Importance of GRIPPING

This may be the most boring topic of all.. we have all talked about D-plane, swing plane and aeroplane, equipment, handicap stroking, betting, fitting etc.....

But have we stopped for a second to look at our grip ?

After the few years playing golf with the wrong grip (for those who do not know me, I was playing high 80s to mid 90s at that time) and realised my game was stagnating so I was considering of going back for lessons.. So I met up with Ren Chiat in laguna..

First question he asked after looking at my grip and swing... he said to me..

"I won't promise you its gonna be easy.. in fact its gonna be difficult and how fast you adopt only u will know... it depends how hard you train.."

That was a tough awakening... and took me two weeks before I decided to suck it up and go back for coaching.

Its been almost 2 months since my first lesson with him... and I have shanked, topped , duffed in every possible way and ways I have never seen with the new grip and stance.

It was only past few range sessions I saw daylight at the end of the tunnel with better ball striking... but still lots of balls to be hit to ingrain the feel.. The subtle feel in your arms of being able to hit fade, draw, low, high shots are coming back again. Even the short game is getting more consistent...

I gave myself a conservative 4 -6 mths to get back on track ...

So yeah.. we have all talked about so many things... but many , including myself ignored the one important bit of the game.. the bit that connects us to the club and ball.. yeah, thats right, I am talking about OUR GRIP ...

So yeah.. if you have the time, look at your grip and check with your Pro when you can.. You may suffer now for the next few mths... but sure will pay dividends when you finally manage to execute..

Ok.. time for work...!

Rant over.. thanks for reading folks..!

wow..
wrong grip - high 80s
scary to find out what your scores will be like when you've corrected your grip..

TheFocalPoint wrote:

wow..
wrong grip - high 80s
scary to find out what your scores will be like when you've corrected your grip..

You hv seen how much i was compensating with every shot... after some time i got used to it. but when it came abt to uneven lies etc... the whole variable just threw everything into the mix...

Interesting topic : re grip are u referring to how fingers intertwine or dont intertwine when holding club or the rubber/ corded grip proper...

For former i hv a question: do we need to change the way we grip for the different clubs : driver irons wedges putter? or simply hold them the same way tho we can hold it near the end or further down depending on how u wanna shape the shot?

and for the latter: i find it very tough to select grips esp with the many sizings n brands out there offering differing characteristics (i hv been tested at Ping and they say its white standard + my glove size is M/L). When changing the rubber grip i find it hard to decide which is better and also tough to feel the subtle different sizes due to other factors introduced eg softness, hardness, stickiness etc.... then there's color...sigh

I saw your old grip/swing before. Very strong grip. Fade shots.

Ren asked you to use more neutral grip and release with the forearms/hands more?

The neeed to grip the club is the basic of golf. I had not seen nor heard anyone who can hit the ball without griping the club or putter

I tend to overgrip my clubs, especially my shorter irons so I'm prone to pulling those. I've tried to adopt the toothpaste-tube concept, i.e. don't squeeze it so hard that the toothpaste will come out, but squeeze it enough that it won't fall out of your hands.

pushslice wrote:

I saw your old grip/swing before. Very strong grip. Fade shots.

Ren asked you to use more neutral grip and release with the forearms/hands more?

Thats exactly what is taught.. u are spot on bro... I never could get a proper feel of releasing with my forearms before. W that v strong grip it all depends on how I feel whenever I hold the club to compensate. cause for inconsistency esp with short game and wedges...

@jeffman88 : Seriously ??

Like Technospaz, I too grip my clubs too tightly. I thought that by gripping my clubs tightly I can rip it but instead I normally duff it. I have come to realise that when I grip my clubs less tightly the better I hit my shots.

Begbie wrote:

pushslice wrote:

I saw your old grip/swing before. Very strong grip. Fade shots.

Ren asked you to use more neutral grip and release with the forearms/hands more?

Thats exactly what is taught.. u are spot on bro... I never could get a proper feel of releasing with my forearms before. W that v strong grip it all depends on how I feel whenever I hold the club to compensate. cause for inconsistency esp with short game and wedges...

