GET A GRIP!
(Stronger grip to fix "right" shots)
Since this is a "Fast Fix" category I'm not going to go into great detail on the basic grip here. We'll do that in another section at another time. I do want to touch on some adjustments you can make with whatever grip you have now to help correct your "right" ball flight.
About 20 years ago I was selling golf equipment at a place called the New York Golf Warehouse. My job was to sell golf clubs and give "lessons" while the customer was trying out the various sets in the indoor net.
This guy came in lamenting that he needed new irons because everything always went "right" with every club. My first thought was, "let's get him some regular flex shaft clubs and have him hit a few." (too stiff a shaft and your tendency will be to hit it right, as you're not generating enough club head speed for the shaft to snap back in time to square the face at impact. Result; pushed shot)
So I taped up 3 sets with masking tape and we headed for the driving net. This net is about 15 feet deep, 10 feet high and about 8 feet wide. You hit from about 6 feet in front of the opening. Every shot this guy hit went into the RIGHT SIDE of the net. He couldn't square the club up even once to hit the back of the net. Hitting the side of the net from that distance means the shot was going to be at least a fairway over on the course.
I noticed his grip. PERFECT!....for Ernie Ells. Both "V's" formed from his thumbs pointing at his chin. This is great if you've got the wrist and forearm strength of a PGA pro and have to fight a hook. But for Joe Saturday morning golfer, usually not good.
I asked him to rotate his hands to the right about an inch. (which is allot) Explaining that moving your hands to the right will speed them up and naturally allow him to square the face at impact. He said he thought if you were hitting right you should rotate them left! ...Nope.
First shot with the new grip dead center of the net! Every shot after the same result. This guy was giddy! He didn't buy the clubs, as he didn't need them how. (but he did give me a $100 tip!, which I feigned like I didn't want as I put it in my pocket!)
Bottom line on the grip: To speed up your hands rotate them to the right so the V's formed by your thumbs point either at your right shoulder or even outside of it. Practice this to see how far you need to go to straighten you slice out. If you're hooking rotate them to the left. (obviously)
Now this won't fix your slice if you're already grabbing the club like a baseball bat and swinging crazy outside in. If that's the case check out how to hit a hook and see if that might help. Do try to emulate a "decent" grip that you've read about, but tweak it to your own swing. Mr. Ells I'm sure didn't have the "perfect grip" when he was shooting like you do now. (when he was 11?) He adjusted slowly as his hand speed and forearm strength grew over time. No need to punish yourself out there in order to grip it just like the pro's.
If it ain' t workin', change it!
