Cack Handed Grip to Orthodox Grip

[McDizzle85]

Hi everyone,

I have recently decided to start playing golf. The most I have ever played previously is the occasional pitch and putt and driving range trip.

However one thing I have found out is that I have a Cack Handed / Cross Handed grip. So I use right handed clubs but I have my left hand low.

I have done a lot of looking around on various forums and although there are a few people that play to decent levels with this grip and a couple of pros I believe, the majority of people seem to be of the opinion to change the grip to the orthodox one and it seems that most pros wont do lessons with you if you have this grip.

What I would like to know is, is there anyone who has made this transition and if there is what methods did you use to change it? and how long did it take you? Basically any advice that you could provide would be great.

The orthodox swing feels very unnatural and I have tried hitting a few balls at the driving range all of which were majorly scuffed so I stopped out of embarrassment.

Any help or guidance would be very much appreciated.

 

[Foxholer]

Are you left-handed? Or prone to favour left hand at other sports (Tennis, Badminton, Sguash, Table-Tennis for example)

If you are going to change to a 'conventional' grip, then now is the time to do it, but I have played with several 'cack-handers' who play very well!

 

[McDizzle85]

Hi Foxholer.

I'm right handed in every other sport. I'm guessing its just the way I picked up the club when I was young and I've never questioned it.

My main reason for wanting to change is that there is virtually no guidance for cack handers and how that type of grip might mean you alter your setup or stance etc. Where as there are hundreds of videos and articles for the orthodox grip and a good number of people on various forums say that a lot of pros aren't keen or teaching cack handers. So it all seems to point to changing to the orthodox grip.

 

[Oohmeoldbacksknackered]

Just a quick look found this

http://www.ruthlessgolf.com/2011/03/how-to-copy-josh-broadaway-if-you-dare.html?m=1

Apparently Josh Broadway is a 'famous' cross hander.
Dunno how much stuff he's got out there. But it may be worth a look around YouTube before you decide to change.
Also, you say 'a lot of pros' don't teach it.
You only need one, so it may be worth a drive around a few local clubs and five minutes spent talking to them about how they can help you.
You never know, you may have that one guy on your doorstep.
Good Luck.

 

[Doh]

I have a friend who played off 6 cack handed and changed after he broke his thumb.He managed to retain his handicap and better it to 5. So yes it is possible but you don't have to break your thumb to do it.

 

[sawtooth]

Change to orthodox. Yes it will be like starting all over again but ultimately you will become a better golfer.

 

[McDizzle85]

Thanks for everyone's replies.

Sorry I should have explained that I have watched videos of people like John gallagher and josh Broadaway.

However I was really looking for guidance on the best way to go about changing my grip and getting used to it as fast as possible. Is it just a case of hit a ton of balls at the range and do a few pitch and putt games using it or are there other techniques?

 

[Dan2501]

Find a local Pro and have some lessons. You'll learn much quicker!

 

[Jimbop90]

I think maybe getting used to swinging the club one-handed, with your hands in the orthodox positions, would be a good start. If nothing else, people expect to see people swinging one handed at a driving range, there are loads of drills which require people to do it, so you wouldn't need to be worried about getting embarrassed.

 

[the_coach]

Hi everyone,

I have recently decided to start playing golf. The most I have ever played previously is the occasional pitch and putt and driving range trip.

However one thing I have found out is that I have a Cack Handed / Cross Handed grip. So I use right handed clubs but I have my left hand low.

I have done a lot of looking around on various forums and although there are a few people that play to decent levels with this grip and a couple of pros I believe, the majority of people seem to be of the opinion to change the grip to the orthodox one and it seems that most pros wont do lessons with you if you have this grip.

What I would like to know is, is there anyone who has made this transition and if there is what methods did you use to change it? and how long did it take you? Basically any advice that you could provide would be great.

The orthodox swing feels very unnatural and I have tried hitting a few balls at the driving range all of which were majorly scuffed so I stopped out of embarrassment.

