Shawn, you are awesome. I've seen lots of improvement so far with my irons when using these tips. However, I'm having a bit of trouble finding a comfortable grip with longer clubs like the driver and hybrids. I have a tendency to hit drop kicked hooks and duck hooks (*but not very often). I usually take a swing with my driver when my grip feels most comfortable. However, today I looked at my grip after a mishit and my left thumb was aimed more at 11 o'clock than 1 o'clock. Help??
Wow! What a difference in my ability to hit it straight or with a slight draw I had the last two days after following the tips in this video. I have tried a strong grip alone with inconsistent results. Turning club face 30 degrees closed, hinging the "snuff boxes" a couple times then adding the torquing of the left hand so the club face is square worked like magic with my irons. Moving the ball back of center is gold too. Only thing is too much of all these things done at once I would over
Shawn,, Great video! the best I have seen on how the grip interacts with ball striking. I have a 3.5 to 4 knuckle grip and I find it hard to not pull and or draw to the ball. Making me hit less straight shots and thus now I aim to the right. I just can't control how far the ball goes left through pulls and draws. I would rather hit it straighter but I love the contact and ball striking feel of a stronger grip. I need to find a median somewhere. Any suggestions?
I had considered my grip to be "normal". Not strong or weak. And when I saw this video and heard you speak about square face at adress or impact I was sort of wondering how I manage to have a square face at adress and also square when hands move in front of the club head at impact.. It was fun to see that I actually had a strong grip. 3-4 knuckles as you said. But I feel no strain in my left arm and club face is square at adress and it feels normal.
When I was much younger, the equipment favored a weak grip and use of the hands at impact. I suspect the more forgiving clubs now may reward a much stronger grip. I'm curious about the wrist at impact. Weaker grips cause the left wrist to bow outward, but the stronger grip brings the club to impact with a flat left wrist. Players like V.J. often bow their wrist so much, the left hand almost comes off the club. This strong grip would change that dramatically.
hey man good videos ! my problem is that alll my shots go a little left and my divots are all facing inward left. soo bad. i cant figure it out and its so frustrating. any tips? thanks!
Great explanation! Have had some serious problems with a push-fade with the driver lately, but switched to a much stronger grip to make sure the clubhead is closed at impact. This has resulted in hitting more fairways and more confidence in attacking tight fairways. Still got the occasional monster fade, but atleast i know the remedy to fix it
Can't thank you enough for this one Shawn! Strengthening my grip has help cure my slice and has really improved my ball striking. There's a lot of misconceptions, especially on the internet, but you have confirmed to me what I believed...a stronger grip does indeed help club lag and ball striking, therefore fixing the slices! Now I'm working on my PMD w/ a strong (aka proper) grip, and can't wait to keep improving!
@clemshaw - Shawn, your videos are mind-blowing stuff. I've always been a "technical" golfer, studing positions, moves, techniques etc and ignoring the "feel" aspect of the swing. Thanks to your videos I've started dropping handicap and enjoying golf more.
I normally use a 3-knuckle strong overlap grip with my left hand, however recently I've noticed on hot days I get a blister on my right ring finger where it touches my left index finger. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? :(
Great videos Shawn! Love the new ones. One question for ya. I have been trying to figure out why so many of the pros play with the "neutral grip". Hank haney always preaches it and so do many others. What is the benefit of learning to swing the club like this? It certainly doesnt feel natural so why is there such a push from the great ones to "roll the forearms" to square the face? Whats the benefit?
Shawn....idea for a quick video. I think you should show/explain that when you hinge on the snuff boxes the butt of the club is actually pointed to your left hip and not directly at your body. I had a lot of trouble with this earlier in the year because I was pointing the club at the middle of my body and making sure it was square, but you actually want the club square at impact position which is pointed to left hip. This would be great!
Dear Shawn, what should we take into consideration/ modify when applying this strong grip for a Driver swing, since we wouldn't be hitting down on the ball and with the ball forward of our stance? Would you recommend two different grips (strong for irons, and weaker for drivers)?
Shawn, my swing is pretty much consistent with your strong grip in this lesson, however, I have a tendency to swing with my right hand open-a Duvalesque type grip. I still close the face and am hitting a 5 to 10 yard draw. My swing seems to be fine with my hybrid and irons but lately I have developed an "occasional" (frequent) hook off the tee with my driver and 3 wood. How can I fix this? when i close my right hand i feel uncomfortable in my swing and lose the consistency in my iron play.
@cummiskey3030 This is for both you and Reed521; #1 you need to feel the difference between a target bound action and ball bound action; you want the action that releases way out towards the direction you want to start the ball; not release into the ball; see "Ridiculously easy; Shawn Clement" part 1 and 2; If you release to the target in a rhythmic and effortless way and it is still hooking, then you may weaken the grip; Shawn
@112frankybaby The makeup of the hands stays the same; have a look at my " proper grip; Shawn Clement" and "Grip 2 wrist hinge; Shawn Clement" for complete info on the whole grip including the intricacies of the right hand positioning; Shawn
@clemshaw I had the strongest grip in the world, almost Furyk style. And I tell ya strong grip does keep the ball low and a BIT further, but not as consistant as a weak grip. Weak grip is more advanced and takes more wrist action and timing, but its better once you get it down.
@mankindhoov Maybe you should weaken your grip but try to swing more out to the right away from the targetline I think you are flipping your hands over through impact. So try to have more of a body release and not the "roll" release a roll release is when you just overcross your forearms. Try to swing more from in to out and swing out away from the targetline turning your body through the shot and not just releasing with your hands.
Shawn, This was the missing link in my game. Closing the face 40% then regripping to a 4 knuckle grip, forced me to tuck that right shoulder back and opened up my swing. I immediately felt lined up way right, but my friendly Canadian instructor told me not to worry and asked me to play the ball a little more back, and to swing out even more to the right. Well I then hit 5 "7-iron" shots drawing them beautifully right on top of the pin and picking up 25 yards to boot. Thanks from Pinehurst NC
Shawn, this sound's cheesey but watching your video above has had the biggest impact on my game than anything else i've tried to learn before.
Despite the initial awkwardness i felt at address, having a stronger grip has given my shots from the PW up, a lot more distance and straightness, my rythm has improved, nice thin divot's in the ground and a much better THWACK sound as i strike the ball, rather than that slappy STACK. There has been other improvements as well.
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
@bmp1785 What does the fade look like with the woods? What is your ball position and does it feel like a whip to a target or a shove at the ball? Shawn
i got it figured out now, i am getting pretty consistent with my 5-10 yard draw with my driver. Also picked up some yardage over the last month. I use to average around 230 ish off the tee now 3 of the last 4 times i have played my local exec 9 course i have drove the green on the short par 4 that is 260 yards give or take a few depending on tee placement.
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
Shawn. Do you recommend squaring the club face at address if I am using a strong grip with 4 knuckles showing? Is there an advantage to either method?
@speech007 Thanks for all the great comments guys; to answer this one, if you have a 3 to 4 knuckle grip, you are all set with the square face at address; all you need to allow to happen now is a complete release towards your target! "Golf Pro lesson ridiculously easy" part 1 and 2; Shawn
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
Any idea why so many pros teach the neutral (2 knuckle grip) with the club face square at the address position?? Ive been taught this way and im sure it has contributed to me having to flip the hands to get the face square.
Hey Shawn, thank you for your video!!! Just started playing golf about 2 months ago and for the most part I was slicing like a mad man. Read numerous articles about the proper grip blah, blah blah... I finally broke down and got a lesson from a very good instructor and Hanks. He told me my grip was to weak and needed to firm up on it. I'm now seeing 3- 4 knuckles in my grip and my balls are going straight and a performing nice draws. Your video just put icing on the cake!
Hey Shawn, thank you for your video!!! Just started playing golf about 2 months ago and for the most part I was slicing like a mad man. Read numerous articles about the proper grip blah, blah blah... I finally broke down and got a lesson from a very good instructor and Hanks. He told me my grip was to weak and needed to firm up on it. I'm now seeing 3- 4 knuckles in my grip and my balls are going straight and a performing nice draws. Your video just put icing on the cake!
Thank you for this video! I have been struggling with weak shots out to the right for a while now. i just could not get the realease right. I just strengthened my grip slightly and am producing solid shots with a little draw. Wish i wouldve thought of this earlier i had no clue my grip was the problem....Very good video!!
Shawn, with a strong grip, is the right hand supposed to face the target while on the shaft? I have small - medium size hands, so with a strong left hand grip, my right hand ends up too far under, so i still slice. When I can get the right hand facing the target more, my shots are more on-line. But its very uncomfortable, and my right hand just wants to be more under.
hey shawn no wonder i havent seen u on the tour or even the hooters tour because of this damn grip. hey try releasing ur hands at impact and see how left it goes.
