. Now grip the club in your left hand as you keep your arm at your side, you should be able hinge your wrist so the club moves straight up in front of you. The club should feel easy and balanced in your hand. That’s it.
Right hand (left hand for lefties) – The right-hand mirrors the club face. So at impact, the right hand should be aligned to where you want to hit the ball. A right hand that starts too much under the grip at address, or in the palm, will feel very unnatural at impact. Or vice versa – if you grip it too much in the fingers. An easy way to check: lie your club on the ground and then pick it up in your right hand. Or I sometimes get my students to pick up a bucket of balls in the right hand only and see where the bucket handle sits in the hand. It needs to feel comfortable. Simple.
Grip pressure – The pressure of the grip, whether it is too tight or too loose, can restrict your motion. This in turn can affect the consistency of the swing, clubface direction at impact, and power. What you want to do is have enough pressure to control the club without holding the club like you are strangling it. One method I use to test the grip strength of my students is I get them to hold the club out in front of them and I try and pull the club out of their hands. It shouldn’t slip out of their hands but conversely, I shouldn’t need all of my power to pull it out either. Another check is hold the club horizontally out in front of you in your left hand (right for lefties). Let the club drop slightly, then grip a little tighter to bring the club back to horizontal. That should be about the right pressure.
That’s it. Concentrating on your grip will allow you to swing the club with a fluid motion. It will reduce the need to manipulate your swing to stop that dreaded hook, top or slice. To check your grip book a lesson at Michaellonggolf.com.
