Our imagination and visual representation of the golf swing is our biggest asset to improvement. I believe that the 1st step to create massive change in a golfer’s technique is to give the concept of change in a clear visual way; with a clear concept the brain can slowly move towards its goal.
There is no compromise when forming your grip; it either works in harmony with the club or it does not. You must constantly refine your grip until it is at one with the club, body and mind. In short, exquisitely placed hands onto the golf club should be viewed as nothing less than a living work of art.
Unfortunately, the grip is a feature of the golf swing that can deteriorate over a period of time without offering any visible, telltale signs of doing so. The grip is usually one of the last things a golfer considers when things start to go awry on the course, yet almost every move performed during the swing is affected by it in some way or other.
A neutral grip also has the benefit of instructing your eyes to automatically focus on what is a realistically achievable target instead of scanning and searching for a safe place to “miss” the shot.
One of the most destructive swing flaws is simply gripping the club too tightly — very often as an instinctive reaction to nerves in response to a succession of poorly hit hosts. When this occurs, the handle of the club often moves away from the base of the fingers and up into the palm of the hands. Apart from robbing the wrists’ freedom of motion, the golfer unwittingly creates a framework that has no potential or scope for significant improvement in the swing.
As a general rule, the closer the handle of the club moves away from the base of the fingers and into the palm of the hand towards the capitate joint, the more restricted your wrist action will become.
The only time it is desirable to place the grip of the club high in the palm near the capitate joint is when you are looking to restrict your hand and wrist action, as you might on or around the putting green.
Placing your hands on the golf club is the last action that requires conscious thought before you start your swing. The completion of your grip is the trigger that starts your pre-shot routine, which will be an instinctive and spontaneous series of movements that require you to think of nothing else other than then shot you want to hit.
For this reason, it is important that you form your grip away from the ball so that you can concentrate on getting your grip technique right before you allow yourself to slip into your subconscious mode of thought.
Key grip flaw — the long left thumb.
This is one of the most common and most destructive grip flaws. Extending the left thumb down the handle of the grip causes several problems and has many damaging effects in the swing. The left hand, wrist and forearm act as shock absorbers through impact as the club head strikes the turf. When the left thumb is placed in the correct posit, the tendons in your hands have the ability to flex, bounce and withstand this force. However, when the left thumb is in an elongated position, the tendons in the left hand become stretched, taut and susceptible to injury, especially if the golfer is holding the club too tightly — an automatic knock-on effect of the long left thumb.
The long left thumb also damages the pincer or trigger formation that should be created with your left index finger and thumb, thereby forfeiting control and power during the swing. Thirdly, it forces the grip away from the fingers and into the palm of the left hand.
To unite the hands on the grip, dock the left thumb into the crevice formed between the lifeline and thumb pad of your right hand and apply an authoritative downward pressure with the right hand. This is the most important link of the hands. If positioned correctly, the right hand will touch more of the left hand than the club itself. In fact, the only parts of the right hand that should touch the golf club are the fingers.
It is physically impossible to create a pincer between the index finger and the thumb of the left hand if the left thumb is positioned too far down the club. When left thumb assumes this long and lazy position, the index finger retracts under the shaft to form a fist rendering it totally useless. As a result, none of the fingers on the left hand can apply any pressure to the grip.
Poor positioning of the right hand can also lead to the pincer position being forsaken. If the right hand approaches the grip from the side, instead of from above, it is highly likely that the club will be held in a “claw” fashion commonly associated with hooking the ball.
Take a club in your hand and pinch it, just as you would if you want to squirt the paint out of these tubes. It is this pressure and positioning that you want to recreate when gripping the club.
The Interlocking grip is a strength-inducing grip. If a golfer has neither the strength nor the suppleness to form the overlap or the intermesh, the Interlock can provide the answer. While this grip can limit the variety of shots the golfer has at his or her disposal, the benefits are found in the discipline it imposes. This grip suits medium to small hands.
The Overlapping or “Vardon” grip provides the golfer with a linkage between the hands that is relatively easy to perform and use. I think of this as an artist’s grip, since it lends itself to greater mobility, heightened feel, superb clubhead control, creativity and flair. This grip is suitable for players with medium to strong hands of an average size.
Not only is grip pressure a variable that is difficult to detect by an observer, it can very often avoid detection by the player in question as he or she becomes accustomed to holding the club either too tightly or too gently over a period of time.
Squeezing the handle too tightly — a difficult flaw to identify because the grip very often will appear perfectly orthodox from the outside, causes you to lose your appreciation of the weight in the clubhead and, in turn, your feel of the shot. An excessively tight grip will also prevent your wrists from hinging correctly, thereby destroying your ability to create power and leverage during the swing.