@Tigerwoodsis1 #1; I did not say that I used a strong grip and 40% of the guys on tour use it man; where have you been? You mean Zack Johnson, Mike Weir, Duval, Daly, Azinger, Treba, Jim Nelson, Jerry Herd, Len Mattiace and the list just goes on and on for decades of guys who can kick your ass in their sleep with a super strong grip; please! I also agree that the neutral grip is terrific for certain players but very rarely for a beginner who does not know the feel of the proper release yet...
WOW. The negative effects of a strong grip on the dynamics of the swing are left out. For a weekend hacker the strong grip will cause many problems. The early release mentioned is due to 'quitting' on the shot, not due to loss of retention of the lag secondary to grip - the deceleration caused by a decrease in swing velocity is the 'quitting'. Again WOW.
The reason Azinger couldn't hit a high ball is because of that grip....
On chips and short pitches, when you use a strong grip, do you take the cup out of the back of the left wrist as you go through impact a la the Pronation and Supination video, or do you hold the dish angle?
The thing about chip and pitch vs full swing: For many, they need a stronger grip or a more closed club face in the full swing because they are getting ready to swing or whip THROUGH TO THE TARGET which naturally opens the face to a square position through impact; you do not want this for chips and short pitch shots as your hands are already forward and there is no change in the "lower case y" through the shot; closed face with hands centered=square face hands forward; you dig? Shawn
Shawn I played this weekend and after watching this video and the hip turn video I made better contact than ever before. I usually hit my driver around 200 yds but yesterday one was 200 yards, most were around 225 - 235 and two at 250. Amazing! My only problem was a lot of drives & irons were starting slight left of center and drawing into the rough or woods. Do you have another video recommendation? I felt like my clubface was aimed right of target but it must not have been. Thanks, Mike
Hey Mike; Just continue to flow around a steady axis; see "golf pro lesson tilted twirl" and keep it rhythmic with "golf pro lesson how to get great rhythm"; Keep it up! Shawn
Shawn, what a great video. No wonder my 6 iron was a like 9 iron I had a very, very weak grip. I'm taking "your" to the range this weekend. Two quick questions. Why do you say hold the club in the air close the club face take your grip and then line up square to target instead of strengthing grip with club face square to target on the ground? Secondly testing the grip feels different, naturally, how long do think it will take before it feels natural? Thanks, Mike
So many golfers make the mistake when they either open the face to hit a bunker shot or close the face to hit a strong draw, they don't turn the club in their hands; they just turn the hands; well of course, they have not changed a thing so it is important to demonstrate this here in the video! :) After your brain has accepted the feel of the new grip and has made the connection with through the ball, when you focus on your target, you will feel the need to grip it right! Shawn
Hi Shawn, great videos! I just bought you video and love every minute of it! I noticed that no matter how tightly I grab the club, it falls loose at the top of my swing in my left hand (i'm right handed) and I can't get my right hand to maintain the "hooked" pointer finger going through the shot because my right thumb gets loose. The club ends up breaking the "v" of my hooked right pointer and my thumb. What can I do to correct this? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!!!
See my other video called "golf pro lesson grip awareness" where you will use the perpetual motion drill to monitor the grip's pressure and where it falls apart, at the moment it falls apart, your upper arms are crashing into the top of the rib cage which means that you are not COMPLETELY GETTING OUT OF THE WAY! See "golf pro lesson timing and tempo update" Shawn
Your still suppose to square your club to your target, then take your grip(using the string grip you showed). Am i right? And also, where abouts is your right hand suppose to position when using a strong grip? Is your right thumb, suppose to be align with your left thumb??
Best is to look at my "golf pro lesson grip 2 wrist hinge" video for the second part; for the first part, the arm club unit should square itself from a solid braced position against the left side which will create a fantastic anchoring system that will deploy the full release of the hands; so the result is that they release themselves; it should never be a conscious act!! Keep plugging! See "golf pro lesson taut swing philosophy" Shawn
very well reasoned and explained. There is no need for anyone to argue with this. Simply go to the range, warm up, then hit some balls with neutral, then add a knuckle, hit more, add another and just try to develop awareness of what is going on. Shawn, you really broke it down beautifully. I agree that this would apply to at least 80% of the golfers out there. The frustrating thing is that a golfer could have most things right but have a grip that throws the swing out of kilter.
When you do hit the stronger hook, what was your focus over the ball? If you were not focused on the target and how you were going to let the "effortless whip" go in the direction of the target, then you DEFAULTED to the ball and therefore released the "snap" too soon and caused the hook; so be aware of this next time it happens;
I use a strong-neytral grip as shown in this vid. Im noticing as I improve and stop cutting across at the top that I am hitting everything with a nice draw-but often big hooks. Im wondering as I improve whether its better to weaken the grip a little-to more like a Hogan grip-although maybe a little weaker. trying his conventional grip it feels REALLY WEAK to me.
Good video this-teachers often make out grip is black and white-I think this is wrong. Its a grey area. I think stronge
love shawn's videos but disagree with this one. i think if you can control your release you can play with either weak or strong grip. Weak grip gives more consistency though, as it naturally encourages the wrist to pronate at the top and you don't need to manipulate it back to pronate at impact position as the case with strong grip which encourages cupped position at the top. Also weak grip encourages more aggressive release to square the club face which gives you more distance.
Hey dfg769; I know exactly what you mean and this video is made for 90% of the golfers out there who have a hard time with the release; I know about the release you are talking about because I also get great results with the weak/neutral grip too; but out of the 80 to 100 students I see every week as well as the ones my assistants handle, I would say this video fits 90% of them; the world tours are chock full of the strong grippers as well; Thanks for the comment though! Shawn
OMG You are the best... I have been fighting like crazy a fade/slice... divits always pointing left, no matter how hard I tried to get them not to they always did. I noticed after watching your video that I was wide open at the top. I went to the range and tried a 4 knuckle grip... WALA no more fade slice. My shots where either straight or slight draw and long. I am so excited to play and get under 80.
You need a paypal account so people can donate to your cause in keeping the videos coming!!!!
One more question, Are you supposed to have a hinge with the strong grip. Because I love the grip but feel also unnatural using it all the time because I can't hinge up and down with my wrists... Does this make sense?
I posted on your video before. By the way I love your natural approach! So the only thing that has ever cured my slice is this technique. I used to have divets going left and had a weak grip. Now I use a very strong grip and it has really improved my game (especially my drives). However, when I use the strong grip, I hit the ball straight but it tends to go left with maybe a little fade. Any reason why or advice to get the ball to start off straight?
This means that you are still getting ahead of the ball through impact; when doing the feet together drill (I have a video with this title), feel how the right foot is forced to stay down otherwise balance is completely compromised; then feel the same thing through impact with the feet apart...keep the right foot down way through impact until the right shoulder collects the head into the finish; see "golf pro lesson leverage power" and "golf Pro lesson tilted spiral part 3" ! Shawn
It is a medical term (Anatomical snuff box) to identify the part of the wrist that hinges when you hammer nails, throw footballs and cast fishing poles...and of course, load up and release golf clubs with;
distance is proportional from PW -7 iron. From 6-3 iron, my distance kind of maxes out at 180!..so i hit my 6-5-4-3 irons the same distance... Thanks for all your videos, you have helped me understand my swing.
Hi Shawn, I have a peculiar problem at ADDRESS. I feel that I need a strong grip to sqaure up the face at ADRESS for my shorter clubs? For he longer clubs ( 3 iron-driver) the clubface looks square at address but the grip is much weaker! Any particular reason for this?
Thanks alot, I watch a lot of your videos and you're a very good teacher and I love how you take the time out of your day to upload videos to YouTube. One quick question. You're supposed to "bottom out" in the middle of your divot. I'm trying to increase my lag and I'm wondering, should I be "bottoming out" in my divot, which I'm guessing is when the club shaft is straight with your lead arm, or is it OK to have the club shaft straight with your lead arm well after the divot is taken? Thanks!
Thanks, Shawn, for the info. Here's what I'm doing so far as my grip goes: At address, I've been holding my driver out in front of me at about a 45 degree angle, turning the head about 45 degrees down toward the ground. Finally, I place the club head square to the target, giving me a very strong grip (3 or 4 knuckles). I have the ball about 2 inches off my left heel. This gives me a fairly consistent drive. Do you think that I'm on the right track? Any tweaking suggestions?
Hey Shawn i have a question. I've always had a weak or neutral grip but it hasnt bothered me much,but here lately i am pulling or fading the ball with my driver and woods and also topping alot of my irons. So question is, do i need to swing any different with a stronger grip or anything? It feels so weird right now but im going to test it out at the D.R. tom. All help is appreciated. Thanks. Nice Video too.
Sounds like you are struggling with your body Tilt; see "golf pro lesson braced tilt part 2" to start; then see "golf pro lesson proper spine tilt angle" and the "golf pro lesson tilted spiral" part 1, 2 and 3 series;
I can't even hardly began to tell you how your videos have helped me to understand some of what I been doing wrong. I have watched about six of your vids. And they are the best I've seem. Thanks so very much.
i need to change my grip its neutral to weak ,, when im swinging well it doesnt matter but on the days (most days) when im not its a high fade right ,, open club face at impact ,,, a friend of mine has the 4 knuckle grip hes 5'7 140 lbs and bombs it 300 consistently where i average about 275- with a high swing speed ,, wasted power it feels like ,,, thanks for the tip !!
