How To Create The Perfect Golf Swing! (Part 1: The Grip)

Hello everyone, I am going to be starting a series of how I think the perfect golf swing should be constructed. It is going to be broken up into 6 parts. If you want to just skip all of that and see the perfect golf swing in motion, just take a look at this guy... well maybe the old (younger) version of this guy: 

If you can copy every move he makes, then my work here is done! However, for the rest of us mere mortals, take a look below.

To begin with, we are not actually going to create the perfect golf swing, but instead we are going to create the perfect golf swing for you! After all, that is the best thing we can do right? In my opinion the perfect golf swing is unattainable and has many different definitions depending on who you talk to. Tiger has come pretty darn close, but that is a debate for another day. We are going to go over the basic fundamentals most believe are the keys to building the best golf swing you can build.

I haven't seen a lot of posts on this topic, actually I haven't seen any posts on this topic yet on this platform. Not sure how many golfers there are out there, but there has to be some... For those of you thinking about starting to learn how to play golf, read this first and you will play just like Tiger Woods (use to). If you don't, that's your own damn fault, not mine! :)

Lets begin

The first thing I want to talk about is the grip. The grip of the golf swing is the single most important part of a golf swing because it is the only part of the body that actually touches the golf club. The grip is the most important part of the swing for controlling the club face. Which, if you hadn't guessed, is the single biggest determinant of where the golf ball will go. Control your club face and you will control your ball flight!

The Grip:

As you can see above, the grip for a right hander starts with the left hand being placed on the club with 2 knuckles visible on the left hand when looking straight down. More than 2 knuckles visible would be considered a "strong grip"... less than 2 knuckles visible would be considered a "weak grip". Our goal is to use a "neutral grip".

Next, place your right hand on the golf club with the thumb of your left hand going right down the middle of it. The right hand should be placed over the top of the left thumb and wrap around the club as shown in the picture below. Make sure your hands are nice and snug. They should be touching each other. The best way to check if your grip is correct is if the "V" created between your right thumb and right index finger is pointing at your right armpit.

There are 3 main types of grips. All 3 grips have the same basic fundamentals as mentioned above. The main difference has to do with the position of the right pinky finger as it connects with the left hand. Pay attention to the pinky position in the pictures below.

Types of Grips: 

Baseball Grip - This is probably the grip that you first learned when you picked up a golf club and the one that probably seems the most natural for beginning golfers. It has the same basic fundamentals as mentioned above, but it has all 10 fingers touching the golf club. That is why it is also referred to as the "10 finger grip". 

Interlocking Grip - This is one you will see most of the professionals use. It is where the pinky of the right hand interlocks with index finger of the left hand. With this grip, only 9 fingers are touching the grip as the pinky doesn't really touch the club. This grip is preferred because it helps the golfer really feel like his hands are connected and working as one unit. 

Overlapping Grip - This grip is similar to the interlocking grip in that only 9 fingers touch the golf club but there is one significant difference. Instead of the right pinky finger interlocking with the left index finger, the pinky is placed over the top of the left index finger... The key is to get both hands nice and snug here because it can feel like there is not much control with this grip when first trying it.

The overlapping grip is the grip I use now. I used to use the interlocking grip, but after years and years of hitting golf balls and all the twisting that took place between my pinky and index finger, I have developed some scar tissue on my pinky that makes that grip just a little too painful to continue with today. My personal preference would be for the interlocking grip as it makes my hands feel the most "connected" when they grip the club. 

Grip Pressure:

The club should be gripped firmly yet not too tight. If your hands start to turn white while you are squeezing it, you are holding it too tight. The ideal way to hold on to the golf club is as light as you can without letting go of it while you are swinging. The reason for the light grip pressure is that you need your hands to be able to rotate through the hitting area when you are swinging. If you are holding onto the club too tightly, your hands can't naturally release through impact.

The Perfect Grip:

If you have done all the above correctly this what you should see when looking at your grip from face on:

The most important aspect of a grip is making sure both of your palms are facing each other with whatever grip you decide to use. The main idea is to get both of your hands working together as one unit. If the palms are not facing each other they will constantly be fighting each other while you are swinging. The neutral grip does the best job of this which is why we have been focusing on it here. In closing, get those palms facing each other and we will move on to Part 2 tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to ask any questions below!

Image Sources:

http://free-online-golf-tips.com/fundamental-golf-tips/golf-set-up-tips/proper-golf-grip/

http://www.westviewgolf.com/golf-tips/proper-grip

and Pixabay.com

Sources:

Myself, through 7 years of teaching golf, 25 years of playing including at the collegiate level, and from all the great teachers I've had along the way.

Follow: @jrcornel