@jeffman88 : Seriously ??

thot these words from the king of strong grip himself, Trevino, is suitable for your journey

"08 Weaken a strong grip.
Changing from a strong grip to a neutral or slightly weak one takes time and is not easy, but it’s a great way to become a versatile player. I played in a tournament with Ben Hogan toward the end of his career, around 1970, and even then there wasn’t a shot he couldn’t hit with ease. Mostly he hit the ball dead straight, but he could play all kinds of little squeeze fades and low hooks. What made Ben great was his slightly weak grip, both hands rotated counterclockwise so the “Vs” formed by his thumbs and forefingers pointed at his right ear at address. Shotmaking-wise, it gave him tremendous control. To draw the ball, he just released the club a little more. To hit it straight, he released a little less, and to fade it, he didn’t do anything. You can play good golf with a strong grip; Paul Azinger, David Duval and I are proof of that. But none of us is known for drawing the ball. When we tried, we hit too many duck hooks"

and dont forget to give strokes per course handicap once you figured it all out

Begbie wrote:

This may be the most boring topic of all.. we have all talked about D-plane, swing plane and aeroplane, equipment, handicap stroking, betting, fitting etc.....

But have we stopped for a second to look at our grip ?

After the few years playing golf with the wrong grip (for those who do not know me, I was playing high 80s to mid 90s at that time) and realised my game was stagnating so I was considering of going back for lessons.. So I met up with Ren Chiat in laguna..

First question he asked after looking at my grip and swing... he said to me..

"I won't promise you its gonna be easy.. in fact its gonna be difficult and how fast you adopt only u will know... it depends how hard you train.."

That was a tough awakening... and took me two weeks before I decided to suck it up and go back for coaching.

Its been almost 2 months since my first lesson with him... and I have shanked, topped , duffed in every possible way and ways I have never seen with the new grip and stance.

It was only past few range sessions I saw daylight at the end of the tunnel with better ball striking... but still lots of balls to be hit to ingrain the feel.. The subtle feel in your arms of being able to hit fade, draw, low, high shots are coming back again. Even the short game is getting more consistent...

I gave myself a conservative 4 -6 mths to get back on track ...

So yeah.. we have all talked about so many things... but many , including myself ignored the one important bit of the game.. the bit that connects us to the club and ball.. yeah, thats right, I am talking about OUR GRIP ...

So yeah.. if you have the time, look at your grip and check with your Pro when you can.. You may suffer now for the next few mths... but sure will pay dividends when you finally manage to execute..

Ok.. time for work...!

Rant over.. thanks for reading folks..!

Bro I totally resonate with you on this! I just finished 6 lessons with Paul at MBGC.

Like you I tend to have a strong grip and rip it. I thought the ball flight was nice although tends to draw at times, but I was using too much arm.

Of the 6 lessons with Paul, 4 was spent correcting the grip to move it to neutral, grip it less tightly and having the sensation that the right arm literally do nothing but support the club. Like you I was topping and having horrible slices...

But once I get the hang of it, the feeling of hitting it sweet is really quite different. Feels like less effort but distance gain is the same, if not more. With flatter swing, I was able to get more consistent hits in the same direction. Long irons are flying abit better as well. On a good day, the 4i can go 160 and beyond.

So yes, reinforcing what Bro Begbie said - Grip is wayyyy underlooked, and if I may add, our stance and how we address the ball as well.

Thanks for sharing!

Begbie wrote:

This may be the most boring topic of all.. we have all talked about D-plane, swing plane and aeroplane, equipment, handicap stroking, betting, fitting etc.....

But have we stopped for a second to look at our grip ?

After the few years playing golf with the wrong grip (for those who do not know me, I was playing high 80s to mid 90s at that time) and realised my game was stagnating so I was considering of going back for lessons.. So I met up with Ren Chiat in laguna..

First question he asked after looking at my grip and swing... he said to me..

"I won't promise you its gonna be easy.. in fact its gonna be difficult and how fast you adopt only u will know... it depends how hard you train.."

That was a tough awakening... and took me two weeks before I decided to suck it up and go back for coaching.

Its been almost 2 months since my first lesson with him... and I have shanked, topped , duffed in every possible way and ways I have never seen with the new grip and stance.

It was only past few range sessions I saw daylight at the end of the tunnel with better ball striking... but still lots of balls to be hit to ingrain the feel.. The subtle feel in your arms of being able to hit fade, draw, low, high shots are coming back again. Even the short game is getting more consistent...