I find a better way to get a strong grip rather than turning your left hand clockwise to see more knuckles is to squeeze hard and hold with the last three fingers of your left hand.
I had a few lessons a few years ago with Jason Laws(coach to James Nitties and Nathan Green), and he taught me to have my hands back(pointing to centre of body orbelt buckle) at address and hands forward at impact. Does this work with your swing philosophy?
Sure; see "golf pro lesson student swing analysis" part 1 and 2; in part 2 you will see half way through a nice analogy that will corroborate this address position;
Hi Shawn - Brilliant video! I have a wicked slice that I have battled to overcome and as yet have had no success. I have been using a neutral grip. By shifting to a strong grip position will this eliminate (or even minimize) my slice.
Your videos are brilliant and really helpful in understanding technique. Thanks
Of course! What you think is a neutral grip has the face wide open! Enjoy the experiment! There is a reason why over 40% of the tour pros have a very strong grip!!! Toss the "SHOULD BE AND SHOULD HAVES" out the window!
Superb Shawn! Went out yesterday after watching this on Friday night and hit a 300 yard monster, chipped on and sunk it for birdie! Amazing difference. I think I might mark my grips to make sure I have the correct grip placement at each shot, what do you think?
great video.. when I started playing 2 years ago, I had very strong grip. I've noticed that with my friends that are weekend golfers too.
I've also noticed that most of the greatest golfers of the world have a weak grip. Like Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan. Now I have a weak grip as I play better and practiced on the range. In my opinion, grip doesn't really matter much. It's how much you practice with the grip on the range everyday and get comfortable with it. Any opinion on that.. thanks again.
Yep! The golf swing is an evolution for everyone; I went from Weak to strong to neutral to neutral-strong; it depends on how well you swing through the ball and how well you stay centered in the swing and how well you stay braced through impact; the key is to have fun with it! :) Shawn
Hey Shawn this is a great vid this is the first video I have seen of yours. I fight a pull and a pull hook with all my clubs. I have a 3 knukle grip. When I work on bringing up my plane and keeping the face open or neutral at the top I can hit some great shots with this grip. My question is do you think it is best to go to a 2 knuckle grip for someone like me or keep my strong grip and work on my swing in terms of later release or more upright swing plane?? Thanks again for the vid!!
If your spine tilt or braced tilt is good and the ball position is not too far forward, then go with your grip option of more neutral; see "golf pro lesson tilted spiral" part 1, 2 and 3 to cover the other possibilities; Shawn
It can be if you want; no problem! a 2 knuckle grip with a 20 degree closed face is like a 3-4 knuckle grip with a square face; play with the options and see what works best for you; the main thing is that you continue to swing to a target!
tried this at the range today... hit some cracking shots... but also hit some amazing hooks. has anyone else had this problem or is it because u cant be lazy with this grip (and do u find its more of a palmy grip?) and have to make sure u have that weight transfer?
Hey Paul; thanks for the comment! It just means you had a grip that was too strong and overdid the grip on a few of those shots; keep swinging towards the target and keep a very nice tempo and rhythm; "golf pro lesson timing and tempo" and "golf pro lesson through the ball" Shawn
Make sure you are not coming out of the shot by dipping the right shoulder (hence, raising the left). This caused me hooks too. Once I stayed down on the shot (actually becoming lower and allowing the arms drop in front of the body), the balls would come out like straight missles.
Thanks for all your videos Shawn. This is my first comment. More a need for clarification. Are you saying that each person needs to fugure out what works for him? Or is it that most people will benefit from a strong grip? I have not paid attention to this so far. I am using the grip where the clubface is square to the ball at address. I am basically using the grip you demonstrated in your grip video. Any thoughts are welcome. I am a beginner.
Hey keeveatl! It is definitely about what would work best for you; a very strong percentage of PGA tour players and amateurs alike benefit from a stronger grip; those who hook the ball too much won't. Keep on pluggin' and learnin'!
wow you just nailed what i have been doing wrong. I went to a weaker grip and could not figure out what was causing me to start slicing my irons, i was getting frustrated. Love all your vids shawn, thank you for all of your videos.
This was very enlightening. I did not realize that 1 knuckle is 30 degrees. I have a problem hooking (partly to a flat swing) and had to OPEN up quite a bit... Look forward to meeting you in person
Would you say a more weak grip produces a fade or push or is it a combination of an outside in swing? Im working on getting a camera to send you some video. I find that I fade or push with my longer irons and the driver 40% of the time.
YES; once you have covered the issues of the grip; see the "golf Pro Lesson be a solid ball striker" and "golf pro lesson tilted spiral" part 1, 2 and 3 and especially 3 to make sure that your perception to target is sound!
No fade is bad shot (normally with Driver). It was a one off lesson whch was net +ve as I am now a lot more dynamic (bottom out). I have the thru the ball, one leg drill, and one that rocks from right to left to be really useful. I really get what you say, but noted you are a little bit contra the popular words on grip. I am not sure Cabrerra et al hold the club like a tube of toothpaste, so I am kinda with you on this one. I am reverting to my stronger grip..
Is it because you were hooking? Make sure you are swinging through the ball first! "golf Pro lesson through the ball"; see this video first and try the drills; Shawn
One will work better than the other depending on the person; some people can't use a strong grip because of stiff forearms and others can't look at a closed face; it is just a matter of personal preference; left handed I have a bit of both and right handed I have an open face with a stronger grip...both sides allow be to work the ball at will; Shawn
Thanks for this video! I'm a 7 handicap and I've always had a strong grip. I've recently been debating on wether or not to switch to a neutral grip but it just wasnt comfortable for me, maybe because I dont wear a glove or have small hands. I'm starting my first semester at the GAA of Orlando and wanted to make sure I wasn't practicing something that was incorrect. Thanks for the clarification.
Great tip yet again shawn. if you dont mind, to clarify, strong grip=Closed at address? The clubface squares up at impact due to the weight transfer to the left side? Is it the same principal with woods and Hybrids too? Btw thanks for the replies, you must be a busy man!
Makes alott of sense! I have felt like i should be in a strong grip and since I have seen you and steve both using it in your video's, I just wanted to be sure this was right from my perception. Can't wait to go make some divots! You need to move to Southern california so you can play with my group 3-4 times a week.
Shawn this is the same problem I had when i quit golf 3 years ago. I have been going throught the process of "building" my swing and long story short i am trying toput my body in the correct angles and hold the club properly and take it back correctly and blah blah blah, now I cant hit the ball. It is really really bad. I don't know where to even begin to fix myself now. The guest bedroom is family ready shawn. sunshine,BBQ's and golf. Was about 70 today on the course :)
Excellent as usual. Agree with the strong grip concept. I (Hcp 4) grip strong and often address the ball with a closed clubface. I find this works well; however when doing this, the visual perception of the clubface can promote an outside-the-line takeaway which I need to guard against. Outside the line plus strong grip doesn't work so well for me but it may explain Zinger's power fade.
Hey JB; great comment! See my latest video called "golf pro lesson bilateral and unilateral" to get the sense of the takeaway where you will not feel the need to take the swing to the outside or manipulate the takeaway;
I find I work better with a more neutral grip on my backhand side but with a slightly closed face; a combo of dominant hand and dominant eye (left eye dominant); this gives me a straight flight; Shawn
Wld wlcme your thghts on the dominant hand/eye issue. I feel that in golf the latter is much more imp than we think. I am right eye (&hand) dom. Often when playing badly I have rectified things by closing my left (non dom) eye to ensure that my dominant eye is always 'in charge'. My theory is that on the b/swing if the nose gets in the way of the right eye view and the left eye 'takes over', it can confuse the nervous system re where momentum (swing path) should be directed.
That is a very important point you make that would definitely short circuit the focus and cause the brain to flicker causing self one to take control for fear of missing the ball...very cool comment and thank you very much for that! Shawn
I put your concept to work today with very promising results; I have a student of mine(one of many as this is a common issue) who cannot keep his eyes on the ball or has the "wandering eyes in the backswing" which destroys any chance of sustained focus through the ball and towards the target. His dominant eye is right and I asked him to close his left eye and he immediately started keeping his eye in one place on the ball; very very good my friend!! I will do more research and keep you posted!
I am 38 and grew up on golf from my grandfather but never had the money for lessons or good equip. Your video's are a godsend, anyway this grip video has changed my game went to the range and with that stronger grip (awkward at first) and your two ball drill I just spanked the ball with that flush divot in front of ball feeling. It's amazing how something as small as turning that left hand over a little more makes such a big difference. Thanks Mike
This is a great video and it tied up a few loose ends for me. My swing has improved a lot since our last lesson and I've developed a feel for the toss-plant-whip sensation, but my shots were going off to the right and I knew it meant the club face was too open. You once told me to keep the club face more closed at address but it always looked odd to me. With this video, I completely get it (and it corrected the direction of my shots)! Thanks for the excellent video!
