Archive for May, 2009

May 31 2009

Free Golf Tips For Beginners For Gripping The Club

Published by Mick Euan Tait under Golf

by Mick Euan Tait

As the golf grip is so important, here are some free golf tips for beginners on the golf grip. If you are a more experienced golfer then these golf tips might help you to reassess your grip. If you have a certain swing fault such as a hook, use the description of the different grip types and positions to learn how to fix it.

The interlocking grip, the overlapping grip, and the baseball grip (or ten finger grip) are the three basic grip types. For each grip type, there are three grip angles that you can use; control, neutral, and distance. Furthermore, you can apply three different grip strengths; a weak, neutral, or strong grip. Which grip should you use? It will depend on what size of hand and fingers you have, your strength and how you want to play the ball. The most important thing is to find a grip that is comfortable and efficient.

3 Grip Styles

The baseball grip is not used by many golfers because the overlapping or interlocking grips are far more adaptable. It is a grip that gives you good leverage but the problem is that it produces less club head speed which translates into less distance. Some beginners, children or women use this grip but I would recommend they either of the other two grips.

If you have larger hands or longer fingers try the overlapping grip which is considered by many professionals as the best grip to unify your hands. This grip is not good for people with short fingers as they tend to place their right hand too far over or under the club when trying to get comfortable.

The interlocking grip is similar to the overlapping grip except that the pinkie of the right hand interlocks with the index finger of the left hand. It is the preferred grip of golfers with small hands or short fingers. With this grip, the tendency is to grip the club in the palm of your right hand instead of at the base of your fingers.

Grip Angles

The distance grip maximizes the wrists flexibility and is good for distance and also offers sensitivity. Place the grip across the base of the fingers, from the base of the index finger to the pad at the base of the little finger on the left hand. The disadvantage is that it requires more strength and skill to keep the club head square through impact.

Probably the best grip angle for most golfers is the neutral grip. This grip runs diagonally from the base of the index finger to the middle of your palm below the heel pad. You have the most flexibility for any type of shot making ability and it is a good balance between distance and accuracy.

The last grip angle you can use is the control grip which runs from the base of your index finger to the point on top of your heel pad. This grip gives you maximum control for more accuracy but results in less distance due to less flexibility in the wrists.

Grip Strengths

The strong grip is used to reduce slicing and is also good for distance but don't use this grip if you want to fade the ball. This grip variation requires you to move your hands around so that when you look down at your left hand, the "V" between your thumb and forefinger will point towards your right shoulder. Also, the point between the two tendons in the wrist above your thumb should be in line with the right side of the club shaft.

The neutral strength grip is the ideal grip for the majority of golfers. With this grip you can draw the ball or fade the ball easily. It requires a bit more strength to square the club at impact. This time, the "V" should be pointing towards your right ear and the point of your wrist that I mentioned before will line up with the center of your shaft.

The weak grip is used to straighten out a hook but you will not be able to hit a controlled draw. You need more strength to keep the clubhead square through impact. This time, you will see the point of your wrist in line with the left side of your shaft and the "V" pointing towards your chin.

Summary

Hopefully, these free golf tips for beginners will help you grip the club correctly. No matter what grip you use, just remember that the palms of your hands will always face each other. The right hand is known as a fingers only grip and the left hand is a palm and fingers grip. Most important is to leave half an inch of the grip protruding beyond your left hand. Lastly, you should grip the club firmly and constantly throughout the entire golf swing and your hands should fit snugly together and feel unified.

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