I gave myself a conservative 4 -6 mths to get back on track ...

So yeah.. we have all talked about so many things... but many , including myself ignored the one important bit of the game.. the bit that connects us to the club and ball.. yeah, thats right, I am talking about OUR GRIP ...

So yeah.. if you have the time, look at your grip and check with your Pro when you can.. You may suffer now for the next few mths... but sure will pay dividends when you finally manage to execute..

Ok.. time for work...!

Rant over.. thanks for reading folks..!

But you must go for fitting first. correct grip no fitting also no use.

Suzuki wrote:

But you must go for fitting first. correct grip no fitting also no use.

Suzuki wrote:

Begbie wrote:

This may be the most boring topic of all.. we have all talked about D-plane, swing plane and aeroplane, equipment, handicap stroking, betting, fitting etc.....

But have we stopped for a second to look at our grip ?

After the few years playing golf with the wrong grip (for those who do not know me, I was playing high 80s to mid 90s at that time) and realised my game was stagnating so I was considering of going back for lessons.. So I met up with Ren Chiat in laguna..

First question he asked after looking at my grip and swing... he said to me..

"I won't promise you its gonna be easy.. in fact its gonna be difficult and how fast you adopt only u will know... it depends how hard you train.."

That was a tough awakening... and took me two weeks before I decided to suck it up and go back for coaching.

Its been almost 2 months since my first lesson with him... and I have shanked, topped , duffed in every possible way and ways I have never seen with the new grip and stance.

It was only past few range sessions I saw daylight at the end of the tunnel with better ball striking... but still lots of balls to be hit to ingrain the feel.. The subtle feel in your arms of being able to hit fade, draw, low, high shots are coming back again. Even the short game is getting more consistent...

I gave myself a conservative 4 -6 mths to get back on track ...

So yeah.. we have all talked about so many things... but many , including myself ignored the one important bit of the game.. the bit that connects us to the club and ball.. yeah, thats right, I am talking about OUR GRIP ...

So yeah.. if you have the time, look at your grip and check with your Pro when you can.. You may suffer now for the next few mths... but sure will pay dividends when you finally manage to execute..

Ok.. time for work...!

Rant over.. thanks for reading folks..!

But you must go for fitting first. correct grip no fitting also no use.

Says who ? My fitter nvr guarantee one session can hit 8/10 flush shots so what other alternative besides lessons do i have ? I am not a staunch either so my prayers everytime i hit are not answered.. so u tell me ?

Anyway i am just doing my part to help contribute some money to help economy grow. Lessons to me are money well spent...

U should contribute to economy too by giving me 9-9 next time we play. We play for ur suzuki ?

But once you go fitting you can hit sweet spot straight away mah, don't need to train so hard. Trust your fitter, trust your club, trust your lie, trust your swing weight, trust your shaft flex. Hmm.... ya trust your grip size. can leow.

Sorry, a newbie question. Do you need to pay for fitting?

Begbie wrote:

Suzuki wrote:

Begbie wrote:

This may be the most boring topic of all.. we have all talked about D-plane, swing plane and aeroplane, equipment, handicap stroking, betting, fitting etc.....

But have we stopped for a second to look at our grip ?

After the few years playing golf with the wrong grip (for those who do not know me, I was playing high 80s to mid 90s at that time) and realised my game was stagnating so I was considering of going back for lessons.. So I met up with Ren Chiat in laguna..

First question he asked after looking at my grip and swing... he said to me..

"I won't promise you its gonna be easy.. in fact its gonna be difficult and how fast you adopt only u will know... it depends how hard you train.."

That was a tough awakening... and took me two weeks before I decided to suck it up and go back for coaching.

Its been almost 2 months since my first lesson with him... and I have shanked, topped , duffed in every possible way and ways I have never seen with the new grip and stance.

It was only past few range sessions I saw daylight at the end of the tunnel with better ball striking... but still lots of balls to be hit to ingrain the feel.. The subtle feel in your arms of being able to hit fade, draw, low, high shots are coming back again. Even the short game is getting more consistent...

I gave myself a conservative 4 -6 mths to get back on track ...

So yeah.. we have all talked about so many things... but many , including myself ignored the one important bit of the game.. the bit that connects us to the club and ball.. yeah, thats right, I am talking about OUR GRIP ...