Any help or guidance would be very much appreciated.

welcome aboard
know there's a few real decent level golfers that play cross/cack handed - so for a bunch of folks it can work

my take on maybes a few of the limitations would be once you get into the long stuff technically with that type of hold it's a tad more difficult to generate distance

but think the real drawback to play well through the bag (though as folks move down the bag 7i to wedge that's a little easier to manage) would be folks have got to rely even more on timing as lead hand below trail means there's a bunch more need to use active hands/wrists to get to square the club face up - that also makes the long end of the bag with long shafts a bunch more difficult to get consistency of face angle at impact so accuracy is maybes the larger problem area, bunch easier when the timing is only fractional off to hit it leftfield or rightfield

for sure there's a number of scratch players that can do this - so if someone can score real well at a level to stay at Cat 1 then all good - that probably takes a bunch more natural feeling and skill to do cross handed than 'normal'
so depends what the current skill level is and how the game is going but obviously in the end it's a players personal choice

if going down the route of changing to see then what happens would really urge a visit to a PGA Pro to get the 'normal' hold on the handle very much in the ballpark orientation of how the handle lies in both hands - deal easy coming from cross handed and feeling because normal is new that it also feels weak to then counterintuitively put the handle ways too far up in both palms with a lead hand that's in a weak orientation and a trail hand that's up in the palm and under the grip so real strong - which is going to lead to real problems going forwards

if making the change real important it's handle in the area of both hands (more in the fingers) correct from the get-go - so a lesson/lessons would be paramount

the hold on the handle as it should be done usually it's a ways universal that folks down this with no real guidance get into real difficulties from the very start with then leads to massive issues with the motion of the swing

for instance the lead hand so left (rhp) should be holding the handle pretty much the same ways folks would take their grip on the handle of a heavy suitcase - so the handle lying at very near 90º across the top of the palm and that first creases/joints in the fingers that's not usually the ways folks first attempt the hold in their lead hand they tend to have it much further up in the palm nearer the thumb pad and more diagonally which affects detrimentally the ways the hands/wrists set in the backswing

and usually too the trail (right) hand hold which should again be more at the base of the fingers which put both palms more parallel to one another so the thumb pad is more on top of the grip is also not first off an intuitive ways folks gravitate too again it's usual they get that more up in the palm under the handle so that thumb pad is then more at the rear of the handle not on top

when the hold is formed more in the ball park area it should be looking down at set-up should be able to see 2 and a bit of the knocks of the lead hand so also see some of the makers name of the glove with the crease formed by the hand and thumb pointing around the right ear to mid right shoulder area, with that crease of the trail hand parallel to that pointing to that same area

if going to make the change go and see a Pro to get it good from the off, have him take close-up images of the grip on the handle, and draw some lines on the glove where the handle needs to lie

then if possible keep a club in the office at home where it's convenient to regularly pick up and just place the hands on as they should be, with no real hard tension to make the forearms tense up - more that can be done the quicker the change can be adapted to
good luck

 

[Hickory_Hacker]

I started as a cack hander and played like that for a number of years, got down to 8. A few of my mates were at the wind up about a baseball grip and all sorts and I took the plunge changing to an orthodox/conventional grip.

What I did ... I scattered my golf clubs all around my flat and there was nowhere that I could go without passing or picking up a club. So even if it was just for 5 mins I could pick up a club and give it a waggle, I would watch some tv holding a club and give it a wee swish and from there it was all about hitting balls. Nightmare, but eventually I got better or should I say more consistent hitting the ball! My handicap didn't go up that much but I did miss out on a handful of medals when trying to get used to things, after that it started dropping, job done.

However, the main thing is that I didn't pack in my day job!

 

[Oohmeoldbacksknackered]

Thanks for everyone's replies.

Sorry I should have explained that I have watched videos of people like John gallagher and josh Broadaway.

However I was really looking for guidance on the best way to go about changing my grip and getting used to it as fast as possible. Is it just a case of hit a ton of balls at the range and do a few pitch and putt games using it or are there other techniques?

If you are sure you're going to do it it's just hard work and practice.
Years ago I picked up one of these

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B0...ining+club&dpPl=1&dpID=31s7oF-MryL&ref=plSrch

I used it to swing indoors because of the weight. But it may be worth trying because of the way it forces you to grip it.

