The Correct Golf Grip

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Introduction:

Relaxation is the most important ingredient to successful golf. Given two golfers of equal ability, the one who is able to remain most relaxed, composed and confident will invariably best the other. But next to relaxation, the golf grip is without a doubt the most important part of the mechanics of the golf swing. One thing that makes the golf swing so elusive is that the the proper way to grip a club is not intuitively obvious. It has evolved over centuries and NO ONE will get it right without instruction (although many have tried and failed!). The golf grip is what couples the golf club to the body. Since the human body is not a consistant machine, but is frocked with countless variability, a good consistent golf swing is a formitable challenge, requiring relaxation, preparation, flexibility and control, all coordinated into one synchronized action. If that sounds daunting, well, it should. Fortunately, a good grip will allow many of the components of the swing to occur naturally, allowing the good golfer to relax and swing simply and artistically. Onlookers will be intrigued at the apparent ease and effortless simplicity, and baffled at the unexpected release of power that seems out of proportion to what was put into to the good swing. The good golfer will add to this a sense of control and finesse that is similar to being able to place a ball with the hands on a chosen target, albeit hundreds of yards away. BUT... this can't be done without a good, or at least a functional grip. A bad grip introduces problems that must be (either consciously or subconsciously compensated for. Many dilligent self and/or poorly taught golfers manage to develop their own compensations, but most are unreliable. Even the few who manage to achieve some degree of success, usually hit a developmental ceiling. Then to break through it, they must return to basics, and attempt to unlearn bad habits. This requires more effort than what was required in the beginning, not to mention herculean resolve! THEREFORE The importance of a good grip in relation to the golf swing cannot be overstated. Nor the prudence to the novice, of devoting time to this fundamental.

Gaps:

The Correct golf grip makes the club an extension of the body. It is a gentle mesh of the hands and fingers that is woven to the grip of the club so that they and the club work as one unit. I've seen many decent grips over the years, and most of these were functional, but deficient. Most golfers are only willing to spend minimal time with a teaching professional. Therefore, most teaching pros don't spend enough time on the grip. They realize that they must divide the limited time they have with their students among many important fundamentals. They also realize that the majority of their students will give up, or not take the game very seriously. They also realize that they must make a profit, so they just try to give students just enough to be able to be able to play the game. They do try to encourage a deeper interest in the game, and if that works, they'll usually try to help you more... but it rarely does. Good grips can have legitimate variations, but a major indication of deficiency are the presence of gaps. There are many common grip errors, but most of them result in gaps. Even if there are no major grip errors, gaps in the hands allow the club to move, and prevent consistent ball contact. So, no matter how you cut it, gaps in your grip aren't good. The correct grip is beautifully knit together to form a cohesive mesh. It fits together and interlocks like a puzzle. The goal of this document is to provide a step by step guide to achieving such a grip. To the novice, the benefit may not be redily aparent, but it will make achieving a good swing much easier. The experienced golfer may be able to eliminate some gaps, and gain more consistency.    

Note to experienced golfers: Everything I'm presenting here is based on a neutral grip. I am NOT suggesting or preferring a weak or strong grip. I do suggest that you get the grip from a neutral perspective on the range, and then, if you want to make it strong to promote a draw of fight a slice... or make it weak to promote a fade or fight a hook, you add that later. The hook or slice may very well be the result of grip flaws, and/or body compensations.