| Many swing errors are traceable to your setup. The | | | | thumb is much more effective than a fully extended |
| setup places the component parts of your body in a | | | | thumb, as I've explained sometime ago in my golf |
| balanced state with the club before setting it in | | | | tips. |
| motion. That's why adopting the correct setup is vital. | | | | Adding the Right Hand |
| It's one of the keys to playing good golf. That's why | | | | Having taken the left hand grip, hold the club out in |
| I devote a couple of golf lessons to the setup | | | | front of you and look down the shaft. You should be |
| whenever I work with new students. | | | | able to see two or three knuckles on the back of |
| One of the key topics in these golf lessons is the | | | | your left hand. If you can't see them, there's a |
| correct placement of your hands. Placing your hands | | | | problem. You should also be aware of an increased |
| correctly on the club is essential to generating power | | | | sense of feel for the clubhead. |
| and achieving accuracy. If your hands are incorrectly | | | | The right and left hands should play equal parts in a |
| placed, you'll not only produce a slice or a hook, you'll | | | | good swing. They should work in unison when hitting |
| also short-circuit power and inhibit accuracy. Check | | | | the ball. The problem is that people who are naturally |
| your grip periodically to make sure your hands are | | | | right handed (or left handed) tend to grip the club |
| placed correctly on the club. | | | | too much in the palm of their right hand (left hand) |
| Learn To Free Up the Hinge | | | | as if the were holding a hammer. In other words, the |
| Placing the left hand (right for right-handers) on the | | | | right hand dominates the left hand. This grip creates |
| club is critical to a good set-up, as I've mentioned in | | | | a series of problems, which collectively help render |
| my golf tips. As the first point of contact between | | | | the swing powerless. |
| the player and the club, the left hand represents the | | | | Maintaining a Neutral Position |
| essential coupling required to hinge the wrists and | | | | To create an effective working union with the left |
| swing the club freely. However, it's not always easy | | | | hand, your right hand must be applied to the club in |
| to tell if you're gripping the cub with your left hand | | | | what some people describe as the neutral position. |
| properly. What you think might be the correct | | | | For improved feel, the club should be held primarily in |
| left-hand grip may actual conceal several flaws upon | | | | the ringers of the right hand. The shaft should run |
| closer examination. | | | | diagonally from the base of your little finger through |
| Here's how you can tell if you're holding the club | | | | the joints of the second and third fingers and on the |
| correctly in your left hand. If the shaft runs across | | | | middle of your index finger. When you close your |
| the palm of your left hand, your ability to hinge your | | | | right hand the left thumb should be totally covered, |
| wrists properly will be inhibited-a fault that can cost | | | | fitting snugly beneath the fleshy part of the base of |
| you distance and accuracy. An easy way to tell if | | | | your thumb. |
| your left hand is incorrectly placed is to examine your | | | | When you have a completed grip, check to see that |
| golf glove. If you wear a hole quickly through the | | | | your hands are parallel on the club. Also, there should |
| fleshy pad at the heel of your hand, chances are | | | | be a slight gap between the index finger and second |
| you're holding the club with the palm of your hand. | | | | finger on your right hand. The index finger should be |
| Instead of the shaft being in the palm of your hand, | | | | hooked around the grip in what's known as the |
| it should run diagonally from the base of your little | | | | "trigger" position, its tip lightly touching the end of |
| finger through the middle of your index finger. | | | | your right thumb. The index finger and the thumb are |
| Although primarily a palm grip, you should sense that | | | | responsible for much of the "feel" in your right hand, |
| the club is more in the fingers than the palm. This grip | | | | which you can appreciate by waggling the club head. |
| improves the flexibility of your left wrist and | | | | The hands play a critical part in unleashing the power |
| encourages the free-hinging motion necessary to | | | | of your swing, regardless of the type of grip you |
| create the maximum clubhead speed through impact. | | | | use. Placing them correctly on the club generates |
| Clubhead speed is the key to more distance. | | | | distance and increases accuracy. Proper placement of |
| When examining your grip, make sure that the | | | | your hand is also one of the keys to a correct setup. |
| clubface's leading edge and the back of your left | | | | And a correct setup will help eliminate many of the |
| forearm are parallel. Also, try to position your thumb | | | | swing flaws weekend golfers exhibit. If you're really |
| so that it points straight down the shaft, slightly right | | | | serious about lowering your golf handicap, make sure |
| of centre. And keep it "short" on the shaft. A shorter | | | | your holding the club properly. |