Losing right hand grip (right handed golfer)

[Alex1975]

Hi,

I have noticed that I am lazy or struggling to keep my right hand on the club through impact or perhaps on the down swing.

I had a lesson last week to work on path (stop me getting stuck) and as a result I have made my grip weaker (have always had a strong grip). As my right hand is further over the club its easier to get on a straighter path but it seems hard to keep that right hand on the club.

Does anyone have any ideas or experience with this? Might it be as simple as getting a fatter grip or adding some tape to the bottom hand.

I think I have hooked the ball for so long now that I have actually made my right hand inert and lazy but I now need it to be there for me with the work I have done these past week. When I keep it on the club its clearly a better golf shot.

Any help or comment welcome.

Thanks

Alex

 

[the_coach]

not seeing what the hold on the handle looks like at set-up or through the swing here's a bunch of things that often times play into right hand coming off just prior to/through impact

diameter of handle possibly - generally speaking the thicker the grip has the tendency to quieten the 'release' so maybe something to look at & trial - would guess it's a combination of 'newness & uncomfortable' & the underlying fear of leftfield shots not allowing the release of the right upper chest/shoulder through the motion so the right arm straightens more & with the right side not coming through into impact forcing the right hand to lose hold (VJ Singh)

could just be as simple as unfamiliarity of position &/or unfamiliarity of pressure, & pressure points in the trail hand (main firm but not overtight pressure keys are the base of the middle two fingers (if handle is a little ways too much 'up' in the palm the middle two fingers can't apply consistent pressure at the base of the fingers so good) plus the pad of the right thumb pressure against the the lead thumb, this also begs the question of exactly how the right thumb is placed on the handle ideal would be little left of center grip

grip pressure at set-up if too tight it's a ways impossible to keep real tight grip throughout - naturally though if too loose through it 'feeling uncomfortably new' that ain't going to work either

though probably what playing into the issue no doubt will be partly to do with the 'hook' familiarity - so the 'fear' of leftfield not allowing the handle of club to travel to the left probably linked to the right side chest shoulder not being 'allowed' to travel through impact freely (you see this with VJ Singh as now part of his action as he doesn't want to hit it left having had major trouble with hooks

as part of the 'new' swing path you trying to achieve, nearer neutral, less from the inside thing to remember the clubheads travel still has to travel little ways back inside the target line, so leftfield after the strike

in a more neutral swing path, the handle through impact has to be traveling little ways more 'inside' so getting nearer the lead thigh this then is responsible for the clubhead traveling 'out' more - so clubhead travels less from the inside & on a more neutral path as a direct result of the handle moving 'left' - something for a reasonable striker of the ball to look for as they are not in the majority of folks fearing the 'over the top' shaft move - so handle not kinda moving either 'straight through' impact or 'raising up' & moving out to rightfield - this pretty common with better ball strikers who have a pronounced lateral forwards hip slide with the right side/shoulder moving back & down so really exaggerating the secondary spine tilt into impact.

 

[Alex1975]

Thanks for this. Right thumb is just left of center. Grip is wearing out on that new position and callous on inside of right thumb.

A large part of what I am working on is moving from the top, I have been asked to move my right elbow to my belly button. I wonder if I simply do not have enough flexibility and this leading with my right elbow feeling is pulling my right hand off the grip?

 

[the_coach]

A large part of what I am working on is moving from the top, I have been asked to move my right elbow to my belly button. I wonder if I simply do not have enough flexibility and this leading with my right elbow feeling is pulling my right hand off the grip?

that's possible - though could still be partly due to unfamiliarity
if you think flexibility might be an issue best quick ways to find that out for sure would be a TPI screening
meantime you could check out the TPI site - hip flexors will play a part lats & torso so the ability to have some ability to have 'side bend' (secondary tilt)

right elbow to close right hip through towards bb will rely to large extent on the right shoulder moving forwards (towards target line) while also moving down - so arc of shoulder as if it's moving forwards & down simultaneously & through so kinda over the right foot toes, body has to rotate to be able to get elbow past right hip - as with all golf 'goldilocks' issues got to be careful not to overdue it or handle is to far forwards so face is open through impact which also then can lead to a 'flip' to square

but if rightside of torso & shoulder lagging & just the arms trying to get to that position more independently then the right arm straightens prematurely you kinda 'run out' of right arm (no flex at elbow) which pressures the hold on the handle of the right hand so grip get's loose

 

[Alex1975]

I built up a grip last night with 1 layer on the top and 3 on the bottom. It for sure did not harm, feels good but its not an answer per-say.