So yeah.. if you have the time, look at your grip and check with your Pro when you can.. You may suffer now for the next few mths... but sure will pay dividends when you finally manage to execute..

Ok.. time for work...!

Rant over.. thanks for reading folks..!

But you must go for fitting first. correct grip no fitting also no use.

Says who ? My fitter nvr guarantee one session can hit 8/10 flush shots so what other alternative besides lessons do i have ? I am not a staunch either so my prayers everytime i hit are not answered.. so u tell me ?

Anyway i am just doing my part to help contribute some money to help economy grow. Lessons to me are money well spent...

U should contribute to economy too by giving me 9-9 next time we play. We play for ur suzuki ?

My Suzuki is a master piece, already go for fitting to my hand grip size, the seat to my batok size, cornering to my weight and angle and paddle to my foot size, so you have it also no use, you must go custom fit your own. We bet for lunch lah.

lufbra wrote:

Sorry, a newbie question. Do you need to pay for fitting?

You asking me? I can help you for free, but professional club fitter do charge. But i'm not professional.

Suzuki wrote:

Begbie wrote:

Suzuki wrote:

Begbie wrote:

This may be the most boring topic of all.. we have all talked about D-plane, swing plane and aeroplane, equipment, handicap stroking, betting, fitting etc.....

But have we stopped for a second to look at our grip ?

After the few years playing golf with the wrong grip (for those who do not know me, I was playing high 80s to mid 90s at that time) and realised my game was stagnating so I was considering of going back for lessons.. So I met up with Ren Chiat in laguna..

First question he asked after looking at my grip and swing... he said to me..

"I won't promise you its gonna be easy.. in fact its gonna be difficult and how fast you adopt only u will know... it depends how hard you train.."

That was a tough awakening... and took me two weeks before I decided to suck it up and go back for coaching.

Its been almost 2 months since my first lesson with him... and I have shanked, topped , duffed in every possible way and ways I have never seen with the new grip and stance.

It was only past few range sessions I saw daylight at the end of the tunnel with better ball striking... but still lots of balls to be hit to ingrain the feel.. The subtle feel in your arms of being able to hit fade, draw, low, high shots are coming back again. Even the short game is getting more consistent...

I gave myself a conservative 4 -6 mths to get back on track ...

So yeah.. we have all talked about so many things... but many , including myself ignored the one important bit of the game.. the bit that connects us to the club and ball.. yeah, thats right, I am talking about OUR GRIP ...

So yeah.. if you have the time, look at your grip and check with your Pro when you can.. You may suffer now for the next few mths... but sure will pay dividends when you finally manage to execute..

Ok.. time for work...!

Rant over.. thanks for reading folks..!

But you must go for fitting first. correct grip no fitting also no use.

Says who ? My fitter nvr guarantee one session can hit 8/10 flush shots so what other alternative besides lessons do i have ? I am not a staunch either so my prayers everytime i hit are not answered.. so u tell me ?

Anyway i am just doing my part to help contribute some money to help economy grow. Lessons to me are money well spent...

U should contribute to economy too by giving me 9-9 next time we play. We play for ur suzuki ?

My Suzuki is a master piece, already go for fitting to my hand grip size, the seat to my batok size, cornering to my weight and angle and paddle to my foot size, so you have it also no use, you must go custom fit your own. We bet for lunch lah.

Sure we go for korean barbecue... I like Kimchi..

How come you also like Korean dish... We got the same taste bro... Hahaha

Bro suzuki, you got PM.

lufbra wrote:

Bro suzuki, you got PM.

Lufbra,

if you want to get your club fitted, I am not the right person, because I am a golfer, not a professional club fitter, but if you want to share some of my exprience on golf swing, maybe I can help.

Suzuki wrote:

lufbra wrote:

Bro suzuki, you got PM.

Lufbra,

if you want to get your club fitted, I am not the right person, because I am a golfer, not a professional club fitter, but if you want to share some of my exprience on golf swing, maybe I can help.

But bro, seems like u quite free leh, can post so many reply. U not in Batam ah?

When free to teach me play golf? Or teach me how to eat Korean food...

Hahaha.... We share exprience lah.... Can't teach... You go Seoul garden got Korean food leow, don't need to teach.