Improve Accuracy and Distance off the Tee with this Simple and Easy to Follow Secret

By Richard C Myers

Looking back through my newsletters recently, I found the following question and answer which may help you to establish a better golf grip.

I have thin hands and arms, what is the best grip ? I currently have a strong grip , otherwise the club gets loose. My arms are as close together so that I complete my swing with arms, shoulders and hands, one compact unit. When I used more right hand, I got more distance but the obvious hook or fade. Now I've changed to a more controlled swing using my left arm. But distance has been sacrificed, my 6 iron goes 145 yards. Also I just cannot get my clubface parallel to my left arm on the backswing, its close but not good enough, it causes inconsistency.

The question was answered by our resident pro Joe DeLorenzo as follows.

Sometimes we focus on a theory that we think is correct for all golfers, such as your comment on getting the clubface parallel to the left arm on the backswing. I have seen cases where golfers perform better with the clubface being slightly closed, rather than parallel to the left arm. I would recommend trying instead to focus on getting the shaft parallel with the left arm. Back to your first question, what is the best grip? Here is my experience:

The interlock grip must be OK, because that's what Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus use (I don't use it for the same reason you mentioned, the club gets loose in my hands during the swing). The overlap grip must be OK because that is what the majority of good golfers use. The baseball grip, if you want to be picky, is a misnomer because when holding a baseball bat, your thumbs are wrapped around the grip, while in golf the thumbs do not wrap around the grip, but point down instead. Hence the term "ten finger grip" is more appropriate, and although it is not as widely used as the other grip types, it is gaining more popularity, and some very good golfers are using it.

It has been said that the interlock grip is most effective for people with smaller hands. I have seen cases where people with larger hands have been using the interlock and have struggled with it, and their games improved when they used a different grip. Personally I do not have big hands but I have never had much luck with the interlock. Most of my life I have used the overlap, which feels more comfortable to me, so for a long time I never considered changing it, but now I am experimenting with the ten finger grip. Why? Because like most people, I am never totally satisfied with my ball striking consistency, so I cannot resist tinkering. So here is what I have discovered, although I admit this is a bit unconventional, and may not work for you, but I like to share new ideas (purists may have a problem with this, but I don't care because it works for me). Instead of looking where the V's are pointing, I look where the "lifeline" is pointing.

When I take my stance, I view the circle of the top of my club shaft as a clock, 12 o'clock being up and 6 o'clock being the side closest to my body. Since I am right handed, I place my right hand on the shaft first and notice where my palm's "lifeline" is on the clock. Then I just snuggle the left hand in. I hit my straightest shots when this lifeline is at 4 o'clock, and if I want to fade I put it at 3 o'clock or 3:30, and if I want to draw I put the lifeline at 4:30 or 5 o'clock. Not only is my ball striking improved, but I am also able to shape the shots much more predictably than before without having to change the way I swing the club.

Most right-hand instruction says to place your left hand on the club first, but if you do that it gets in the way and you cannot see where the lifeline meets the clock on the shaft. Not only that, but then the position of the left hand becomes an unwanted variable which you would not have to worry about if you just snuggle it in when the right hand goes on first. However, if you like placing your left hand on first, I suppose you can find your own way to get the same results. But that's just my way, unconventional as it may be. I'm not saying this is best for everyone; it is just something to try if you are struggling with other grips. You have to decide for yourself as to which grip works best for you and how to adjust it. Try them all on the range, especially if you are in a prolonged slump.

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