Points of Contact 2
The Hands
GOLF REQUIRES two ‘Points of Contact ‘to be performed correctly for those wishing to get the best out of their game.
The first Point of Contact is the connection to the ground through the feet, which is a theme developed in a previous article titled “Build the swing from the ground upwards.”
The second point of connection is with the club: the way in which you hold the club has a dramatic effect on the way in which your swing develops.
Golfers normally use both hands to hold the club, so it is important to place them on the club, in a way that allows them to work together as one unit. Your only contact with the club is through the way in which you place your hands on the grip of the club. This means that it is vital to the success of striking the golf ball with control and power.
The Hold
Holding the golf club becomes very easy if you follow these simple guidelines:
Position the clubface behind the ball, with the leading edge perpendicular to the target.
Position your left hand: the grip should sit on the middle of your first finger and underneath the heel of your hand. The left hand then closes and the thumb sits on the top right hand side of the grip.
Position your right hand: so that the grip sits lower in your hand, more across the base of the fingers. Hold the club more firmly with the middle two fingers and then wrap your right hand snugly onto your left. You will now feel that the pad underneath you right thumb sitting on top of your left thumb.
Take a look at your hold: when the clubface is behind the ball, if you look at the inside of your left hand you will probably only see the end of your little finger and perhaps the end of your next finger, this is a good hold to start with but in the future a professional instructor may ask you to make a small change because of other factors.
The two hands: should be very close together, with the little finger of the right hand touching the first finger of the left hand, this type of grip is called, the double handed or baseball hold and gives the most power. Your instructor may advise you to link these two fingers; this will help to give more control.
There are normally two ways that we can link the hands:
The little finger of the right hand can link to the left by sitting on top of the first finger of the left. This is called the Vardon or Overlap and is the most popular hold.
The little finger of the right hand crosses with the first finger of the left hand. This is called the interlocking hold and is used mainly by players with short fingers.
Regardless of which hold is best for you, it is wise to hold the grip, firm but not tight. I advise you to hold the club with a pressure similar to that which you would use when turning a door handle, lifting a briefcase or shaking hands. The pressure should be the same in each hand.
Tony Bennett, PGA Master Professional