I to thought the club face looked to closed but shooting 15 plus less per round I think i will stick with it :-)
The closed face also makes me lower the right shoulder and puts me in a better stance than before.... it all just seems to work time and again. I'll never look back..
i have more and more points of hard skin in my left hand, is it a problem of grip , how can i do stop this .( tthree points on fingers , 3 on the palm ) ,all around the contact with the shaft of my clubs , good job SHAWN !!!!.
Hi Benoit! I would review the grip with my "Golf Pro Lesson Proper grip" and "Golf Pro Lesson Grip 2 wrist hinge" and then use the "Perpetual motion drill" to monitor the grip as you swing back and through in the swing and make sure there is no movement in the contact from the hands to the club; if there is in the backswing, you are not turning enough and the arms are crashing into the rib cage and causing the grip to come apart; if it is in the follow through, check my arm motion video...
Shawn, This is the only video I disagree with.. I think a 4 knuckle grip is a band aid fix for slicers and takes a lot of strength to hold off the release of the club which should happen naturally.. Jack, Tiger, Ben Hogan... that's probably about 200+ wins so far.. and they all have neutral grips, perhaps even on the weak side.. i have a lot of strength in my forearms i guess, anything more than a neutral grip I'll hit it left of the world..
Hey Fontaine32! Great comment and this is what I say in the video; THAT THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! In my left handed swing when leading with my dominant hand, I can easily go weaker than weak and stripe it! You just don't see the golf masses like I do and answer 100 emails a day from people who have issues you never had to worry about! Also, for body language at the beginnings of golf learning, the strong grip is waaaay better as they won't use the body to square an open face! Shawn
I'd have to say that Tiger's grip (certainly the one in his book, How I Play Golf) is stronger than neutral. Nicklaus used a hands forward address position which disguised a stronger than neutral grip (right hand well underneath) Hogan was 'weak' but his bowed (supinated) left wrist through impact squared the face for him. A stronger grip does promote proper body rotation while a neutral to weak grip for the average player encourages more hand action to square the face. ususally too late.
I go through periods where I take a neutral grip with a closed face and then square it at address. I just never understood why I would periodically do this...it just would help my swing.
I think you're are a fantastic teacher, and I send a lot of your videos to my good golfing buddies. Not too many though, as I don't want to help the "enemy" too much.
Would love to, some day, get to your neck of the woods and meet you in person.
Thank you for the best explanation of the grip types that I have even seen. That was the best 7 minutes I ever spent watching a video on the internet! You are by far the best golf instructor I have ever seen, I just wish you taught on Long Island, lol. Thanks again!
Greetings from the UK Shaun. As always, love the videos - have never come across anyone that explains the fundamentals so well, excellent use of analogy and imagery you just don't get from a book!
When I take a strong grip and address the ball, should I be looking at a closed club face or should I allow my arms to rotate so that the club face appears square to the target line?
Great question and it can be either! What is important is that when you whip the club through to the target that the flight of the ball has little or no curvature on it; some don't like to square it because they don't like the feel of too much torque in the left forearm; others don't mind it and prefer seeing a square club...
I am intrigued about applying this to my swing since I have issues with slices on my driver, although not with my irons. I have been trying to find ways to apply and feel the "lag", which I am not yet aware of in my swing. My current iron shots are straight albeit not as long as I think they could be. I worry that I'll get some hook or fade in my irons by applying the strong grip (but hopefully getting more lag). If this is so, what's the best way to adjust my swing for iron shots?
See the "braced tilt part 2" and the "Tilted Spiral part 1, 2 and 3" videos on the "you Tube Shawn" page of my website; especially #3!! You will see what I mean;
Shawn, where you are demonstrating the strong grip at the half way down point and mention the club face is closed, it actually looks like it is parallel to your spine angle. Isn't that technically a square club face at that point? I always thought that having the toe point straight up half way down was actually open to the plane of your swing.
They do not have any relation at all; the arms and club are tracking gravity and the body is getting out of the way; do not confuse club face with spine angle as they do not relate in the swing;
what im working on is exactly maintaining the arm/shaft angle longer instead of casting the club early on the downswing, with the hands leading the head, creating "lag".. and this is causing me to slice it sometimes because the face is open at impact, especially with the driver.. maybe this is just the tip i needed, thank you!
but what about the right hand? a stronger grip with the left hand would create a weaker right hand grip right?
The left hand stronger will create a stronger right hand position as well; otherwise the hinge would not be able to form in both wrists as the hands would be fighting each other...So as the left hand goes more over showing more knuckles, the right hand would turn more under hiding more knuckles...Shawn
Shawn, you are awesome. I've seen lots of improvement so far with my irons when using these tips. However, I'm having a bit of trouble finding a comfortable grip with longer clubs like the driver and hybrids. I have a tendency to hit drop kicked hooks and duck hooks (*but not very often). I usually take a swing with my driver when my grip feels most comfortable. However, today I looked at my grip after a mishit and my left thumb was aimed more at 11 o'clock than 1 o'clock. Help??
chron1k 2 months ago
Wow! What a difference in my ability to hit it straight or with a slight draw I had the last two days after following the tips in this video. I have tried a strong grip alone with inconsistent results. Turning club face 30 degrees closed, hinging the "snuff boxes" a couple times then adding the torquing of the left hand so the club face is square worked like magic with my irons. Moving the ball back of center is gold too. Only thing is too much of all these things done at once I would over
mpb1472 2 months ago
Shawn,, Great video! the best I have seen on how the grip interacts with ball striking. I have a 3.5 to 4 knuckle grip and I find it hard to not pull and or draw to the ball. Making me hit less straight shots and thus now I aim to the right. I just can't control how far the ball goes left through pulls and draws. I would rather hit it straighter but I love the contact and ball striking feel of a stronger grip. I need to find a median somewhere. Any suggestions?
fondu321 4 months ago
nice video!
hsh24892 7 months ago
I had considered my grip to be "normal". Not strong or weak. And when I saw this video and heard you speak about square face at adress or impact I was sort of wondering how I manage to have a square face at adress and also square when hands move in front of the club head at impact.. It was fun to see that I actually had a strong grip. 3-4 knuckles as you said. But I feel no strain in my left arm and club face is square at adress and it feels normal.
eaglecot 7 months ago
When I was much younger, the equipment favored a weak grip and use of the hands at impact. I suspect the more forgiving clubs now may reward a much stronger grip. I'm curious about the wrist at impact. Weaker grips cause the left wrist to bow outward, but the stronger grip brings the club to impact with a flat left wrist. Players like V.J. often bow their wrist so much, the left hand almost comes off the club. This strong grip would change that dramatically.
79barkingspider 7 months ago
hey man good videos ! my problem is that alll my shots go a little left and my divots are all facing inward left. soo bad. i cant figure it out and its so frustrating. any tips? thanks!
LegitFilmsInc 7 months ago
Great explanation! Have had some serious problems with a push-fade with the driver lately, but switched to a much stronger grip to make sure the clubhead is closed at impact. This has resulted in hitting more fairways and more confidence in attacking tight fairways. Still got the occasional monster fade, but atleast i know the remedy to fix it
biowax 7 months ago
Can't thank you enough for this one Shawn! Strengthening my grip has help cure my slice and has really improved my ball striking. There's a lot of misconceptions, especially on the internet, but you have confirmed to me what I believed...a stronger grip does indeed help club lag and ball striking, therefore fixing the slices! Now I'm working on my PMD w/ a strong (aka proper) grip, and can't wait to keep improving!
h0ss66 7 months ago
@clemshaw - Shawn, your videos are mind-blowing stuff. I've always been a "technical" golfer, studing positions, moves, techniques etc and ignoring the "feel" aspect of the swing. Thanks to your videos I've started dropping handicap and enjoying golf more.
I normally use a 3-knuckle strong overlap grip with my left hand, however recently I've noticed on hot days I get a blister on my right ring finger where it touches my left index finger. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? :(
MiniBlueDragon 7 months ago
Great videos Shawn! Love the new ones. One question for ya. I have been trying to figure out why so many of the pros play with the "neutral grip". Hank haney always preaches it and so do many others. What is the benefit of learning to swing the club like this? It certainly doesnt feel natural so why is there such a push from the great ones to "roll the forearms" to square the face? Whats the benefit?
xivietal666headx 8 months ago
Shawn....idea for a quick video. I think you should show/explain that when you hinge on the snuff boxes the butt of the club is actually pointed to your left hip and not directly at your body. I had a lot of trouble with this earlier in the year because I was pointing the club at the middle of my body and making sure it was square, but you actually want the club square at impact position which is pointed to left hip. This would be great!
tfdoke 10 months ago
Dear Shawn, what should we take into consideration/ modify when applying this strong grip for a Driver swing, since we wouldn't be hitting down on the ball and with the ball forward of our stance? Would you recommend two different grips (strong for irons, and weaker for drivers)?
