Grip more important than the swing?

[minty18]

May seem strange as i'm sure both are as important as each other however i'm sure that when I grip the club properly I hit the ball sweet every time.

I've always struggled with my grip, it went from being too strong, then pretty much most of this year it was too weak meaning lack of distance and a huge slice.

I've sorted it over the last 6 weeks and i'm now hitting the ball better than ever. However, it takes me about 10-20 balls with a few pulls, then a couple of slices before i get my grip sorted... literally no thought of my swing, just gripping the club properly and once thats sorted she always flies.

I've even noticed some of the pro's stand over the ball, messing around with there grip not taking the shot on untill they are completely satisfied that they are holding the club properly... maybe I haven't concentrated enough on this in the past.

 

[USER1999]

Which sounds all fine, until you realise Garcia was regripping 48 times before each shot.

Grip it and rip it. Less thought the better as far as I am concerned.

 

[theeaglehunter]

You make a good point, however it surely only applies if it is the grip that is your problem and not your swing, if you have a poor swing a good grip won't fix it. Likewise if you have a good swing and a poor grip you won't hit good golf shots, you do need a combination of both. There is no doubt though if you just concentrate on the basics: Grip, alignment, posture then you will play better golf. I am definitely guilty of trying to over complicate things on the course, so may have to focus on these plus one simple swing thought next time I'm out.

 

[MVP]

Which sounds all fine, until you realise Garcia was regripping 48 times before each shot.

Grip it and rip it. Less thought the better as far as I am concerned.

Garcia is 2 in the world i would grip it 48 times to get there

 

[minty18]

When i say making sure the grip is right murph, i wouldn't stand there for two minutes getting it sorted, although i've witnessed other players do so... god thats frustrating.

Eagle, i've definitely simplified things, at one point i was thinking, body turn, dont lock my right knee, get my hands through the ball, dont come down to steep etc etc..

Now i'm very much, make sure the back is straight, the grip is correct, then send the little fella on his way.

 

[Dave3498]

Get the swing right. There are too many elements in the swing that can go wrong and lead to a poor shot. Get them all right and a poor grip can be easily corrected.

 

[HogansAlley]

A poor grip creates swing problems. Your hands want to be in the neutral position. If they're aren't at the set-up they will be by the time you reach impact, and the club won't be square. The whole swing just becomes a compensation. Without a good grip, you're pissing in the wind (not you personally but in general). Sound fundamentals make it very difficult to hit really poor shots.

 

[SammmeBee]

Your hands will, invariably, return to back to impact 'square', so if you start off wonky then you really have no hope of hitting it straight....plus what is the only bit you that actually touches the club......and is therefore the MOST influencing thing on it.....

 

[Herbie]

I think a lot of it is confidence boosting through repetition. The grip is very important but so are many of the other basic factors involved in a good shot, if focus on grip seems to work for your game then who am I to suggest otherwise.

 

[TonyN]

The grip is so easy to fix. As long as you know where the club lies in the left hand and where to place the right hand over it its easy. The hard part is just getting used to having your hands in that position.

1 lesson with a pro had me gripping right within 10 minutes, It just took me a few weeks to get used to it.

 

[flandango]

I just grip that b i t c h and let him av it!!!

 

[ricardodaintino]

Grip it and rip it... straight out of bounds!

One lesson with the pro sorted out my grip, but like the above it took weeks to stop feeling un-natural.

I had some work to do as when I first started in this game I had Happy Gilmore as a benchmark!!!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

There are a number of leading pros that have slightly unconventional grips, mainly strong. Olazabel is a case in point where he has at least three knuckles showing. My grip is slightly too strong but it has been ingrained after thirty years. Various coaches have tried to weaken it over the years but to be honest I end up with such a mental issue over how it feels etc that I simply can't make a decent swing.

My current coach wants to have a look at changing it a little down the line but we are working on a few swing changes over the winter first mainly to do with plane and my leg action wihich is a 70's throwback (thinky Johnny Miller in his pomp). He is trying to get me to hit against a firmer left side. To be fair, my grip doesn't affect my ability to square the blade at impact and is something I have played with for years so any compensations are minimal and well ingrained by now.

 

[MVP]

Getting the setup right is the most important part of the swing . Getting your grip right is part of the important setup process. If you grip the club different each time your wrist hinge will change, then end up swinging to compensate!

Keep everything the same each time then less can go wrong!

 

[Herbie]

I must admit I dont think about mine when I take shots, in fact I dont think about much at all, its a bit furry and fluffy in there these days.lol.

I must have learned a good grip way back when I used to think about such things.

 

[USER1999]

Don't really have a good grip, set up, posture, alignment, take back, swing plane, tempo, or anything else really. Minor miracle I hit the ball at all.

Lucky I can chip really.