I think its a little of all of the above. Its not natural for me to get my elbow that close to my core and as such my right hand is the weak link and wants to let go.

I shall keep working on it and see if I can get it more natural.

 

[the_coach]

I built up a grip last night with 1 layer on the top and 3 on the bottom. It for sure did not harm, feels good but its not an answer per-say.

I think its a little of all of the above. Its not natural for me to get my elbow that close to my core and as such my right hand is the weak link and wants to let go.

I shall keep working on it and see if I can get it more natural.

the elbow to bb what your Pro's been asking you to work to
is to enable a more stable release pattern into/through impact as it's working to the rotational movement of the lower body/upper body so the bigger musculature of the torso is squaring the face up

as opposed to a bigger lateral lower body shift (can be mega responsible for getting 'stuck behind') combined then with a 'flip roll' active hands/arms release relying on the 'fast twitch' handsey stuff
for sure still lot of Cat 1 folks can & play good golf this way (bunch of Tour Pro's still do, & it's been a basis of "Lead's" teaching) but for me no doubt it's less reliable in a consistent sense

so many lower Cat 2's & Cat 1's often wonder why & where the really destructive shot outcomes come from the bad hooks, big overdraws, pushes, push fades etc that continue to plague them in an otherwise pretty good round except for the 1 or 2 holes

this kinda bigger lateral hip slide, so flip roll arm release action when they either get stuck or come too much from the inside hands/handle/arms working out away from the body so too much 'in to out' means through a small area of distance into & through impact the face closure (club head rotation) is having to take place way too fast so then real difficult to get a good 'square' face angle through impact

as opposed to what your being asked to do now, drive/hold release pattern which allows a slower rate of closure

{oftentimes it helps to think of vertical ground pressure back & through
so in the backswing the pressure is vertical down into the ground through the rotation
then transition starts with vertical ground pressure in the leadside then rotation against the leadside as opposed to a big lateral shift to start the downswing, big lateral shift means it's unlikely a player would be in a position that allows the elbow to move close the right hip to get anyways near to the bb}

hope it all goes good

 

[delc]

I have always tended to have a similar problem with keeping my right hand on the grip. Got over the problem by building up my grips with extra layers of tape and also by using a grip exerciser to make my hands stronger. Actually holding onto the club more firmly with your right hand seems to promote a fade rather than a hook!

 

[fundy]

Rather than building up bottom hands below grips have a look at the new mcc plus 4 grips from golf pride. Effectively they feel as though have 4 wraps under the bottom hand. Has way much more feel in the grip than have say a multicompound built up where you just stretch the grip over hard tape

 

[Alex1975]

Rather than building up bottom hands below grips have a look at the new mcc plus 4 grips from golf pride. Effectively they feel as though have 4 wraps under the bottom hand. Has way much more feel in the grip than have say a multicompound built up where you just stretch the grip over hard tape

For sure, I recall you saying it was a better option long term, however I have a draw full of grips and wanted to see if there was anything in it(for me) before buying any more so thought I would mock something up in the short term.

Thanks the_coach. I am right in the middle of a ton of stuff with regard to what you have been talking about and its making practice miserable. I want to know my ball will go left, its my safe place if you like. I also know I cannot keep over-drawing the ball and missing left so I have to take this pain right now.

Its all very awkward but little by little bits fall into place and for sure rate of closure is a thing here. I really do hate to see the ball start right going right but I am seeing the odd starting straight going straight and that the one we are after.

Last night it got too much so i forgot it all for a wile and just hit some fades and drawn with no swing thoughts, just target, grip, swing. Important to remember to forget it all sometime...