Grip with the right hand

For a righthanded golfer the grip with the left hand controls the face of the club while the grip with the right hand controls the club head at impact

Updated At : 06:04 AM Oct 22, 2015 IST

Jesse Grewal

For a right-handed golfer, the grip with the left hand controls the face of the club while the grip with the right hand controls the club head at impact. The club face could be open, square or closed while the club head could be behind the hands, which is desired or ahead of the hands (flip/cast). When the club head is behind the hands at impact and the club shaft has a forward lean, the club head would be de-lofted and the ball would be hit on the downswing and compressed. If the club head passes the hands at impact the ball would be hit on the upswing and there would be an added loft reducing the distance the ball would fly.

The grip of the club should be in the base of the fingers of the right hand. When the grip is taken the ‘v’ formed between the thumb and forefinger of the right hand should point towards the right collar bone. Those who do get the right hand in an incorrect position should pick up the club with only the right hand (picture 1). The club would naturally lie in the fingers with the index finger extended as if it’s pulling a trigger. When viewed from the front, the trigger or index finger should be lower on the club than the rest of the thumb. The trigger finger and the middle finger have a gap between them. This position of and extended trigger finger helps in creating power as well as controlling the club at the top of the backswing. Split the fingers of the right hand so that the middle two fingers remain joined together and the index and little finger are separated (picture 3). The little finger creates the overlap or interlock grip while the index finger maintains the gap (picture 4).

A good grip helps in getting the club face square at impact while maintaining the correct pressure to control the club head as well as allow the wrist action during the backswing and the release of the club.

(Grewal has coached several national champions and professionals apart from being coach of the Indian golf team for the Eisenhower Cup (World Cup) in 2008. He is currently the Director of National Golf Academy of India and CGA Hero Honda Golf Academy. If you have any queries get in touch with him at parexcellence@tribunemail.com