Weakening My Grip......

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OK, first question:

Below is a picture of my golf glove yesterday. As you can see, as a result of trying to weaken my grip (especially the right hand), I'm quickly getting wear marks in the lower left palm and in the thumb. In fact, I've already torn holes in those spots! With my old grip, this never happened. What do these wear marks indicate is happening with my left hand? In attempting to weaken my grip, how am I doing this wrong?

Below is the picture:

Twitpic - Share photos and videos on Twitter
 
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Below are a couple of videos I took yesterday:

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Sl-D4GVZRls" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CggVrreJzx0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

My first question about these videos is: is my grip adequately neutral?

Second, W-O-W there is definitely a flip in there--can't dispute that anymore. I'm at a loss; don't understand how it's possible to get rid of the chicken wing without flipping. Seems like the two go together. Hold-off block release = chicken wing = flat left wrist at impact. Full release = no chicken wing = flip.

More generally, I can see that the horizontal downswing hand path, flip and chicken wing are glaring errors that I should try to improve. The problem is that right now, I can't see the blueprint of the sequence of moves that will alleviate these problems. I'm looking for "feels" that I can really really exaggerate.

I'd appreciate thoughts from anyone. You've already helped a heck of a lot. Thanks!
 
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My first question about these videos is: is my grip adequately neutral?

Are we looking at the same video? In that DTL freeze frame you have a cup in the left wrist and the club face is facing the camera. If you didn't chicken wing, you'd probably hit it with the cavity of the club
 
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When you open the thread, look at the club face in the DTL video. You don't even need to press play.

Alright, well if the grip is still way too strong, I'm wondering if the primary culprit is the right hand or the left hand. I'm beginning to suspect that it's the left hand.....
 

Dariusz J.

New member
I suspected so. Interlock grip type is deep in nature. Our subconscious mind looks always for security and stabilization in order to exclude any uncertainity. Natural limitations bring the feeling of security. The only one possibility for a golfer using interlock grip is put the pinky as deep as possible till the end - with such a position it is hardly possible to bring the RH on top of the grip without unnecessary tensions. Usually, the RH grip is very strong and for 100% it is not possible to merge a weak RH with a strong LH or to weaken RH grip only unless one changes into Vardon or cheat your subconscious mind and learn to use a shallow interlock the way you would have the same depth of the pinky each time.

Cheers
 
I suspected so. Interlock grip type is deep in nature. Our subconscious mind looks always for security and stabilization in order to exclude any uncertainity. Natural limitations bring the feeling of security. The only one possibility for a golfer using interlock grip is put the pinky as deep as possible till the end - with such a position it is hardly possible to bring the RH on top of the grip without unnecessary tensions. Usually, the RH grip is very strong and for 100% it is not possible to merge a weak RH with a strong LH or to weaken RH grip only unless one changes into Vardon or cheat your subconscious mind and learn to use a shallow interlock the way you would have the same depth of the pinky each time.

Cheers

Are you saying that it is very difficult to achieve a Hoganesque swing motion with an interlocking grip?
 
I'm not so sure I agree with you there Dariusz. I use an interlocking grip and have no problems making my right hand as weak or as strong as necessary for whatever I'm trying to do. Whether using a Vardon or interlocking grip, the depth of my pinky HAS to change depending on how strong or weak that right hand is. Through impact the club is just much more secure in my hands with the interlocking.
 

Dariusz J.

New member
Are you saying that it is very difficult to achieve a Hoganesque swing motion with an interlocking grip?

I wouldn't go THAT far with assumptions. I'd better say that more difficult as big is the impact of the position of both hands on the grip on mechanics of the whole motion.
It is hard to imagine post-secret Hogan without his RH on top of the grip though...

Cheers
 

Dariusz J.

New member
I'm not so sure I agree with you there Dariusz. I use an interlocking grip and have no problems making my right hand as weak or as strong as necessary for whatever I'm trying to do. Whether using a Vardon or interlocking grip, the depth of my pinky HAS to change depending on how strong or weak that right hand is. Through impact the club is just much more secure in my hands with the interlocking.

That's why I used the word "usually", Johnny. The whole disadvantage of the interlock type vanishes in case one can get rid of the feeling of security only in the extremely deep pinky position. Otherwise, two of the greatest golfers ever wouldn't have decided to use interlock...

Cheers
 
Forget the right hand. Get it neutral in the left hand first. There is no way you look like this:

screenshot024t.jpg
 
I noticed too, you seem to set up with the shaft leaning away from the target at address. Probably because of that left hand grip, but I think that is a little unusual unless you were trying to expose the bounce to hit a flop or something. That picture Shot Limit posted is spot on though. IMO the still chickenwinging is because of the strong left hand grip, and holding that cup through impact. I think some cupping is fine at the top to feel a certain looseness in the wrists, but I think you've got that left wrist way too cupped at the top. I also like a cupped wrist at the top and have experienced some similar issues. Maybe if you weaken that left hand you can still cup a little at the top but apply twistaway on the downswing to get rid of the flip. I thought twist on the downswing was how Kevin Shields said he banished his flip for good.
 
If he's going for neutral, this is far from it. If this isn't strong, then I don't know what is. If he held his arm out like in the Manzella picture above, the clubface would probably be pointing 45 degrees away as opposed to straight up.

lifter.jpg
 
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