advice needed on hand positioning

[davidturner151]

Hi all, first post so apologies if on wrong board but I'm in need of advice.

Very new to the sport and have had no lessons and I've basically been learning on the job as it where. However one thing that my friends have bought up is the fact I am "cack handed". I hold the club as if I'm left handed with my hand positioning but do everything else as if I'm right handed. I've tried playing the "regular" way and it just doesn't feel comfortable at all.
My question is will this really hamper my game?

 

[the_coach]

Hi all, first post so apologies if on wrong board but I'm in need of advice.

Very new to the sport and have had no lessons and I've basically been learning on the job as it where. However one thing that my friends have bought up is the fact I am "cack handed". I hold the club as if I'm left handed with my hand positioning but do everything else as if I'm right handed. I've tried playing the "regular" way and it just doesn't feel comfortable at all.
My question is will this really hamper my game?

welcome.
there are a few elite ams (scratch or plus handicap) that have played, are playing swinging the club as a right hander, but having their left hand on the handle nearer the shaft, right hand at the top, is that what you mean?

does make things a ways more difficult, there will be some technical difficulties in that it will make certain things harder.

thing is with golf, if you are new to the game, there are many things you have to do in golf that are not comfortable, in a way comfortable is very often not correct. folks often fall into doing things that are comfortable but are distinctly wrong, so if they continue doing what's comfortable the issues or problems within a swing motion will pretty much always remain the same.

often to progress it's about changing something someones comfortable with but is wrong so giving then consistent bad shot outcomes, to doing something that's different that they are initially unused too so that then naturally will feel uncomfortable.

may be you can start of doing this get to a certain level, but then find you can't get any further on in developing the game, because the hand position is causing issues you find impossible to do anything about, & then if you've been doing this for a good while it then becomes even harder to make the changes that probably would be needed.

unless you started doing this & can immediately break 80 gross, so it then would be obvious there's a deal of natural talent that might make persevering with the grip worthwhile.

would think as you've just started it would make sense to go & get a series of lessons from a PGA Pro, who can advise you. very probably this could well mean how the hold the handle would have to change (my best guess would be unless you have the talent to immediately shoot pretty low a change in grip would be necessary.)
changing anything even something for the better if different from what you're used too will feel uncomfortable, but as said comfortable often isn't right, comfortable can often hold the game back, that's the nature of the game.
though the sooner you change, the less you ingrain bad habits that the longer you keep will make it harder to change further down the line.
my advice would be go & get some lessons, my best guess would be better to change to what overtime will help you play better, than to stick with comfortable.

if you just mean you are right handed, but feel better swinging left handed with the hands in a normal left handed position on the handle, then provided the results are okay, no reason why you shouldn't play left handed. might limit the range of clubs & shafts a little but that's getting a ways better.
if this is the case as you're new, I'd still go & get some lessons before you pick up any bad habits in your left handed swing motion.

 

[davidturner151]

Yeah your first instinct was right, I play with my right hand furthest up the club.

I am going to play a few rounds of pitch and putt tomorrow, will try and play the "regular" way tomorrow just to see how I get on while I look to book some lessons.

 

[G_Mulligan]

Have you thought about a training grip to help get used to the uncomfortable feeling? Will keep your hands in the 'correct' place while you practice it

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Welcome along. How new exactly to golf are you and how long have you been playing. My answer (boring as it is) would be to get a few lessons and get the basics sorted including a decent grip and posture. Once you get the fundamentals right it makes everything easier and will hold you in good stead on your golfing journey. There are good golfers who are cack handed but by far the exception

 

[Deleted member 18121]

Have you thought about a training grip to help get used to the uncomfortable feeling? Will keep your hands in the 'correct' place while you practice it

I think that's some top advice.... when I was working on my baseball style grip I got one of those trainers and its amazing how natural it feels when you hold the club properly. Just a shame I don't stick with it for long when I'm playing...I always find my right hand getting more open.