I got mine at a boot sale or similar so I paid peanuts for it. But it may be worth watching television while wiggling it about.

And again, if you want to be the best you can find the best pro for you.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Foxholer]

I can supply one of the above for the cost of postage!

Could well be just what the OP needs!

 

[McDizzle85]

Hey Foxholer,

No need to do that but I do really appreciate the offer. I'm going to try and spend 10 mins every day just swinging a few clubs in my garden until it starts to feel a little more normal and maybe a bit of range time when it's quiet.

Thanks for everyone's help.

 

[woody69]

Daft question perhaps, but have you actually tried hitting a left handed club?

 

[McDizzle85]

Quick update.

I decided to take a little time each day just to swing a club with my changed grip in my back garden. Only for around 10 minutes each day.

I then went to the driving range where surprisingly it didn't feel too awkward when using a driver however using my irons is a different story. The only way I can describe it is that my swing feels disjointed and not a fluid motion. I'm guessing that's because I'm still having to think about it a little instead of it just being natural.

I've been to the range a few times and played a couple of pitch and putt games to try and get things feeling more comfortable and slowly it's working.

Just changing the grip alone has meant that I have gone from slicing around 90% of my drives to only about 25% so I'm definitely pleased I've done it.

When it starts to feel a little more natural.I might consider a few lessons.

I think it would have been a lot harder to change had I already been playing regularly with this grip so I'm glad I decided to change now.

Thanks again for all the help from everyone.

 

[woody69]

So, you've not tried hitting a club left handed....?

 

[the_coach]

Quick update.

I decided to take a little time each day just to swing a club with my changed grip in my back garden. Only for around 10 minutes each day.

I then went to the driving range where surprisingly it didn't feel too awkward when using a driver however using my irons is a different story. The only way I can describe it is that my swing feels disjointed and not a fluid motion. I'm guessing that's because I'm still having to think about it a little instead of it just being natural.

I've been to the range a few times and played a couple of pitch and putt games to try and get things feeling more comfortable and slowly it's working.

Just changing the grip alone has meant that I have gone from slicing around 90% of my drives to only about 25% so I'm definitely pleased I've done it.

When it starts to feel a little more natural.I might consider a few lessons.

I think it would have been a lot harder to change had I already been playing regularly with this grip so I'm glad I decided to change now.

Thanks again for all the help from everyone.

although I get where you're coming from and what's feeding into this sentence

don't feel anyways about having to have some consistency of feel or shot results before going for lessons

a change of grip that's feeling for a while a tad uncomfortable is pretty normal but as said starting to show some better results so good

but worth considering although the change been made and some shot results improving and the grip change made with the thoughts that the change is exactly in the ball park orientation of how the handle now sits in the hands is all good (which it may well be) but it might be that the new grip hold still is not quite in the ball park area it would be better to be

so wouldn't put off the trip to the lesson bay as it could be you getting comfortable to a hold that needs still some tweaking
wouldn't worry over the hold on the handle being uncomfortable or the swing and shots not being maybes so great the Pro will have seen it all before

I get the reason behind the reticence to go now for a lesson - but for sure now would be the best time to go either to get confirmation the hold orientation is 'good' or it needs still some change - go before the 'new' grip gets comfortable as you could be bedding in some compensatory moves already in the swing motion without realizing

 

[McDizzle85]

No I haven't tried swinging left handed.

Played a quick 9 holes today at Adlington which is a small course but it felt a lot more comfortable.

 

[woody69]

No I haven't tried swinging left handed.

Played a quick 9 holes today at Adlington which is a small course but it felt a lot more comfortable.

Then I would definitely go to a golf shop and ask to borrow one of their left-handed irons, just an 8 iron or something and take a trip to the range. It might be a revelation.

Also agree with Coach's advice regarding visiting a pro. If you stick with r/handed, go for a lesson soon rather than later, explain your woes and he/she will sort you out and make sure you're doing everything right. Don't wait, bed in some bad habits and then go to a pro and feel like you have to start again.