Eldnino 1 year ago
i recently started hitting an extreme hook. would it be smart to weaken my grip?
Reed521 1 year ago
Shawn, my swing is pretty much consistent with your strong grip in this lesson, however, I have a tendency to swing with my right hand open-a Duvalesque type grip. I still close the face and am hitting a 5 to 10 yard draw. My swing seems to be fine with my hybrid and irons but lately I have developed an "occasional" (frequent) hook off the tee with my driver and 3 wood. How can I fix this? when i close my right hand i feel uncomfortable in my swing and lose the consistency in my iron play.
cummiskey3030 1 year ago
@cummiskey3030 This is for both you and Reed521; #1 you need to feel the difference between a target bound action and ball bound action; you want the action that releases way out towards the direction you want to start the ball; not release into the ball; see "Ridiculously easy; Shawn Clement" part 1 and 2; If you release to the target in a rhythmic and effortless way and it is still hooking, then you may weaken the grip; Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
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healthnut4life48 1 year ago
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dschultz6072 1 year ago
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dschultz6072 1 year ago
what about the right hand??????????
112frankybaby 1 year ago
@112frankybaby The makeup of the hands stays the same; have a look at my " proper grip; Shawn Clement" and "Grip 2 wrist hinge; Shawn Clement" for complete info on the whole grip including the intricacies of the right hand positioning; Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
@clemshaw I had the strongest grip in the world, almost Furyk style. And I tell ya strong grip does keep the ball low and a BIT further, but not as consistant as a weak grip. Weak grip is more advanced and takes more wrist action and timing, but its better once you get it down.
112frankybaby 1 year ago
i have a strong 4 knuckle grip but occosionely pull hook or just draw the ball a bit too much. what can i do to prevent this?
mankindhoov 1 year ago
@mankindhoov Maybe you should weaken your grip but try to swing more out to the right away from the targetline I think you are flipping your hands over through impact. So try to have more of a body release and not the "roll" release a roll release is when you just overcross your forearms. Try to swing more from in to out and swing out away from the targetline turning your body through the shot and not just releasing with your hands.
f0cusen 8 months ago
this fixed my slice INSTANTLY....
rgard32 1 year ago
Shawn, This was the missing link in my game. Closing the face 40% then regripping to a 4 knuckle grip, forced me to tuck that right shoulder back and opened up my swing. I immediately felt lined up way right, but my friendly Canadian instructor told me not to worry and asked me to play the ball a little more back, and to swing out even more to the right. Well I then hit 5 "7-iron" shots drawing them beautifully right on top of the pin and picking up 25 yards to boot. Thanks from Pinehurst NC
AKADRIVEN 1 year ago
@AKADRIVEN You and PoshboyRoy get the the first and second stars of the day! :)
Way to get through it guys! Great example on how to be fearless in your learning!
Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
Shawn, this sound's cheesey but watching your video above has had the biggest impact on my game than anything else i've tried to learn before.
Despite the initial awkwardness i felt at address, having a stronger grip has given my shots from the PW up, a lot more distance and straightness, my rythm has improved, nice thin divot's in the ground and a much better THWACK sound as i strike the ball, rather than that slappy STACK. There has been other improvements as well.
You saved my game!
PoshboyRoy 1 year ago
Shawn
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
bmp1785 1 year ago
@bmp1785 What does the fade look like with the woods? What is your ball position and does it feel like a whip to a target or a shove at the ball? Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
@clemshaw
i got it figured out now, i am getting pretty consistent with my 5-10 yard draw with my driver. Also picked up some yardage over the last month. I use to average around 230 ish off the tee now 3 of the last 4 times i have played my local exec 9 course i have drove the green on the short par 4 that is 260 yards give or take a few depending on tee placement.
keep up the work on the great video.
bmp1785 1 year ago
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Shawn
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
bmp1785 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Shawn
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
bmp1785 1 year ago
Shawn
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
bmp1785 1 year ago
Shawn. Do you recommend squaring the club face at address if I am using a strong grip with 4 knuckles showing? Is there an advantage to either method?
Thanks for all the great videos!
speech007 1 year ago
@speech007 Thanks for all the great comments guys; to answer this one, if you have a 3 to 4 knuckle grip, you are all set with the square face at address; all you need to allow to happen now is a complete release towards your target! "Golf Pro lesson ridiculously easy" part 1 and 2; Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
@clemshaw
Shawn
I am having a hard time releasing the club head on my woods and driver. I am using a strong grip and can draw or fade my irons at will, but the woods I am just pushing everything to the right. What can I try?
bmp1785 1 year ago
Great video and very helpful.
Any idea why so many pros teach the neutral (2 knuckle grip) with the club face square at the address position?? Ive been taught this way and im sure it has contributed to me having to flip the hands to get the face square.
scifisicko 1 year ago
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Hey Shawn, thank you for your video!!! Just started playing golf about 2 months ago and for the most part I was slicing like a mad man. Read numerous articles about the proper grip blah, blah blah... I finally broke down and got a lesson from a very good instructor and Hanks. He told me my grip was to weak and needed to firm up on it. I'm now seeing 3- 4 knuckles in my grip and my balls are going straight and a performing nice draws. Your video just put icing on the cake!
roa0396 1 year ago
Hey Shawn, thank you for your video!!! Just started playing golf about 2 months ago and for the most part I was slicing like a mad man. Read numerous articles about the proper grip blah, blah blah... I finally broke down and got a lesson from a very good instructor and Hanks. He told me my grip was to weak and needed to firm up on it. I'm now seeing 3- 4 knuckles in my grip and my balls are going straight and a performing nice draws. Your video just put icing on the cake!
roa0396 1 year ago
Thank you for this video! I have been struggling with weak shots out to the right for a while now. i just could not get the realease right. I just strengthened my grip slightly and am producing solid shots with a little draw. Wish i wouldve thought of this earlier i had no clue my grip was the problem....Very good video!!
jlewy007 1 year ago
Hí CM,
I have recently changed my weak grip to a stronger and it work´t very Good for me. So i stand behind You in this tip.
Johnny
trumpetharmonica 1 year ago
So is it better to close the club face then take a neutral grip, or take a strong grip with a squared club face?
Any difference? Thanks!
filthee1 1 year ago
Shawn, with a strong grip, is the right hand supposed to face the target while on the shaft? I have small - medium size hands, so with a strong left hand grip, my right hand ends up too far under, so i still slice. When I can get the right hand facing the target more, my shots are more on-line. But its very uncomfortable, and my right hand just wants to be more under.
cmterpsnskins 1 year ago
hey shawn no wonder i havent seen u on the tour or even the hooters tour because of this damn grip. hey try releasing ur hands at impact and see how left it goes.
Tigerwoodsis1 1 year ago
@Tigerwoodsis1 #1; I did not say that I used a strong grip and 40% of the guys on tour use it man; where have you been? You mean Zack Johnson, Mike Weir, Duval, Daly, Azinger, Treba, Jim Nelson, Jerry Herd, Len Mattiace and the list just goes on and on for decades of guys who can kick your ass in their sleep with a super strong grip; please! I also agree that the neutral grip is terrific for certain players but very rarely for a beginner who does not know the feel of the proper release yet...
clemshaw 1 year ago
this is one of the best videos ive ever seen
jkim0215 1 year ago
@jkim0215 I completely concur with you on this.
I found so many nuggets of gold here after viewing. I had seen this vid before but now have found so much that I did not see before.
This is a must see for all Clement Fans and watch with intensity and learn what he is teaching here.
Michael10659 1 year ago
Would'nt a strong grip cause you to deloft the club face at impact ? If your hands are to far forward can you hit the correct trajectory ?
SuperPreciouslife 1 year ago
Shawn - From your answer below....
Yes, thanks! In fact I understand it so well that I realize the misconception I had in my full swing release.
synckd 1 year ago
WOW. The negative effects of a strong grip on the dynamics of the swing are left out. For a weekend hacker the strong grip will cause many problems. The early release mentioned is due to 'quitting' on the shot, not due to loss of retention of the lag secondary to grip - the deceleration caused by a decrease in swing velocity is the 'quitting'. Again WOW.
