Is the Grip Really That Important? How About Interlock?

Let's think about this.  The grip is actually the only connection you have to the golf club face.  The big difference in this game is that the golf club is further away from you.  Moe Norman used to grip all his clubs at almost the same length.  He would choke up on his longer clubs. I think it was the Tommy Armour company that tried to mimic Moe and built a set that was similar to how he held a golf club.

Another huge feature is that a golf club has the axis or shaft, on the bottom of the head.  A tennis racket has the axis balanced in the center.  This causes you to have to place extra effort to roll the golf club over through the impact area.  The same way a tennis player puts top spin on a tennis ball.

If your left hand grip, (for right handers) is not STRONG enough, you will have trouble playing this game.  What is considered in golf books as too strong a grip, television commentators on golf tournaments refer to as a "players grip."  Well, if most of the golfers on tour are using a strong grip there must be a reason.

Below I posted a video for you showing where the grip should be.  Bottom line is, if you hold the golf club in front of you and grip it with your left hand, you should feel as though you have enough of your left hand on the right side of the shaft in order to have "leverage" to rotate the golf club counter clockwise.  I like to think of the top of the shaft as 12 o'clock.  Your left thumb should be at least at 2 o'clock on the shaft.

Take a look at this video and let me know if it helps.

You Might Doing Exactly What You Wanted To Do?

I find, in so many cases, when someone comes in for a lesson they have swing faults that were deliberately developed.  Example, keeping their head rock steady over the ball!  Someone probably told them to "keep your head down" or "keep your eye on the ball".  Not only is this terrible advice, but the effort to hold your head over the ball will cause you to steepen your swing path.  It will also restrict your back swing turn and potential to create club head speed.

Here's the sad part.  You were doing what you were told!  Be careful with well meaning advice.  Also be careful with tips you get on TV, radio or golf magazines.  They might be well meaning tips but they could be poison for your swing style. 

Imagine someone telling Jim Furyk to take the golf club low and inside on the back swing!  It would potentially ruin his entire golf swing for life!

Be leery of any tips that suggest copying other golfers on tour.  Tour players have spent years on their swings!  For you to re-program your swing to match theirs is an impossibility in my estimation. 

Finding someone that has a talented eye, for picking out exactly what would be the best fit for YOUR swing, is NOT easy.  I know.  I've tried to hire pros to teach with us to meet our high demand in lesson volume.  Too many pros follow swing theory to an extreme.  Most golf schools follow their method to an extreme.

Remember you can always send us a video of your video for a FREE analysis!  For further information on that just go to FREE Video Analysis of Your Swing

Over Active Hands Can Create A Snap Hook

The end result is a snap hook. Let's work from there back. Hands are over active and violently release, or turn over, the golf club at impact. Well, what caused it? It most all cases it is the sliding of the body laterally on the down swing that causes your "need" to violently roll the hands or risk leaving the ball bailed out to the right.

I produced a video below that will explain this even further.

How do you alleviate such a result? First, you need to make sure you are behind the ball at the top of your back swing. The video will show this. Then you need to begin turning to the golf ball rather than sliding. The need to "transfer your weight" to your front foot is grossly over emphasized.

Clear your hips and extend your arms through impact. Here's a good drill you can try.
• Clyde's Feet Together Stretch Drill - Get rid of the flips and the hip slide all in one.

You Have To Be Careful NOT To Roll The Golf Club Open!

If you look how a golf club is designed, it is the design itself that makes it difficult to play this silly game. Look at a tennis racket. The axis is in the center! There is as much racket surface above the axis as below it. That makes it a lot easier to square the racket up at impact and it helps for rotating the racket to impart top spin on the ball.

Not so with a golf club. The axis or shaft is on the bottom. Not only that, many of the golf club manufactures have chose to put more weight out on the toe of the golf club which I believe is a mistake. The first time I tool a look at Johnny Miller's clubs, he had lead tape wrapped around the hosel, (neck) of his golf clubs! More weight in the neck and the golf club can turn over easier.

What I see a lot of is golfers rolling their club face pen on the take-a-way making it even more difficult for one to roll the golf club back to square at impact. Now, you begin to see golf clubs out there called, "draw bias" and such. Hello! What do they do, put more weight in the heel of the golf club. That's nothing new!

Take a look at this video I did on the take-a-way of Bubba Watson. I did it in right handed as well as left handed. See if this helps you get rid of that nasty slice or light weak fade.

How To Win At Capatin's Choice Tournaments!

It seems like everybody and their brother hold Captain's Choice Tournaments to raise money for the favorite charity. Although I am not a fan of the format I do very enjoy participating and of course Captain's Choice Tournaments are a great way to "schmooze" with potential clients.

Take a look at the new Special Report on How To Win At Captain's Choice by going here.