Let's get back to basics
This page will illustrate the basics needed to play golf, right from the very beginning, so if you're a novice/newcomer to this great game, this section just might interest you, even those of you that have been playing the game for many years might also benefit from some of the content.
Like most sports that are played, there is nothing more simpler than going right back to the basics.
I have found this out on so many occasions, when the posture just doesn't feel right, the grip pressure is causing the ball to hook or my centre of gravity makes me feel like falling over.
I'll take a moment to think about what I had learnt right at the very start of my golfing experience and then it just comes flooding back to me, there is nothing wrong with going back to basics.
It is the foundation that we build our playing abilities around, from there we just get better and better and the only way that you will see the improvement is to shoot lower scores, in turn this will see your handicap reduce.
Because at the end of the day we are all aiming to improve our game and for some to shoot a level par or better round..........if you are serious about the game!
#1 Tip - Left or Right:- If you're not sure whether you are a leftie or a righty, just clap your hands, the dominant hand will tell you, if you clap hands togther, then you're blessed and probably ambidextrous, the choice is yours.
The Grip
A good grip is a compromise between power and control, and it matters little which type of grip you favour, so long as both hands work together in the swing.
If your hands don't work together, your ability to control the clubhead and create clubhead speed will be drastically impeded.
Finally, your grip pressure should be light. Tighten your grip and you will cause tension in your muscles, limiting your range of movement and your ability to create power.
Concentrate on keeping your grip light. Imagine holding a tiny bird in your hands, not too tight to crush it and not too light to enable it to fly away, this is the kind of pressure you need to adopt.
#2 Tip - Grip the club as hard as you can, this is a 10, then grip the club as softly as you can, this is 0, grip the club between 3, 4 and 5, this should give you a good indication of the pressure you need to grip the club.
TECHNIQUE:
TARGET HAND:- Let the target arm (the arm closest to the target) hang naturally by the side of the grip before bringing it to the club to take hold. About 1 inch of the grip protrudes above where it rests across your hand. Your thumb should fall slightly to the non-target side of centre, and the third and little finger should grip the hardest.
These are important pressure points. The club must rest diagonally across the fingers, seated underneath the fleshy pad of the target hand. The "V" formed between the thumb and forefinger should point somewhere between your chin and the non-target shoulder. Your target hand supports the club and maintains the clubhead in the correct position through impact with the ball. It can be described as the "Strong Hand" in the grip. Look down at the position of you target hand and you should see at least 2 knuckles.
NON-TARGET HAND:- When you have the club correctly positioned in the target hand, let go with the non-target hand and rest naturally by your side. The grip formed by the non-target hand should have the club resting in the fingers, with the fleshy pad of the hand covering the thumb of the target hand, forming the "V" between the thumb and forefinger.
The "V" should point roughly between your chin and the shoulder of the non-target shoulder. The non-target hand is going to "release" the clubhead just before impact. The release gives the clubhead power and speed to obtain maximum distance.
BOTH TARGET AND NON-TARGET HANDS:- By more or less matching the "V's" formed by the thumbs and forefingers, you set the hands parallel to each other, which encourages them to work as a unit during the swing.
Types of grip
VARDON/OVERLAP:- Introduced and used effectively by the British golfer Harry Vardon, this grip is used by the vast majority of tour Pro's, the small finger of your non-target hand rests in the depression between the index and middle finger.
Some find this awkward and prefer to let it rest on the index finger, as long as the both hands are connected both anchors will work. This grip is more effective for players with large hands and is the most comfortable for big fingers.
INTERLOCKING:- Many golfers prefer the Interlocking grip as it offers a secure feeling over the club.
Once you have positioned your target hand on the club correctly, add your non-target hand making sure the palm faces the target. Now interlock the two fingers and fold the thumb over your target hand.
While this may feel more powerful, for the club is held more on the non-target palm, it has instead a marked effect on the club face control and commonly results in a hooked shot.
Recommended for women or anyone with small hands, you get a better hold than with the overlap, which can sometimes make you feel that the club is being prised out of your hands.
TEN FINGER:- Lastly the ten finger grip, or the baseball bat grip, where there is no linkage between the two hands on the club.
This grip is highly recommended for juniors and less powerful players. If you want to maximise club head speed and can handle the possibility of less accurate shots, try this variation.
