Begin by checking that your hands are in practically direct opposition as they grasp the club-that is, with the palms facing each other squarely. The (left) hand is placed against the shaft in such a manner that the shaft makes a diagonal contact from the crook of the index finger across the palm.

It is, with this left hand, a combination palm and finger grip. When this hand is closed the club should be held in the first two fingers and the palm. Check that there is a fold of flesh between the club and the little finger. This, as a matter of fact, is a check point for getting the correct golf grip by which you can tell whether you have the palm-and-finger grip.

As you address the ball and look down at your hands, you must see no more than two knuckles, those at the base of index finger and the big finger. Two knuckles! This is your second and last check point for the position of this hand.

The next step to getting the correct golf grip is assessing the right hand. The right hand is very important, both in the way it grasps the club and in the way it fits against the left. Let’s take the club first.

It has been said that the grip with the right hand is a finger grip. This is true but where in the fingers? This is at the very base or root of the second and third fingers, where they meet the palm. This is the best place because there the club can be held most securely.

There is not only less chance but less inclination, with such a grip, to loosen the hand at the top of the swing or anywhere else. Such a grip, because it is at the very edge of the palm, makes for a tighter connecting joint between arm and club, with less give than any other. It transmits more power when the ball is struck.

Any grip higher in the fingers of the right hand, say along the inside of the middle knuckles of the second and third fingers, is untrustworthy. It is a loose grip to begin with, and the tendency is to loosen it further at the top of the swing. Finally, there is more give in it when the ball is hit.

We have identified the right-hand grip as being taken with the second and third fingers because, of course, the index finger is separated slightly from the middle finger and is hooked low around the club. The little finger, in the overlapping or interlocking grips, does not touch the club at all. In the so-called ten-finger grip, though, the little finger would grasp the club exactly as the second and third do.

In taking our putting grip we recommend placing the left hand on the club first in its proper position, then sliding the right under the shaft, fingers extended and palm up. Slide no further when the club slips into the little groove where the fingers meet the palm. Then just close the hand, moving it up the shaft slightly so that the third finger fits against the index finger of the left hand and the little finger overlaps or lies on top of the left index finger.

You will find that the palm of the right comes up and faces directly to the left, and that the center of the base of the right hand fits snugly over the big knuckle at the base of the left thumb. Both thumbs will be on the shaft, the, left lying a little to the right of the top (at about 2 o’clock in aviation parlance) and the right lying to the left of the top, at about 10 or 10:30 o’clock.

The well-known V’s, formed by the folds of flesh between the thumb and forefinger of each hand, should both point a shade to the right of the chin, to about the inside joint of the collar bone.

That’s all there is to it! Congratulations, now you know how to get the correct golf grip and with a bit of practice you’ll get it right every time.

By: Ruth Cracknell

About the Author:

The grip is your only connection with the club so it follows that a good golf grip is an essential component of a good swing and good golf game.

Placing your hands properly on the golf club helps you better control the position of the club’s face at impact. During the swing your body turns to create power. Since the body is rotating, the golf club must rotate at the same rate. In other words, the body and the club must turn together as a team.

A fundamentally sound golf grip helps you create both power and feel. The action of your wrists is a source of power so gripping the club too much in the palm of your hand reduces wrist action.

Since our fingers are the most sensitive parts of our hands, placing the club more in the fingers rather than in the palm increases the amount of wrist hinge, which results in longer tee shots and more feel.

Regardless of the type of golf grip you choose, a sound golf grip involves light grip pressure. Gripping the club too tight can cause thin, weak shots that slice. A lighter grip also enhances wrist hinge. This light pressure also increases the amount of clubface rotation, improving your chances of squaring the club at impact.

The Vardon overlap, sometimes called the overlapping grip, is the most common golf grip. Most golf instructors use this grip popularized by Harry Vardon around the turn of the 20th century. To correctly use this grip, take the little finger on your trailing hand and place it between the index and middle finger on your lead hand (for right-handed golfers, the lead hand is the left). The lead hand thumb should fit right along the lifeline of the trailing hand.

The next most common golf grip is called the interlock or interlocking. Several top players, including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods, use this grip. This grip locks the hands together. You might, however, find that the handle migrates to your palms which reduces wrist action and, therefore, power. People with small hands, weak forearms and wrists, and beginners often prefer this grip. To use the interlock grip, take the little finger on your trailing hand and intertwine it with the index finger on your lead hand. The lead hand thumb should fit in the lifeline of the trailing hand.