If you take just one lesson away from the whole of this book, it should be that your golf swing is a reflection of your grip.
In order to become proficient at achieving the correct stance and posture at address, I highly recommend, if not insist, that you use a mirror to check your positioning. Throughout the entire golf learning process, you will find yourself continually misled and betrayed by your swing thoughts and feelings.
The clubface is dependent on the hands. The hands are dependent on the arms. The arms are dependent on the torso. The torso is dependent on the legs. The legs are dependent on the ground. The ground is your constant.
Splaying both feet a little enables the knees to move and rotate into a position where they are positioned directly above each foot. This is the strongest and most powerful leg structure possible.
When the mid-section in the body — located just above the hips — began to rotate during the backswing, it creates a “ripple” effect that transfers throughout the lower body. The knees will instinctively follow suit and partially rotate, but if the feet remain square (pointing straight forward), there is nowhere for them to go. The end result can be disastrous because the knees are then forced to detour and bust out of the natural boundaries of the stance. As the support of the feet, knees and legs buckles, the torso will tilt or slide laterally instead of turning, altering many vital aspects of the swing dynamics.
As you position your knees at address, allow them to subtly follow the lead of the feet until you achieve a slight “squatting” appearance. Once this has been achieved, you should be aware of a slight resistance on the inside of each leg.
Ball position may seem like an innocuous and relatively unimportant aspect of the setup, but it influences many key elements of the golf swing, most notably the swing plane and path, the level of clubface activity at impact, not to mention the trajectory of the shot and the quality of the strike.
Since everybody is built differently, there is no one perfect ball position for every single golfer. Trial and error is part of the process of locating your ideal hitting area.
Your divot pattern should be relatively long and shallow. If your divots are either too deep or too short, you may need to review your ball position.
If your weight is placed too far towards your toes at address, your weight will inevitably be thrown forwards and outwards by the rotational force generated in the downswing. If, however, your weight is set back towards your heels, the momentum of the downswing movement will throw you backwards and laterally to the side during the downswing.
In fact, the condition is a common cause of one of the most destructive backswing faults — the reverse pivot, where the weight remains fixed on the front foot during the backswing.
Think elbows to hips at address.
A link — or fusion — between the body and arms is an essential aspect of the golf swing. You create this linkage by turning your arms outwards slightly so that your elbow joints point at their corresponding hip joints. If you do this correctly, your arms will literally hang off from the upper part of your chest and gently sandwich your golf shirt between your upper arms and your body. This serves 2 functions:
- Allows right arm to fold correctly.
- Allows correct left forearm rotation.
An analogy for good leg action can be found in the relationship between a bow and an arrow.
Countless amateur golfers fail to find that happy medium between too little movement and too much. If there is too little movement, the upper body coil and wind never gets started. The player will then invariably get stuck over the ball in a reverse pivot scenario, where the weight remains on the front foot during the backswing. On the other hand, a golfer who is guilty of over-turning introduces so much movement into their swing that any hope of good timing and solid ball-striking fly out of the window.
If the average golfer were to adopt the address position of a good Tour professional, probably the biggest difference they would notice would be the degree of knee flex. It would feel “squatty” and “alive” for the one simple reason that the closer you move your body to the ground while maintaining a good posture, the more potential power you have at your disposal.
A golfer standing over the ball is clearly not able to make the same amount of movement as the tennis player, but the sensation of readiness should be almost identical. Many top golfers look as though they are gently crushing grapes under their feet as they get comfortable at address and prepare their body for the athletic movement to follow. The body searches for balance, energy and assistance from the ground as it secures its final footing before starting the swing motion.
As the boxer moves forward to strike his opponent, he will plant his weight firmly on his left leg, creating a pillar against which he can slam the right side of his body as he unleashes his punch. When viewed in slow motion, this movement from the right side of the body to the left is a fluent, wave-like motion. First the weight transfers, moving the entire left side of the body over the supporting left leg, then the right side uses this support to deliver a blow using the whole of the torso.
The right leg — creating a boundary of resistance in the backswing.
When examining the role of the right leg during the backswing, a good analogy is that of a battery waiting to be charged. At address you should feel lively and ready to go, while during the backswing, you should feel that the right leg increases its pressure into the ground. The more pressure you can “load” onto your right leg at this time, the more power your will have to offer the ball when you hit it.
As you make your backswing, try to maintain the same amount of flex in your right knee that you introduced at address.
