Golf Swing Boost - It's All In Your Hands

Here at Swing Path Xccelerator, we put a ton of emphasis on the hands. The hands are the only part of the body that connect with the club, so it is essential that your hands are positioned right. Your hands create the grip that becomes your foundation to a great game of golf. So remember to position your club correctly and start with the club grip ahead of the ball. Choose the grip type that's right for you. Remember, golf should be simple and fun, and with these pointers you can look forward to many days of beautiful swings on the course.

Here are some quick tips for improving your golf hands!

Hold the Club Correctly

Without doubt, the golf grip is perhaps the single greatest challenge faced by the casual golfer. Your grip is your only point of contact with the club and unless you get it right, you will be sorely challenged to improve your game.

Proper Hand Positioning

Understanding and establishing a proper grip is your first step. The grip sets the tone for all else to come. A good grip allows you to swing your club with control during full swings with maximum speed. It allows for you to bring the club face squarely through the impact zone, and determines how much you club face rotation you get.

Proper hand positioning will also allow you to grip more with your fingers than with the palm of your hand. Your result will be less tension, especially at the upper end of your swing arc. If you avoid the common mistake of griping the club too much in the palm of your hand, you will have much more power in your stroke. Power strokes come from relaxed muscles and by gripping more with the fingers you will enjoy more dexterity in controlling the club and more refinement in your feel.

Relax Your Hands

Sometimes, when we are anxious about a shot, we can squeeze just that little bit too hard. Tension is insidious and before you know, it can creep up your arms and into your shoulders. Unhappily, this can result in the overuse of certain muscles and the overall action of your swing is not as relaxed or effective.

On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the hardest you can comfortably grip, aim for a normal grip pressure of about 5 or 6. A more relaxed grip will give you a faster club head speed on impact and you can look forward to enjoying those awesome long drives.

Choose Your Grip Type

Simply put, the grip is just how you hold the club in your hands. There are three common grips that golfers choose from, selecting the one that feels most comfortable to you is important, and then sticking with it so you don't have changing variables as you learn. These are the 3 most common grip types: Overlapping, Interlocking, and Ten Finger (a.k.a. the baseball grip).

OVERLAPPING GRIP

In the overlapping grip, you place the little finger of your trailing hand between the index and second finger of your lead hand. Rest the lead hand thumb in the lifeline of the trailing hand. The pinky finger on your right hand overlaps with the index finger on your left hand. The opposite is true for left handed golfers.

INTERLOCKING GRIP

With the interlocking grip, hook the little finger of your the trailing hand under and around the index finger on the lead hand. Tuck the lead hand thumb in the lifeline of the trailing hand. It’s essentially the same layout as the single finger overlap grip, except that the pinky on your right hand (left hand for lefties) interlocks with the index finger on the opposite hand.

TEN-FINGER GRIP (BASEBALL GRIP)

The ten finger grip is as it sounds, with 10 fingers in perfect contact with the handle. Grip the club with the lead hand and position your trailing hand so that your little finger is right smack against the index finger of the lead hand. Tuck the lead hand thumb under the lifeline of the trailing hand.

Basically you're gripping the club shaft like you would a baseball bat. You won’t have any overlapping or interlocking of fingers - all ten fingers should be touching the grip on the club shaft.

With the baseball grip, the set of fingers are not overlapped or interlock, but basically meet together like with a baseball grip. Very few PGA pros use this golf grip, but if you find works well for you, you might want to give it a shot (pun intended)!

Listen to Your Body

Everyone's different, so you should experiment to find the most effective grip-type for you. You should always seek optimal comfort and listen to the natural intelligence of your own body when discovering what's best for you. No matter which grip type you prefer, watch that the V.s of both hands (formed by the index finger and the thumb) point between the chin and the right shoulder. If you look down at your grip, the knuckles of the index and middle finger of your lead hand should be clearly visible. Finally, check that your grip is properly aligned with the club face and rotate the shaft to make any necessary corrections.