The ten finger grip (sometimes called the baseball grip) is the least preferred golf grip among instructors but it does have its advantages. It can be good for beginners and people who experience joint pain, have arthritis or small, weak hands. To position your hands properly using a ten finger grip, start with a perfect lead hand grip. Place the little finger of the trailing hand close against the index finger of the lead hand. Cover the lead hand thumb with the lifeline of the trailing hand.

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By: Dr. Richard Myers

About the Author:

Now that you’ve mastered The Grip, Set Up, Waggle, Backswing and Tempo the next move should be a piece of cake. In fact, you can let gravity and tempo do most of the work for this part of the swing. Your club is back, left shoulder under your chin, head upright, weight shift to right side, wrists are hinged back with club pointing down the target line and your back is facing the target – you’re ready to pull the trigger. Before you start the Downswing, let’s touch on one last item, “Relax”.

My trigger method for starting the downswing is twofold. I start to throw my left hip toward the target while pulling down on the club in a very relaxed manner allowing gravity and the acceleration of your tempo to do the work. The club and back end of the grip will be pointing at the golf ball. As you swing down the hips will shift laterally left and open to 45 o or more through impact.

The key is to keep your head behind the ball so the coil of your shoulder and upper body combined with the hinging of your wrists can be timed for releasing the club at the proper time thru the impact area. This will allow maximum power and accuracy. This is the part of the Downswing that overlaps the last step of the golf swing, “The Follow Thru”.

As your club is released and approaches the impact area, the wrists should be unhinging and the weight should continue to shift from the right to the left side to prepare for the Swing Finish or “Follow Thru” as I like to call it. The left side should remain firm just before and through the impact of the club head with the golf ball while the head remains behind the ball.

As I am looking down at the ball when the club head is approaching impact I look at the inside corner of the ball and try to keep a slight inside to out swing path by concentrating on hitting that inside part of the ball and aiming at one o’clock. I find that this will allow the club to drop into the power slot more readily and ultimately result in more distance and accuracy. Note: The information noted above is based on the assumption that the golfer is right handed. Please reverse for left handed golfers ( Right hip will be moving toward target ).

Tip: Keeping your left arm straight and a relaxed swing are key ingredients to more consistency in the golf swing.

By: Mike D'auria

About the Author:

In this writing I will discuss The Grip, which is Step 1 of my seven step checklist for the golf swing. After years of reading, practicing and experimenting with different methods and techniques to prepare for the golf swing I have broken it down simply to seven steps that work for me. Since I am not a professional golf instructor and I don’t claim to be, I will only present proven ideas and methodology that work for me. Every golfer is different and what works for one does not always work for someone else. On the other hand there are basic principles and techniques that can be gainfully utilized by 95% of golfers and I strongly feel that the steps I am presenting here will work for a majority of those reading this article. I have taken over thirty years of experience and assimilation of the correct golf swing to present this information to you. The seven steps in my swing checklist are 1- The Grip, 2 – The Set Up, 3 – The Waggle, 4 – The Backswing, 5 – Tempo, 6 – The Downswing, & 7 – The Follow Thru. I placed Tempo in the middle beacuse it is an integral part of the entire swing from start to finish and will be elaborated on in a future writing.

As stated previously, when I first learned to play golf, it required a lot of experimenting and reading golf books and magazines in order to really get a feel for the correct golf swing for me. The grip is a very important and integral part of the golf swing. There are a number of different types of grip methods. There is the Vardon Grip ( named after the great Harry Vardon one of the premier golfers of the early 20th century ) The Baseball Grip, also appropriately named because the grip is similar to one you may use to hold a baseball bat, and my personal favorite, The Interlocking Grip, which incorporates the interlocking of the two hands together to form the grip. Note: Many of the instructional books, DVD’s and Videos will illustrate these grips if you would like to see them in a visual presentation. If you are sports oriented and have never read or viewed any instructional information about the grip then you may have a tendency to use and feel more comfortable with the baseball grip as I did initially.

Although it felt more comfortable I wasn’t satisfied with the results. One day I was playing in a group with a considerably better player, probably a two to four handicap. I took note to some of his swing techniques and one of the things I noted was his golf grip. As we were waiting on one hole I asked him about it. He showed me how to do it and I have not changed my grip since. The steps I now use in setting my golf club grip are as follows: 1- I set or cradle the club in the creased part of the fingers of my left hand allowing the top of the club to protrude approximately 1″ to 1 1/2″ past the bottom part of the same hand which will actually be facing upward and toward your waist and belt area when you set the club to prepare to swing. Note: While gripping with the left hand make sure the clubface stays closed or close to perpindicular to your target line. Also for a fairly strong grip, which I would highly recommend, make sure the first two or even three knuckles of your left hand are positioned facing up so you can see them when looking down on your hand and club.

