Right Thumb position

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So why shouldn't the right thumb lie straight down the shaft, but rather to the left of the grip? Magazines says that the 'V' formed by the thumb and forefinger should point towards the right shoulder.

But WHY?

Will be back with some comments later. But would first like to hear what you guys have to say.
 
One of the things that jumped out at me during the 1970 PGA Championship was that many of the players, most noticeably Jim Colbert, were using an extremely strong right hand grip with the thumb directly on top of the shaft. So clearly, right or wrong, golf at the highest level can be played that way.
 

Brian Manzella

Administrator
Well....

Because at IMPACT the clubhead slows the clubhead down, which is in the direction of the #3 pressure point, but NOTHING slows down the thumb!

So....


People with their thumb down the shaft wind up at the Driving Range counter:

"Do ya'll sell band-aids?????"
 
With the right thumb straight down the grip, there is a tendency to Cock the Right Wrist and Bend the Left Wrist at the Top, with any strokes involving Wristcock. This obivously destroys the critical alignments of the Flying Wedges. However, with the right thumb lying to the left (or 'V' pointing to your right shoulder, etc.), this gives a bit of room for the shaft to 'drop' as the Left Wrist Cocks, allowing the Right Wrist to remain Level.

The more I study, the more I realise how important the Grip is!

By this way, this isn't in the book, just an idea of my own.
 

Tom Bartlett

Administrator
quote:Originally posted by tongzilla

With the right thumb straight down the grip, there is a tendency to Cock the Right Wrist and Bend the Left Wrist at the Top, with any strokes involving Wristcock. This obivously destroys the critical alignments of the Flying Wedges. However, with the right thumb lying to the left (or 'V' pointing to your right shoulder, etc.), this gives a bit of room for the shaft to 'drop' as the Left Wrist Cocks, allowing the Right Wrist to remain Level.

The more I study, the more I realise how important the Grip is!

By this way, this isn't in the book, just an idea of my own.

If I am understanding you correctly, would the "drop" you refer to be the shaft moving off the #3 PP? And, if so, wouldn't it seem like the right thumb on top would also save someone from letting the shaft slide off the #3PP. Just a thought I had. Moe Norman gripped it with the right thumb on top.
 
Tom,

I'm misunderstanding your post. Didn't Moe have the strongest right hand grip in professional golf, which would be really far from having a right thumb that points down the shaft? Please straighten me out if I am misintrepreting.

Thanks,

Matt
 
quote:Originally posted by Tom Bartlett


If I am understanding you correctly, would the "drop" you refer to be the shaft moving off the #3 PP? And, if so, wouldn't it seem like the right thumb on top would also save someone from letting the shaft slide off the #3PP. Just a thought I had. Moe Norman gripped it with the right thumb on top.

No, 'drop' doesn't mean the shaft moves off PP#3. That would be wobble in clubshaft attachment (1-L-3).

If you place your right thumb straight down the middle, you will that there will be pressure placed on it as the left wrist cocks. This mean you tend to cock the right wrist more than you would've done if you placed the right thumb to the left of the shaft. Of course, you can still maintain perfect Flying Wedges alignments in doing this, but you have to resist (consiously or otherwise) that tendency.
 

EdZ

New
quote:Originally posted by tongzilla

So why shouldn't the right thumb lie straight down the shaft, but rather to the left of the grip? Magazines says that the 'V' formed by the thumb and forefinger should point towards the right shoulder.

But WHY?

Will be back with some comments later. But would first like to hear what you guys have to say.


The biggest reason is that you don't want the muscles on the top of the forearm to be active because it is far to difficult to control the rotation through impact if they are. You will tend to over rotate and get the entire right side involved, hitting big pull hooks or slices. Better to get the muscles on the underside involved, because they can provide support while allowing for clubface control and an on plane right forearm.
 
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