The reason Azinger couldn't hit a high ball is because of that grip....
boprn 1 year ago
Dude; You are missing the point; have a look at my other videos on grip before you pass on dramatic comments like this; do you even teach golf? Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
@clemshaw
Do I teach golf? Not at your level, no.
boprn 1 year ago
@boprn You probably cannot break 100
NikeGolf118 1 year ago
Shawn,
On chips and short pitches, when you use a strong grip, do you take the cup out of the back of the left wrist as you go through impact a la the Pronation and Supination video, or do you hold the dish angle?
synckd 2 years ago
The thing about chip and pitch vs full swing: For many, they need a stronger grip or a more closed club face in the full swing because they are getting ready to swing or whip THROUGH TO THE TARGET which naturally opens the face to a square position through impact; you do not want this for chips and short pitch shots as your hands are already forward and there is no change in the "lower case y" through the shot; closed face with hands centered=square face hands forward; you dig? Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
Shawn I played this weekend and after watching this video and the hip turn video I made better contact than ever before. I usually hit my driver around 200 yds but yesterday one was 200 yards, most were around 225 - 235 and two at 250. Amazing! My only problem was a lot of drives & irons were starting slight left of center and drawing into the rough or woods. Do you have another video recommendation? I felt like my clubface was aimed right of target but it must not have been. Thanks, Mike
Pulley57 2 years ago
Hey Mike; Just continue to flow around a steady axis; see "golf pro lesson tilted twirl" and keep it rhythmic with "golf pro lesson how to get great rhythm"; Keep it up! Shawn
clemshaw 1 year ago
Shawn, what a great video. No wonder my 6 iron was a like 9 iron I had a very, very weak grip. I'm taking "your" to the range this weekend. Two quick questions. Why do you say hold the club in the air close the club face take your grip and then line up square to target instead of strengthing grip with club face square to target on the ground? Secondly testing the grip feels different, naturally, how long do think it will take before it feels natural? Thanks, Mike
Pulley57 2 years ago
So many golfers make the mistake when they either open the face to hit a bunker shot or close the face to hit a strong draw, they don't turn the club in their hands; they just turn the hands; well of course, they have not changed a thing so it is important to demonstrate this here in the video! :) After your brain has accepted the feel of the new grip and has made the connection with through the ball, when you focus on your target, you will feel the need to grip it right! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Thats the answer I was looking for
Michael10659 1 year ago
Hi Shawn, great videos! I just bought you video and love every minute of it! I noticed that no matter how tightly I grab the club, it falls loose at the top of my swing in my left hand (i'm right handed) and I can't get my right hand to maintain the "hooked" pointer finger going through the shot because my right thumb gets loose. The club ends up breaking the "v" of my hooked right pointer and my thumb. What can I do to correct this? Any help would be appreciated! Thanks!!!
orenshachal 2 years ago
See my other video called "golf pro lesson grip awareness" where you will use the perpetual motion drill to monitor the grip's pressure and where it falls apart, at the moment it falls apart, your upper arms are crashing into the top of the rib cage which means that you are not COMPLETELY GETTING OUT OF THE WAY! See "golf pro lesson timing and tempo update" Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Shawn
Your still suppose to square your club to your target, then take your grip(using the string grip you showed). Am i right? And also, where abouts is your right hand suppose to position when using a strong grip? Is your right thumb, suppose to be align with your left thumb??
vballmandude 2 years ago
Best is to look at my "golf pro lesson grip 2 wrist hinge" video for the second part; for the first part, the arm club unit should square itself from a solid braced position against the left side which will create a fantastic anchoring system that will deploy the full release of the hands; so the result is that they release themselves; it should never be a conscious act!! Keep plugging! See "golf pro lesson taut swing philosophy" Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
THANKS SO MUCH!!
kogamja 2 years ago
very well reasoned and explained. There is no need for anyone to argue with this. Simply go to the range, warm up, then hit some balls with neutral, then add a knuckle, hit more, add another and just try to develop awareness of what is going on. Shawn, you really broke it down beautifully. I agree that this would apply to at least 80% of the golfers out there. The frustrating thing is that a golfer could have most things right but have a grip that throws the swing out of kilter.
kbkesq 2 years ago
Great comment! Thanks very much!
Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Is better for many.
Matt
cockywatchman1976 2 years ago
Thanks Matt;
When you do hit the stronger hook, what was your focus over the ball? If you were not focused on the target and how you were going to let the "effortless whip" go in the direction of the target, then you DEFAULTED to the ball and therefore released the "snap" too soon and caused the hook; so be aware of this next time it happens;
Good Comment BTW! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Shawn,
I use a strong-neytral grip as shown in this vid. Im noticing as I improve and stop cutting across at the top that I am hitting everything with a nice draw-but often big hooks. Im wondering as I improve whether its better to weaken the grip a little-to more like a Hogan grip-although maybe a little weaker. trying his conventional grip it feels REALLY WEAK to me.
Good video this-teachers often make out grip is black and white-I think this is wrong. Its a grey area. I think stronge
cockywatchman1976 2 years ago
love shawn's videos but disagree with this one. i think if you can control your release you can play with either weak or strong grip. Weak grip gives more consistency though, as it naturally encourages the wrist to pronate at the top and you don't need to manipulate it back to pronate at impact position as the case with strong grip which encourages cupped position at the top. Also weak grip encourages more aggressive release to square the club face which gives you more distance.
dfg769 2 years ago
Hey dfg769; I know exactly what you mean and this video is made for 90% of the golfers out there who have a hard time with the release; I know about the release you are talking about because I also get great results with the weak/neutral grip too; but out of the 80 to 100 students I see every week as well as the ones my assistants handle, I would say this video fits 90% of them; the world tours are chock full of the strong grippers as well; Thanks for the comment though! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
OMG You are the best... I have been fighting like crazy a fade/slice... divits always pointing left, no matter how hard I tried to get them not to they always did. I noticed after watching your video that I was wide open at the top. I went to the range and tried a 4 knuckle grip... WALA no more fade slice. My shots where either straight or slight draw and long. I am so excited to play and get under 80.
You need a paypal account so people can donate to your cause in keeping the videos coming!!!!
dallenharris 2 years ago
One more question, Are you supposed to have a hinge with the strong grip. Because I love the grip but feel also unnatural using it all the time because I can't hinge up and down with my wrists... Does this make sense?
n8dawg10 2 years ago
If you have issues with the hinge then you should revisit the grip as it will be too strong; remember, both snuff boxes need to be active; Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Hey Shawn,
I posted on your video before. By the way I love your natural approach! So the only thing that has ever cured my slice is this technique. I used to have divets going left and had a weak grip. Now I use a very strong grip and it has really improved my game (especially my drives). However, when I use the strong grip, I hit the ball straight but it tends to go left with maybe a little fade. Any reason why or advice to get the ball to start off straight?
n8dawg10 2 years ago
This means that you are still getting ahead of the ball through impact; when doing the feet together drill (I have a video with this title), feel how the right foot is forced to stay down otherwise balance is completely compromised; then feel the same thing through impact with the feet apart...keep the right foot down way through impact until the right shoulder collects the head into the finish; see "golf pro lesson leverage power" and "golf Pro lesson tilted spiral part 3" ! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
What the hell is a "snuff-box"?
Polus24 2 years ago
It is a medical term (Anatomical snuff box) to identify the part of the wrist that hinges when you hammer nails, throw footballs and cast fishing poles...and of course, load up and release golf clubs with;
Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
distance is proportional from PW -7 iron. From 6-3 iron, my distance kind of maxes out at 180!..so i hit my 6-5-4-3 irons the same distance... Thanks for all your videos, you have helped me understand my swing.
rangergolf1 2 years ago
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rangergolf1 2 years ago
Yes; this is a tilt issue; see "golf pro lesson proper spine tilt angle" and "golf pro lesson braced tilt part 1 and 2"
Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Hi Shawn, I have a peculiar problem at ADDRESS. I feel that I need a strong grip to sqaure up the face at ADRESS for my shorter clubs? For he longer clubs ( 3 iron-driver) the clubface looks square at address but the grip is much weaker! Any particular reason for this?
rangergolf1 2 years ago
Are your distances between clubs proportionate?
clemshaw 2 years ago
Comment removed
rangergolf1 2 years ago
One more question, should I have lag with ALL my irons also? Thanks
mxlevi456 2 years ago
Positively yes!
clemshaw 2 years ago
Thanks alot, I watch a lot of your videos and you're a very good teacher and I love how you take the time out of your day to upload videos to YouTube. One quick question. You're supposed to "bottom out" in the middle of your divot. I'm trying to increase my lag and I'm wondering, should I be "bottoming out" in my divot, which I'm guessing is when the club shaft is straight with your lead arm, or is it OK to have the club shaft straight with your lead arm well after the divot is taken? Thanks!
mxlevi456 2 years ago
After the divot is taken is best! See "golf pro lesson through the ball" and check out the 2 ball drill at minute 6! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Thanks, Shawn, for the info. Here's what I'm doing so far as my grip goes: At address, I've been holding my driver out in front of me at about a 45 degree angle, turning the head about 45 degrees down toward the ground. Finally, I place the club head square to the target, giving me a very strong grip (3 or 4 knuckles). I have the ball about 2 inches off my left heel. This gives me a fairly consistent drive. Do you think that I'm on the right track? Any tweaking suggestions?
bryanspell 2 years ago
Perfect!! Keep it up!
Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Hey Shawn i have a question. I've always had a weak or neutral grip but it hasnt bothered me much,but here lately i am pulling or fading the ball with my driver and woods and also topping alot of my irons. So question is, do i need to swing any different with a stronger grip or anything? It feels so weird right now but im going to test it out at the D.R. tom. All help is appreciated. Thanks. Nice Video too.