Many golfers focus primarily on their right leg during the backswing and pretty much dismiss the notion that the left leg plays a role of any importance in the backswing. However, it is the stretching away from the left side into the right side that allows the body to wind and coil on the backswing. If the left knee collapses and buckles in toward the right leg on the backswing, you are robbing your swing of vital resistance and power.
In an ideal world, the shoulders wind to about 90 degrees as the hips turn about 45 degrees on completion of the backswing. However, it is important to realize that, over the years, many top players have produced great golf with significantly more or less turn than this.
If all of the moving parts of your swing traveled exactly the same distance and at the same speed, golf would be much easier to master. It would simply be a case of everything starting and finishing together. Unfortunately, the reality is completely different. The distance traveled by the clubhead during the average golf swing is in excess of 10ft, while the torso’s journey can be measured in inches.
The tempo of your swing is usually governed and dictated by your temperament and personality. If you have a fast, upbeat personality, you will struggle to slow your swing down with any great permanency.
Could you imagine trying to crack a whip while keeping your arms dead straight?
Your subconscious mind continually monitors the position of the clubface during the swing. While you are probably blissfully unaware of this behind the scenes activity, this vital information is transmitted to your brain through your grip; firstly by its positioning and secondly by the amount of pressure applied. When you grip the club too tightly, you effectively shut off all communication between the clubhead and the brain. This restricts your ability to sense and feel the weight of the clubhead during the swing and, in turn, reduces your swing speed, power and accuracy of strike at impact.
Start by ensuring that your grip features the “short left thumb” and that your grip pressure is uniform throughout. Waggle the clubhead with authority. As you do this, resist any movement with the body and keep the hands in front of your navel. Remember, you must encourage the clubhead to move faster than, and independently from, your body.
The clubshaft should run parallel to its original address plane throughout the swing, only returning to it at impact. As your arms swing upwards it is inevitable that the club will be lifted on a plane that is higher than the original angle assumed at address. The butt of the club will work along the target line for the full duration of the backswing with the exception of the first few feet of the takeaway. This is the reason why, when top golfers are playing at their best, the club appears to be in an ever so slightly “laid off” position as they reach the top of the backswing. This is the result of having the butt of the cub relating to the target line for the longest period possible.
I cannot emphasize strongly enough the importance of continually relating the club to the target line. In order for the swing to function at its best, the club must move on the most direct route back and through while continually relating to the target line. This is why the initial plane is so crucial. Countless instructional articles have been written over the years about the importance of the first 12 inches or so of the backswing because of the chain reaction it creates. Your goal during these early stages is to keep everything as passive as possible.
This move is best rehearsed in front of a mirror because the feelings can be very deceptive during the initial learning stage.
If you ever have the opportunity to watch top golfers in action, you will notice that the divot taken is a slender piece of turn, not the huge clump of earth that many amateur golfers remove from the ground. This is ultimately more achievable if your body planes remain consistent throughout the swing.
From midway into the downing to impact the swing is a blur, pretty much uncontrollable and totally at the mercy of the quality of the preceding address position and backswing.
It is important to remember that the only straight line in golf is that from the target to the ball and beyond. The clubhead meets that line at address and at impact for a fraction of a second and then moves back inside it in a circular fashion. Never force the clubhead to swing along the ball-to-target line in order to gain more accuracy and control.
In the early stages of the backswing and the follow-through, the arms knit close against the body. However, this does not mean that they are jammed into the side of the upper body. Instead, they are pliable and fold like hinges during these key stages of the swing. These images show why it is possible, indeed recommended, to play chip and pitch shots with the arms totally linked to the body pivot. The smaller swing can sustain a total “blend” of arm swing and body turn.
Because the torso is a large, physical mass, making changes to its motion can be relatively quick and painless. The arms and the golf club, however, present a different predicament. Positioning the club correctly during the swing requires good synchronization with the body motion as well as the ability to develop great awareness of where the club is at any given point without directly looking at it.
The left side of the body acts as a pillar that has to be planted before the right side of the body can slam into it.
Typical slicers allow the right side of their body to become involved far too early in the downswing, leading to that all too familiar out-to-in swing path through the ball. Similarly, golfers who drive their hips excessively at the start of the downswing and inevitably push or hook the ball will benefit from planting the left leg rather than allowing it to slide forwards. Once this has been achieved the player can then rotate into the left leg rather than slide into it.
The control of this power comes from fully committing the right side of the body into the shot. When you want the clubhead to move through impact with speed, your right knee and foot must accompany it. Always remember that since the clubhead will be moving far faster than the body at this stage of the swing, you must fire your body through equally as hard.
