NOT FOUND: 09_07 July NSN_Page_13_Image_0002.jpgHello Sacramento Golfers, my name is David Carr. I am the Head Teaching Professional at Teal Bend Golf Club located on the Garden Highway here in North Sacramento. Each month I will be writing an article about the golf swing and ways to fix your game.
When you started swinging a golf club for the first time I would venture to guess that the grip was not foremost in your mind. You may have been thinking about the speed of your swing or maybe just making contact with the ball. What you did not realize is that without a proper grip it is nearly impossible to become a good player. As Hall of Famer Ben Hogan said, “Good golf begins with a good grip.” This is why I start nearly every lesson by checking my student's grip and why you should take the time to understand a few important factors about your grip.
First, there are several different variations of grips that you can use depending on your hand size and hand strength. These include the Overlap Grip (most common), Interlock (used by Tiger Woods) and the Ten-Finger Grip (used by beginners, women and seniors). Choosing a grip can be a personal choice, but I recommend booking a lesson with your local PGA Golf Professional to figure out the best grip for your individual golf swing. The common theme throughout these choices is to make sure that your hands work together in unison.
Once you choose a grip and understand the basics of hand position, you need to work on grip pressure. It is imperative that you hold the club in your fingers rather than your palms with pressure that is light enough to encourage club-head speed and firm enough to keep the club from moving or turning on contact with the golf ball. A great way to learn this is to hold the club with the same amount of pressure that would be needed to hold a bird in your hand so that it doesn’t fly away and you don’t crush it. This will allow you to hold the club without tension, promoting a faster, more powerful swing.
These simple steps to improving your grip will allow you to swing with less tension, which leads to a smoother, more fluid motion, better balance, more power and better golf shots. Who could ask for more than that?
About David Carr:
David Carr is a Teaching Professional at Teal Bend Golf Club. He teaches players of all abilities and believes in keeping things simple for his students. He is also an accomplished player who competed in the 2004 US Open at Shinnecock Hills. David is available for lessons at Teal Bend. You can reach him at 916-922-5209 to book your lesson. Visit www.tealbendgolf.com for more information.