Then allow the thumb of the left hand to lay across the top of the grip on a slight angle to the right while keeping the thumb straight and on top of the club. Note: There are various ways to grip the club ( stronger and weaker grips ) to allow your swing to work the ball right or left but it is a more advanced technique should not be attempted until your game has progressed to a certain level. Next, set the club in the creased part of the fingers of the right hand and interlock the pinky of your right hand with the index finger of your left, thus the derivative of the name interlocking grip. The meaty part of the palm of your right hand, connected to the thumb, should be facing upward so you can also see it similar to the knuckles of the left. Note: You can experiment at the range with the adjustment of the strength of the grip that works best for you, (turn hands to right for a stronger grip and left for weaker ) Also, please note that the grip methodology noted above is for the right handed player and should be reversed for the left handed golfer. Another important thing to remember, which will also be addressed in Step 2 – The Set Up is – Do Not let your right shoulder come forward when taking the grip with the right hand. It should remain back and aligned with your left shoulder. It should also be slightly lower than your left since your right hand is set lower on the club when taking the grip.

A tip I would suggest to help with your alignment to the target is to pick an intermediate target, that is in close proximity in front of you, ( it could ba a leaf , dandelion ,or discoloration in the grass, etc. ) that is also in line with the golf ball and target line to the intended landing area in the fairway or on the green and use that spot to line up your shot. The Vardon Grip is similar to the interlocking grip except for the fact that the right pinky finger is cradled between the outside part of the left hand index and middle finger and does not interlock at all. The baseball grip is basically the same as if you were holding a bat in your hand and preparing to hit a baseball. It is probably the most comfortable, especially to the new golfer, but in my opinion the least effective of the grip selections available. The interlocking or Vardon grips may feel more uncomfortable at first but once you get used to them you will be much happier with the improvement they may promote in your game. This is the first part of my “Swing” checklist and an important one at that. When you are at the range or swinging in your yard take the time to work on your grip so it becomes second nature to you.

In closing, I would like to add one very important and so often overlooked part of the ENTIRE golf swing – “RELAX” – do not let tension creep into any part of your golf swing. The club should be cradled gently in your hands with about as much pressure as if you were holding a babies hand or a small bird in your hand ( an analogy I think used by Sam Snead, one of the all time golfing greats ) and use the old expression to “Let the club do the work”. You will be amazed at how swing speed and technique, together with a relaxed body and mind, produce so much greater results. Happy Golfing to All !

By: Mike D'auria

About the Author:

Many golfers do not realize this, but the grip is the most important aspect of the golf swing. Your grip is the only connection you have with your golf club. Many good golfers do not have the greatest swings, but they ALL have good grips. The grip is absolutely essential to perfecting your golf game. Here are a few tips to help you learn how to grip a golf club the right way.

To start, there are three basic grip types you should be aware of: interlocking, overlapping, and ten finger (or baseball grip). Which of the three is the right grip for you? That will depend on which one feel most comfortable and natural to you. The grip that feels the most comfortable, will more than likely produce the best results for you.

The interlocking grip consists of interlocking your left index finger and your right pinky finger underneath the golf club. The overlapping grip is similar to the interlocking grip, but instead the right pinky finger is placed over the left index finger. With the baseball grip, those two fingers do not overlap or interlock, they just simply meet together. In order to grip a golf club properly, you first need to determine which type of grip you will use.

You want to make sure your hands are relaxed when holding the golf club. If you grip your golf club too tightly, your swing is going to suffer. The more relaxed your grip is, the farther and straighter you will hit the ball. That being said, you do not want an extremely loose grip either. The ideal golf grip is a comfortable medium between tense and loose.

If your golf game is suffering, the culprit could very likely be your grip. An improper grip will make your golf game seem like a real chore, rather than the fun activity it is. Remember that practice is the key when learning how to grip a golf club to be more successful in your golf game.

By: Jeff Plante

About the Author:

If you’re frustrated at not being able to drive the ball down the field at golf or wish to improve your strokes these golf swing tips should help you.

Golf is a popular and social sport which is played everywhere in the world. It is very popular in the United States and the United Kingdom. Many people aim to improve on their golf swing to lower their handicap so we’ve put together some golf swing tips to help you achieve that goal.