K1NGP1N360 2 years ago
Sounds like you are struggling with your body Tilt; see "golf pro lesson braced tilt part 2" to start; then see "golf pro lesson proper spine tilt angle" and the "golf pro lesson tilted spiral" part 1, 2 and 3 series;
Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
I can't even hardly began to tell you how your videos have helped me to understand some of what I been doing wrong. I have watched about six of your vids. And they are the best I've seem. Thanks so very much.
Router2525 2 years ago
i need to change my grip its neutral to weak ,, when im swinging well it doesnt matter but on the days (most days) when im not its a high fade right ,, open club face at impact ,,, a friend of mine has the 4 knuckle grip hes 5'7 140 lbs and bombs it 300 consistently where i average about 275- with a high swing speed ,, wasted power it feels like ,,, thanks for the tip !!
justifieddamage88 2 years ago
I find a better way to get a strong grip rather than turning your left hand clockwise to see more knuckles is to squeeze hard and hold with the last three fingers of your left hand.
any comments?
mrjackpo 2 years ago
An oldy but goody! :) Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Hey Shawn,
Great DVD and very helpful videos.
I had a few lessons a few years ago with Jason Laws(coach to James Nitties and Nathan Green), and he taught me to have my hands back(pointing to centre of body orbelt buckle) at address and hands forward at impact. Does this work with your swing philosophy?
laceymania 2 years ago
Sure; see "golf pro lesson student swing analysis" part 1 and 2; in part 2 you will see half way through a nice analogy that will corroborate this address position;
Thanks for the comment! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Hi Shawn - Brilliant video! I have a wicked slice that I have battled to overcome and as yet have had no success. I have been using a neutral grip. By shifting to a strong grip position will this eliminate (or even minimize) my slice.
Your videos are brilliant and really helpful in understanding technique. Thanks
dougoin 2 years ago
Of course! What you think is a neutral grip has the face wide open! Enjoy the experiment! There is a reason why over 40% of the tour pros have a very strong grip!!! Toss the "SHOULD BE AND SHOULD HAVES" out the window!
Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Superb Shawn! Went out yesterday after watching this on Friday night and hit a 300 yard monster, chipped on and sunk it for birdie! Amazing difference. I think I might mark my grips to make sure I have the correct grip placement at each shot, what do you think?
daveyreidy 2 years ago
Great Idea!! Go for it! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
great video.. when I started playing 2 years ago, I had very strong grip. I've noticed that with my friends that are weekend golfers too.
I've also noticed that most of the greatest golfers of the world have a weak grip. Like Tiger Woods and Ben Hogan. Now I have a weak grip as I play better and practiced on the range. In my opinion, grip doesn't really matter much. It's how much you practice with the grip on the range everyday and get comfortable with it. Any opinion on that.. thanks again.
kissmyshortass 2 years ago
Yep! The golf swing is an evolution for everyone; I went from Weak to strong to neutral to neutral-strong; it depends on how well you swing through the ball and how well you stay centered in the swing and how well you stay braced through impact; the key is to have fun with it! :) Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Hey Shawn this is a great vid this is the first video I have seen of yours. I fight a pull and a pull hook with all my clubs. I have a 3 knukle grip. When I work on bringing up my plane and keeping the face open or neutral at the top I can hit some great shots with this grip. My question is do you think it is best to go to a 2 knuckle grip for someone like me or keep my strong grip and work on my swing in terms of later release or more upright swing plane?? Thanks again for the vid!!
hillslasher 2 years ago
If your spine tilt or braced tilt is good and the ball position is not too far forward, then go with your grip option of more neutral; see "golf pro lesson tilted spiral" part 1, 2 and 3 to cover the other possibilities; Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
So should it be closed at address , once again really informative video.
morgan12booth 2 years ago
It can be if you want; no problem! a 2 knuckle grip with a 20 degree closed face is like a 3-4 knuckle grip with a square face; play with the options and see what works best for you; the main thing is that you continue to swing to a target!
Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Hi Shawn,
tried this at the range today... hit some cracking shots... but also hit some amazing hooks. has anyone else had this problem or is it because u cant be lazy with this grip (and do u find its more of a palmy grip?) and have to make sure u have that weight transfer?
paul
p.s. dont stop making these vids!
ForceyBoy 2 years ago
Hey Paul; thanks for the comment! It just means you had a grip that was too strong and overdid the grip on a few of those shots; keep swinging towards the target and keep a very nice tempo and rhythm; "golf pro lesson timing and tempo" and "golf pro lesson through the ball" Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
ForceyBoy,
Make sure you are not coming out of the shot by dipping the right shoulder (hence, raising the left). This caused me hooks too. Once I stayed down on the shot (actually becoming lower and allowing the arms drop in front of the body), the balls would come out like straight missles.
KenSemak 2 years ago
Thanks for all your videos Shawn. This is my first comment. More a need for clarification. Are you saying that each person needs to fugure out what works for him? Or is it that most people will benefit from a strong grip? I have not paid attention to this so far. I am using the grip where the clubface is square to the ball at address. I am basically using the grip you demonstrated in your grip video. Any thoughts are welcome. I am a beginner.
keeveatl 2 years ago
Hey keeveatl! It is definitely about what would work best for you; a very strong percentage of PGA tour players and amateurs alike benefit from a stronger grip; those who hook the ball too much won't. Keep on pluggin' and learnin'!
Thank you for the great question! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
wow you just nailed what i have been doing wrong. I went to a weaker grip and could not figure out what was causing me to start slicing my irons, i was getting frustrated. Love all your vids shawn, thank you for all of your videos.
hewdaddy79 2 years ago
Shawn
This was very enlightening. I did not realize that 1 knuckle is 30 degrees. I have a problem hooking (partly to a flat swing) and had to OPEN up quite a bit... Look forward to meeting you in person
bbellur 2 years ago
Thank you for the great comments Guys! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Shawn,
Would you say a more weak grip produces a fade or push or is it a combination of an outside in swing? Im working on getting a camera to send you some video. I find that I fade or push with my longer irons and the driver 40% of the time.
Mark
skynetop 2 years ago
YES; once you have covered the issues of the grip; see the "golf Pro Lesson be a solid ball striker" and "golf pro lesson tilted spiral" part 1, 2 and 3 and especially 3 to make sure that your perception to target is sound!
I will be doing a great DVD on this soon! Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
No fade is bad shot (normally with Driver). It was a one off lesson whch was net +ve as I am now a lot more dynamic (bottom out). I have the thru the ball, one leg drill, and one that rocks from right to left to be really useful. I really get what you say, but noted you are a little bit contra the popular words on grip. I am not sure Cabrerra et al hold the club like a tube of toothpaste, so I am kinda with you on this one. I am reverting to my stronger grip..
ashbylad69 2 years ago
Interesting as I had a lesson with my local pro the other day and he was trying to push me to a weaker grip. I am not sure that I like the feel....
ashbylad69 2 years ago
Is it because you were hooking? Make sure you are swinging through the ball first! "golf Pro lesson through the ball"; see this video first and try the drills; Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
Could you explain the difference between:
1. Closing the clubface with a neutral grip.
2. Strengthening the grip without closing the clubface at address ?
What this does for your swing
Scampern 3 years ago
One will work better than the other depending on the person; some people can't use a strong grip because of stiff forearms and others can't look at a closed face; it is just a matter of personal preference; left handed I have a bit of both and right handed I have an open face with a stronger grip...both sides allow be to work the ball at will; Shawn
clemshaw 2 years ago
I use a weak grip and all my irons shots are good but... my driver and woods sucks.... they curve a lot should I change to strong?
Poland4ever001 2 years ago
Thanks for this video! I'm a 7 handicap and I've always had a strong grip. I've recently been debating on wether or not to switch to a neutral grip but it just wasnt comfortable for me, maybe because I dont wear a glove or have small hands. I'm starting my first semester at the GAA of Orlando and wanted to make sure I wasn't practicing something that was incorrect. Thanks for the clarification.
JJGardner17 3 years ago
Great tip yet again shawn. if you dont mind, to clarify, strong grip=Closed at address? The clubface squares up at impact due to the weight transfer to the left side? Is it the same principal with woods and Hybrids too? Btw thanks for the replies, you must be a busy man!
thelukos 3 years ago
All clubs my man! Especially the driver!
Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Makes alott of sense! I have felt like i should be in a strong grip and since I have seen you and steve both using it in your video's, I just wanted to be sure this was right from my perception. Can't wait to go make some divots! You need to move to Southern california so you can play with my group 3-4 times a week.
smokethedriver300 3 years ago
That would be great! I could use some good warm weather for my bones right now! Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Shawn this is the same problem I had when i quit golf 3 years ago. I have been going throught the process of "building" my swing and long story short i am trying toput my body in the correct angles and hold the club properly and take it back correctly and blah blah blah, now I cant hit the ball. It is really really bad. I don't know where to even begin to fix myself now. The guest bedroom is family ready shawn. sunshine,BBQ's and golf. Was about 70 today on the course :)
smokethedriver300 3 years ago
Shawn,
Excellent as usual. Agree with the strong grip concept. I (Hcp 4) grip strong and often address the ball with a closed clubface. I find this works well; however when doing this, the visual perception of the clubface can promote an outside-the-line takeaway which I need to guard against. Outside the line plus strong grip doesn't work so well for me but it may explain Zinger's power fade.