Having positioned your target hand directly on the club, put the three upper fingers of your non-target hand against the index finger of your target hand and fold the rest of your non-target hand over, ensuring you conceal your target hand thumb. This grip works well for golfers who slice the ball.
This is the least common grip by far, and very few top players have ever used this style. But just because this is rare, it does not mean that you cannot give it a go an see if it suits you. Any size hands will do.
ELEMENTS OF THE GRIP: THE FOUR 'P's'
PLACEMENT: This is how you put your hands on the golf club relative to one another, high or low on the grip.
POSITIONING: This is the amount of rotation of the hands, clockwise or anti-clockwise, generally referred to as 'strong' or 'weak' grip. The positioning is dependent upon the size and strength of the players hands plus the shape of shot they are trying to hit.
Strong Grip
Weak Grip
Neutral Grip
HANDS WORKING AGAINST EACH OTHER CAN LEAD TO INCONSISTANT SHOTS
HANDS FACING EACH OTHER WORK BETTER
PRESSURE: This is simply how hard you are squeezing the club.
PRECISION: Is whether you grip the club in a precise fashion (the same way each time) or careless so that is seldom the same grip.
KEEP THE COIN
To ensure that you are not re-gripping during any part of the swing, place a small coin between the fleshy part of the thumb and the knuckle of the target hand thumb, if the coin falls out during your back swing, then you have re-gripped.
FALLING TEES
To ensure you are not letting go with the last 3 fingers of your target hand, place a tee (pointy end first) between the butt of the club and the pad of the target hand, if the tee falls out during your back swing, then you have opened your target hand grip.
BALL FLIGHT LAWS
Finding out the cause of a fault in the golf swing is much easier if you develop an understanding of how the clubface strikes the ball. If you spray the ball to all points of the compass, don't simply curse your luck and move on. Ask yourself why your shots fly off target.
You can strike a ball in 9 different ways - some desirable, others disastrous. Whatever you intend with your shot, one of these 9 types of strike is sure to dictate it's flight path.
When you assess precisely which one of the 9 is responsible for each shot, you find the root of any swing problem more quickly.
The 2 vital factors in deciding the ball fate after impact are the swing path and the club face position at impact - assuming you strike the ball in the centre of the clubface.
The primary direction of the ball path is determined by the swing path of the club. It's direction for the rest of the shot is determined by the angle of the clubface at impact - open, closed or square - in relation to the ball-to-target line.
The ball will always set off in a direction between the swing path and the clubface aim at impact.
In general clubs with the least amount of loft will impart the most sidespin, as we go higher in loft, backspin will take over and the amount of sidesways movement will be minimised.
The greatest golfers in the world play with different styles, but they all agree on one point: The hardest shot to hit in golf is the straight one.
For this reason some draw the ball, while others prefer to fade - but very set out to play straight. To rely on consistent straight can be risky.
Straight hitting is hard because golf balls are designed to take up spin, it helps them to rise, to stop and to roll. Sidespin is also easy to apply. If you apply the correct amount of sidespin, by changing your alignment, you fade and draw the ball. Too much sidespin causes a slice or hook.
There's a small margin of difference between a deliberate fade and a damaging slice. Only when you know how to take sidespin off the ball can you add it intentionally.
| IN TO OUT | OPEN | PUSH |
| IN TO OUT | SQUARE | DRAW |
| IN TO OUT | CLOSED | HOOK |
| OUT TO IN | OPEN | SLICE |
| OUT TO IN | SQUARE | FADE |
| OUT TO IN | CLOSED | PULL |
| IN TO IN | OPEN | PUSH SLICE |
| INTO IN | SQUARE | STRAIGHT |
| IN TO IN | CLOSED | PULL HOOK |
IN TO OUT SWINGPATHS
OUT TO IN SWINGPATHS
IN TO IN SWINGPATHS
POSTURE
Body Tilt
To establish the degree of upper body tilt at set up, practise taking the desired posture by holding a club vertically along your spine. The club should touch your head and extend below your waist. Slowly bend forward from the hips, with a slight bend in the knees. When the club comes off your head or back, you have bent forward too far.
Hang a club from your shoulder
To check that the bend in the hips is correct, adopt the address position and get a friend to hold the tip of the grip and place it on the non target side shoulder. The club should hang naturally towards the ground, if it points anywhere inside the knee, then there is too much flex in the knees or not enough bend at the hips.
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