There are many golf swing tips on the internet but most of them neglect the two most important factors of perfect golfing. These two factors are posture and grip.

Your posture and grip can affect how high you hit the ball and also how high. A bad posture can lower performance and also be bad for your health because you will be more susceptible to injuries.

There are two grips that professional golfers use. These are the overlapped grip where the hands are overlapping each other and the interlocking where the fingers on your lower hand interlocks with your upper hand. You should use practice with both and then use the one that you are most comfortable with.

Before hitting the golf ball, you should take a few practice swings to get a feel of the swing and also correct your posture. Your back should be at an angle but straight and your chin should be behind the ball. Do not slouch as this will affect your range.

By: Darren Davis

About the Author:

The golf swing has physics written all over it and is a great example of angular motion. It can be simple but is often complicated by too much thinking. The questions are endless. What’s the correct wrist movement in the golf swing? The ever famous golf swing pushes and pulls, cure me please! Well, we need to completely remove distracting thoughts from the golf swing. The ability to perform this activity rests upon the golfer executing the biomechanics of the golf swing over and over again without error (easier said than done). Maybe if we understand the swing more, we can start to do this.

Golf Grip

“Golf begins with a great grip,” says David Leadbetter. The Interlocking Grip is where the right little finger and the left index finger are locked together. Experiment with your grip by hitting balls with the different grips to see what works best. Golf and baseball have similar grips, but remember, they are different in both sports. Baseball players grip the bat more in their palms. Golfers should grip the club more in the base of the fingers.

Address

When addressing the ball, both arms are straight but relaxed, and the left shoulder is higher than the right due to the position of the hands. The “slicer” tends to keep too much weight on the front leg at address for all shots, which restricts the shoulder turn and encourages a steep out-to-in swing. Proper posture at the address position sets up the ability for you to execute the golf swing correctly. Flexibility as it pertains to posture allows you to place your body in the correct address position.

Backswing

The backswing now starts with the initial rotation – shoulders, hips, hands and arms – an almost simultaneous movement. If the take-away is one-piece, there is very little stress on the elbow. From the top of the backswing to the ball is less that one forth of a second. Getting the club inside during the backswing is usually disastrous and a fast backswing will create bad motion and a hands dominated swing that will be hard to repeat. Try hitting balls making a backswing from about hip high with your 7 irons just focusing on shifting back and shifting and firing through-you will get so much power and accuracy you might wonder why you take the club all the way to the top.

Downswing

The object of the downswing is to return the club head to the ball with maximum controllable speed. The downswing begins by pushing your weight from right to left and rotating the body and hips. The motion should be unbroken from the start of the downswing to the finish of the follow through.

Impact the Golf Ball

On impact the hips are turned with the shoulders parallel to the ball. Often less accomplished players break down at impact, cupping their lead wrist, losing power early and decreasing their accuracy. Something else that I strongly emphasize and explain in detail is how to use extension and timing to work with the centrifugal force and momentum to create a whip like action through impact. Oh, and by the way, this is not the time to take your eyes off the ball.

Follow Though

The motion should be unbroken from the start of the downswing to the finish of the follow through. For example, Tiger Woods allows the club head momentum to extend his follow-through far around his back, completing a long and smooth club head rotation.

Sometimes when we understand or are reminded of the simple parts of something, it can help us figure out what we need to do to improve. Pick something, work on it, own it, and then move on. Focus and you will see results.

By: Bill Sheers

About the Author:

Grip, Stance & Posture – most pros call them the three pillars of a great golf swing. No matter how expert and experienced you are, if you have trouble with your golf swing, chances are you are doing something wrong with your grip, stance or posture – or maybe all three.

Every beginner golf player needs instruction about achieving a perfect golf swing. No matter how much of a genius you are, it is not likely you’ll get a good golf swing going without a lot of practice and trial.

So how can you learn to work out the kinks in your golf swing by fixing your grip, stance and posture?

Read a book:

While it may not always be easy to understand the niceties of a golf swing entirely from reading a book, it is often the easiest way to begin. Once you have learned the basics, you can get more personalized assistance with refining your technique.

If you are reading a book about improving your golf swing, make sure it has pictures that illustrate what is being advised. Golf swing exercises are one area where a picture is indeed worth a thousand words!

Visit a golf course:

Contact the pro at your nearest golf course and country club and ask if they offer instruction on improving your golf swing. Often they will, and at around $40 an hour, you can get priceless coaching to make your swing better.

Ask people:

If not, you can run an ad in your newspaper – or see if anyone is offering golf training. Or ask friends who play golf and are ‘experts’ if they will share their tips with you. If you play up to their vanity, you might be surprised!