JB NZ
pepperc0rn 3 years ago
Hey JB; great comment! See my latest video called "golf pro lesson bilateral and unilateral" to get the sense of the takeaway where you will not feel the need to take the swing to the outside or manipulate the takeaway;
Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Shawn,
I play right handed but I am lefty, so my left hand is stronger than my right hand, what would you suggest on grip.
1976dhansukh 3 years ago
I find I work better with a more neutral grip on my backhand side but with a slightly closed face; a combo of dominant hand and dominant eye (left eye dominant); this gives me a straight flight; Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
S,
Wld wlcme your thghts on the dominant hand/eye issue. I feel that in golf the latter is much more imp than we think. I am right eye (&hand) dom. Often when playing badly I have rectified things by closing my left (non dom) eye to ensure that my dominant eye is always 'in charge'. My theory is that on the b/swing if the nose gets in the way of the right eye view and the left eye 'takes over', it can confuse the nervous system re where momentum (swing path) should be directed.
JB (NZ)
pepperc0rn 3 years ago
Hey JB;
That is a very important point you make that would definitely short circuit the focus and cause the brain to flicker causing self one to take control for fear of missing the ball...very cool comment and thank you very much for that! Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
I put your concept to work today with very promising results; I have a student of mine(one of many as this is a common issue) who cannot keep his eyes on the ball or has the "wandering eyes in the backswing" which destroys any chance of sustained focus through the ball and towards the target. His dominant eye is right and I asked him to close his left eye and he immediately started keeping his eye in one place on the ball; very very good my friend!! I will do more research and keep you posted!
clemshaw 3 years ago
Hey Shaw.
I am 38 and grew up on golf from my grandfather but never had the money for lessons or good equip. Your video's are a godsend, anyway this grip video has changed my game went to the range and with that stronger grip (awkward at first) and your two ball drill I just spanked the ball with that flush divot in front of ball feeling. It's amazing how something as small as turning that left hand over a little more makes such a big difference. Thanks Mike
msc32511 3 years ago
Hey Shawn!
This is a great video and it tied up a few loose ends for me. My swing has improved a lot since our last lesson and I've developed a feel for the toss-plant-whip sensation, but my shots were going off to the right and I knew it meant the club face was too open. You once told me to keep the club face more closed at address but it always looked odd to me. With this video, I completely get it (and it corrected the direction of my shots)! Thanks for the excellent video!
itrat 3 years ago
Hi itrat
I to thought the club face looked to closed but shooting 15 plus less per round I think i will stick with it :-)
The closed face also makes me lower the right shoulder and puts me in a better stance than before.... it all just seems to work time and again. I'll never look back..
Cheers from down under.....
George in NZ
NAPNZ 3 years ago
Right on Itrat!
I hope you are getting some great play time out there!
Send me an email sometime and let me know how you are doing outside the game too! :)
Thanks for the great comment! Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Hi Shawn
In the last two years I have had both shoulders operated on for Rota cuff tears.
Since then I have been shooting in the mid 90s now the shoulders have settled down
I needed a idea to square up my club face to stay in the game.
Your Video about a strong grip has been a winner used it twice shot 87 & and lovely 80 the look on my mates faces were pure disbelief.
Thanks a Million George ..from New Zealand
A young 67 you have given my game a new lease of life
NAPNZ 3 years ago
Thanks for the great comment George!
Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
i have more and more points of hard skin in my left hand, is it a problem of grip , how can i do stop this .( tthree points on fingers , 3 on the palm ) ,all around the contact with the shaft of my clubs , good job SHAWN !!!!.
BENOITBO 3 years ago
Hi Benoit! I would review the grip with my "Golf Pro Lesson Proper grip" and "Golf Pro Lesson Grip 2 wrist hinge" and then use the "Perpetual motion drill" to monitor the grip as you swing back and through in the swing and make sure there is no movement in the contact from the hands to the club; if there is in the backswing, you are not turning enough and the arms are crashing into the rib cage and causing the grip to come apart; if it is in the follow through, check my arm motion video...
clemshaw 3 years ago
Shawn, This is the only video I disagree with.. I think a 4 knuckle grip is a band aid fix for slicers and takes a lot of strength to hold off the release of the club which should happen naturally.. Jack, Tiger, Ben Hogan... that's probably about 200+ wins so far.. and they all have neutral grips, perhaps even on the weak side.. i have a lot of strength in my forearms i guess, anything more than a neutral grip I'll hit it left of the world..
fontaine32 3 years ago
Hey Fontaine32! Great comment and this is what I say in the video; THAT THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE! In my left handed swing when leading with my dominant hand, I can easily go weaker than weak and stripe it! You just don't see the golf masses like I do and answer 100 emails a day from people who have issues you never had to worry about! Also, for body language at the beginnings of golf learning, the strong grip is waaaay better as they won't use the body to square an open face! Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
I'd have to say that Tiger's grip (certainly the one in his book, How I Play Golf) is stronger than neutral. Nicklaus used a hands forward address position which disguised a stronger than neutral grip (right hand well underneath) Hogan was 'weak' but his bowed (supinated) left wrist through impact squared the face for him. A stronger grip does promote proper body rotation while a neutral to weak grip for the average player encourages more hand action to square the face. ususally too late.
earthshine2k 3 years ago
Shawn,
I go through periods where I take a neutral grip with a closed face and then square it at address. I just never understood why I would periodically do this...it just would help my swing.
I think you're are a fantastic teacher, and I send a lot of your videos to my good golfing buddies. Not too many though, as I don't want to help the "enemy" too much.
Would love to, some day, get to your neck of the woods and meet you in person.
Pete
MaleGolfer 3 years ago
Shawn,
Thank you for the best explanation of the grip types that I have even seen. That was the best 7 minutes I ever spent watching a video on the internet! You are by far the best golf instructor I have ever seen, I just wish you taught on Long Island, lol. Thanks again!
Mike
imsellin2u 3 years ago
Thanks very much Mike!
We are just a 15 minute drive from Pearson International airport in Toronto...:)
Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Hi Shawn,
Certainly not golf weather!
I'm busy knocking pictures of my office wall swinging the club around!
Hope you are well.
Thanks
Vinny
broonzy2006 3 years ago
Greetings from the UK Shaun. As always, love the videos - have never come across anyone that explains the fundamentals so well, excellent use of analogy and imagery you just don't get from a book!
broonzy2006 3 years ago
Thanks Broonzy! what is the weather like where you are these days? Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Shawn
When I take a strong grip and address the ball, should I be looking at a closed club face or should I allow my arms to rotate so that the club face appears square to the target line?
putney1968 3 years ago
Great question and it can be either! What is important is that when you whip the club through to the target that the flight of the ball has little or no curvature on it; some don't like to square it because they don't like the feel of too much torque in the left forearm; others don't mind it and prefer seeing a square club...
Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Shawn,
I am intrigued about applying this to my swing since I have issues with slices on my driver, although not with my irons. I have been trying to find ways to apply and feel the "lag", which I am not yet aware of in my swing. My current iron shots are straight albeit not as long as I think they could be. I worry that I'll get some hook or fade in my irons by applying the strong grip (but hopefully getting more lag). If this is so, what's the best way to adjust my swing for iron shots?
racaroc 3 years ago
Hey rararoc! Great question!!
See the "braced tilt part 2" and the "Tilted Spiral part 1, 2 and 3" videos on the "you Tube Shawn" page of my website; especially #3!! You will see what I mean;
Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Shawn, where you are demonstrating the strong grip at the half way down point and mention the club face is closed, it actually looks like it is parallel to your spine angle. Isn't that technically a square club face at that point? I always thought that having the toe point straight up half way down was actually open to the plane of your swing.
huronmountain 3 years ago
Hey Huronmountain; good question;
They do not have any relation at all; the arms and club are tracking gravity and the body is getting out of the way; do not confuse club face with spine angle as they do not relate in the swing;
Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
Hey Shawn,
Love your videos. Your video on relaxing helped me shoot my best round ever.
Does this strong grip and lag apply to the driver also? Thanks.
mondoo70 3 years ago
Hey Mondoo! Thanks very much and yes; you want to apply this to the driver especially!
All the best, Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago
what im working on is exactly maintaining the arm/shaft angle longer instead of casting the club early on the downswing, with the hands leading the head, creating "lag".. and this is causing me to slice it sometimes because the face is open at impact, especially with the driver.. maybe this is just the tip i needed, thank you!
but what about the right hand? a stronger grip with the left hand would create a weaker right hand grip right?
very good videos by the way..
cheers
dopekr 3 years ago
Thanks for the comment and question;
The left hand stronger will create a stronger right hand position as well; otherwise the hinge would not be able to form in both wrists as the hands would be fighting each other...So as the left hand goes more over showing more knuckles, the right hand would turn more under hiding more knuckles...Shawn
clemshaw 3 years ago