I also must stress at this juncture that the hands should never be “rolled” through impact in an effort to square the clubface to the target. This all too common belief originates from hordes of slicers trying in vain to become drawers of the ball. The fact is that a great grip (square clubface) coupled with sound body motion (consistency in motion) and good synchronization (good positioning of the club and timing) will almost completely eliminate any chance of slicing the ball.
Erratic golfers roll their hands and forearms over each other through the impact area. Releasing the club in this fashion leads to inconsistent ball-striking and a lack of control over the direction of the shot. I am not saying that there should be no hand and forearm rotation during the swing — there most certainly is — but it takes place during the last moments of the backswing and the last moments of the follow-through when the extra rotation is required to keep the club on plane. The best swings however, incorporate very little in the way of hand and forearm rotation through the ball.
Always try to hold your finish momentarily after the ball has been struck whatever the outcome of the shot. Apart from ensuring that discipline and balance have been present throughout the whole motion it also gives the body a chance to receive some vital feedback from the swing itself. Stillness is the key to receiving feedback from the body. This is vital to the learning process, though more subconsciously than consciously. With stillness, the body will reliably send information about the swing back to your brain.
You should never try to manipulate or force tempo. Tempo is built into your system, psyche and physical make-up. If you continually focus on achieving a “one-two” rhythm when you practice, the correct swing tempo will follow. This is why good technique followed by rhythm must be your priority.
One swing thought served Jack Nicklaus better than any other: complete the backswing. It is imperative that you do not rush the backswing or downswing when you are under pressure or seeking a few extra yards. Remember, timing is everything.
These are nothing more than signals for the mind to switch from its analytical mode into the subconscious automotive state that allows the body to focus purely on the process of hitting the ball toward the target without the intervention of cumbersome and often destructive thoughts.
It is vital that you do not underestimate the importance of consistent pre-shot preparation.
Some golfers refuse to trust their routine or continually try to remind the smallest detail at the expense of destroying the larger whole. This is rather like a bad gardener who throws a seed into the ground only to dig it up a week later in ordr to check on its progress.
Only once you have absorbed and processed all the necessary information required to help you plan your shot can you allow yourself to slip into autopilot and allow your subconscious to take over.
I believe that the purpose of the analytical part of your pre-shot routine is to “fill up your bottle of confidence.” In order to stand over the ball positively and with total faith in your ability and your choice of shot, you must ensure that this bottle is full. If there is any room at all left in the bottle, the gap will be filled with negative and potentially destructive thoughts.
It’s my guess that even as you hear the word “waggle,” you are tempted to dismiss this feature of the golf swing as some kind of optional extra that you can quite easily do without. The fact is, however, that a good waggle will instigate and create a flow to your swing in a more effective way than any other method. The waggle fulfills 2 very important functions. The first is to create rhythm and the second is to rehearse the desired move away from the ball.
The world’s top players are “alive” at address for the one simple reason that it is very difficult to make a smooth and rhythmical swing from a totally still position.
If you continually tell yourself that you find a particular shot difficult or that a certain situation makes you uncomfortable, then this will very quickly become your reality. Fortunately, the opposite is also true.
One particularly effective example of positive self-talk is to describe your desired shot to yourself quietly under your breath before you start your pre-shot routine. Tell yourself where you want the ball to start, where you want it to finish and what type of trajectory you would like to achieve.
However, for some strange reason, this zone is nearly impossible to recreate on a conscious level. The more you try to enter this state the more elusive it becomes. The word “trying” is particularly relevant in this context since most of the amateur golfers who have somehow found themselves in the zone have almost always stumbled blindly into it.
However, the good news is that you can greatly increase your chances of entering and remaining in the zone simply by developing a thorough, consistent and efficient pre-shot routine. There are no guarantees, but the road that takes you there is a clear one. For this mental zone to be experienced and enjoyed, certain key elements of your game must be harmonious. You must be physically competent, you must be deeply relaxed yet focused, and the challenge facing you must grab your full attention. The general rule is that the quieter the mind, the greater the likelihood of these elements combining together.
The strongest position the legs can assume is one where the knees are directly over the feet. Evidence of this can be seen in karate and fencing.
Visualize the right leg as a battery pack. The more you can load into it, the more power it will offer the golf swing.
Truly sense the stretching sensation required to “torque up” the body in the backswing.
A tilted backswing and a “Reverse C” finish are by-products of midsection rocks and sways. This poor motion also aggravates any lower back problems that may be present. Keep it level!