Surf the Web:

On the Internet you will find countless websites offering free golf training. Some of them offer videos which you can review to see what you’re doing wrong – and then fix it. To refresh your memory, the three pillars of your golf swing you need to work on are grip, stance and posture.

No matter which kind of training you seek, one of the key elements is to keep your mind focused at all times on your golf swing.

By: Dr. Mani Sivasubramanian


About the Author:

Everyone loves free golf tips, and I’ve got some great advice on how to play better golf overnight by simply changing your grip. One of the most common (and easy to fix) mistakes that golfers make is with their golf grip, and this short article is going to give you some great tips on how to change that once and for all.

Everybody knows that good golfers possess great golf swings. A solid golf swing can take years to master, and it’s one of the most important factors that can contribute to your overall success or failure on the golf course.

Did you know that you can greatly improve the effectiveness of your golf swing by simply adjusting your grip? It’s true. Your hands need to be one with the golf club as you’re swinging through the ball, and perfecting your golf grip will improve both the smoothness and accuracy of your swing.

Having said that, there is more than one way to properly grip a golf club. One of the things that is consistent regardless of the grip you use, is not to grip the club too tightly. A grip that is too tight will rob your swing of the power potential it has. A lighter, more relaxed grip will give you added flexibility which will result in a better shot.

Also, remember to use your wrists as you swing the club. The wrist hinge is a great source of power and will help you to hit longer, more consistent drives.

Hopefully these free golf grip tips have given you some ideas on how to improve your swing and have more fun on the golf course as a result.

By: Dave M. Johnson

About the Author:

Well the correct golf grip is were it truly kickoff. Now I am about to mix up the situation a bit more by announcing that there in truth is no such thing as the correct golf grip for the reason of one rather uncomplicated issue to understand and it is the fact that golfers come in all builds, weights, shapes, sizes and as you may have guessed ages.

I told you it was simple…

The reality of this fact of life helps alters one persons stances from the next persons stance and in return influences a correct golf grip for each person.

But on that point are some things to take into consideration that will aid you in uncovering the correct golf grip that accommodates your game in a positive way and it is as follows.

First of all, what will actually constitute a good grip for you?

The Correct Golf Grip calls for a combined teamwork between the control and the power, no matter which type of golf grip you yourself personally utilities, if your hands don’t work in tandem your controlled state over the club face, as well as overall velocity for the head of the club will be impacted in such a negative fashion that will not benefit your golf game.

After all improving your game is what it is all about and that is the focus of this correct golf grip article.

So the important thing to remember at this point is that your hands should work and flow collectively during your the entire swing process.

Now that we have that out of the way, lets take a look at a solid process that will help place your hands on to the golf club producing the correct golf grip.

To extinguish the confusion from left handed golf players to right handed golfers, lets call the object hand and the non-object hand – left and right hand for right handed golfer and right and left hand for naturally for the left handed golf player.

It genuinely doesn’t matter which one you may be, this know-how process lends its self for both.

Let’s plunge right into the correct golf grip tip shall we…

Begin by permitting what we can refer to as the object hand to fall in a relaxing manner by the side of the golf club grip before sliding over to seize the club itself.

Continuing The correct golf grip you need a little over a half of inch of the grip showing on the top side from across your hand.

Now your thumb ought a dip, ever so slightly to the non-object side by midpoint. Your third finger and the rest of the small digits (significant pressure point regions) should have the tightest grip. As for the club, it needs to sit over your fingers, underneath the thumb muscle on your object hand.

The next step in the correct golf grip is your forefinger and your thumb needs to focus and aim in the area between your chin and the non-object shoulder. The object hand should support the club keeping up the accurate location of the clubs head all the way through contact with the golf ball.

When you have the club in the proper position your object hand needs to permit or give permission of your non-object arm to fall in a relaxed manner by your side.

Ok now the correct golf grip involves you bringing your hand upward and grip the club so that the shaft is managed by all your fingers, except the index.

The thumb muscle area of your non-object hand must be directed over the thumb of the object hand forging a pyramid shape between your forefinger and your thumb.

So what happens during the process of the correct golf grip when the non-object hand releases the head of the club seconds before making contact, generating the velocity and power?

Optimal drive length that’s what….

They say practice makes perfect so get going and practice the correct golf grip at least ten days or so. Identify the type of comfort grip that fits you creating your personal correct golf grip, making you a better golfer.

By: Wayne Hagerty

About the Author: