Director of Instruction- Rob Myers, PGA is back again this week to teach us all about grip pressure. We all know the importance of a good grip. Take it away Rob...
"Today I will be disussing an something that is often forgot about or overlooked, but is an extremely important part of having consistency. That something is your grip! It's difficult to learn how to really swing the golf club properly if you never learn how to grip it properly. Imagine trying to learn how to write if nobody ever taught you the most efficient way to hold a pen. You would eventually find a way to do it, but odds are it would be much more difficult and probably not very conventional. There are two things that you need to understand in order to learn to grip the club properly. Those two things are your hand position and your grip pressure. This morning I will be focusing primarily on grip pressure.
I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the saying in regards to grip pressure that says, "hold the club like you would hold a bird; tight enough so that the bird won't fly away, but not so tight that you would crush it." That would be fine if you were just holding the club and not swinging it, but thats not the case. As you swing the golf club it generates a great deal of force that requires a firm grip on the club if you have any intention of controlling it. I tell my students that they should be holding onto the club firmly with 5 fingers and loosely with the other 5. With your top hand (left hand for right handers) you should be holding onto the club firmly with your pinky, ring, and middle fingers while the other 2 should be relaxed. In your bottom hand (right hand for right handers) you should be gripping the club tightly with your thumb and pointer finger while the other 3 fingers are just along for the ride. The 5 fingers that you are gripping the club firmly with are primarily responsible for releasing the club in a manner that will provide you with more power and consistency. Having the pressure in the correct fingers will allow you to have the control of the club you need without feeling like you are strangling it.
This change to your grip pressure will most certainly feel awkward, but I have no doubt it will improve your solidness of contact and consistency. Be patient as you make this adjustment as often times changes to the grip are some of the most difficult changes to make. As always let me know if you have any questions!"
I'm sure that many of you are familiar with the saying in regards to grip pressure that says, "hold the club like you would hold a bird; tight enough so that the bird won't fly away, but not so tight that you would crush it." That would be fine if you were just holding the club and not swinging it, but thats not the case. As you swing the golf club it generates a great deal of force that requires a firm grip on the club if you have any intention of controlling it. I tell my students that they should be holding onto the club firmly with 5 fingers and loosely with the other 5. With your top hand (left hand for right handers) you should be holding onto the club firmly with your pinky, ring, and middle fingers while the other 2 should be relaxed. In your bottom hand (right hand for right handers) you should be gripping the club tightly with your thumb and pointer finger while the other 3 fingers are just along for the ride. The 5 fingers that you are gripping the club firmly with are primarily responsible for releasing the club in a manner that will provide you with more power and consistency. Having the pressure in the correct fingers will allow you to have the control of the club you need without feeling like you are strangling it.
This change to your grip pressure will most certainly feel awkward, but I have no doubt it will improve your solidness of contact and consistency. Be patient as you make this adjustment as often times changes to the grip are some of the most difficult changes to make. As always let me know if you have any questions!"
If you are looking to improve your golf game Rob is available for lessons at SilverHorn and offers discounted rates for members of SilverHorn (our lowest memberships start at $10 a month!). E-mail Rob at rmyers@centurygolf.com to schedule a lesson or to simply ask Rob a question.
Also visit Rob online at Rob's website: www.riimgolf.com.
If you need new grips for your golf clubs hit up Chris Hopkins at chopkins@centurygolf.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment