Grip Myths
The Grip: I was told these things by Pros; I have
read these things, and I’ve heard these things from other golfers and sources
of information, and of course I have tried to listen and practice these gems of
instructional information.
Problem is…it’s
just not true.
1) Grip
the club as if it were a small (baby) bird…tight enough so it can’t get away, but loose enough so you
don’t kill the bird. (Sam Snead)
Now
I would never disrespect the great Sam Snead, he was, and is still one of my
golfing heroes…but what he said and what he did are two entirely different
things.
First
of all, a baby bird, or a small bird weighs almost nothing; it would take very
little pressure to contain a small bird (the weight of your fingers and hands
alone would do the job). Conversely: it would take very little added pressure
from your fingers to overcome the bird and squeeze the life out of it.
A
moving golf club-head, on the other hand - weighs a minimum of 10 pounds at the
transition point (most weigh between 15 –
50 pounds through centrifugal force depending on the speed of the backswing at
transition). There is absolutely no way to control a swinging club-head
using the same pressure you would to contain a small bird!
Now…having
said that, I do believe this statement from Sam Snead to be TRUE…for all
fingers EXCEPT the BOSS fingers. The BOSS fingers can and will control the
club-head in swing, and ensure the bottom of your swing falls consistently on
your center of gravity (your sternum), and they must be very firm on the club, firm enough to be in control of 14 – 25 (or
more) pounds.
The
other 7 digits however… baby bird.
2) You have to use equal Pressure on both hands:
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A) Maintaining
equal grip pressure on both hands with a moving weight that
increases and
decreases as club-head speed increases and decreases, is virtually impossible.
Everyone has a dominant hand and fingers that they used the most and therefore
will (subconsciously) bear the majority of the weight throughout the swing
.
.
b)
Consciously
trying to maintain an equal pressure on both hands creates a power struggle
between the hands and levers (arms) that will produce an inconsistent bottoming
out point of the swing. In order to create a consistent bottoming out point of
the swing, there must be a consistent lever in control of the golf club.
