When I started out on this exercise, I was getting unexpected results. I thought a weak grip would promote slice or fade, strong grip a draw or hook.
With me, I get the reverse to happen. I get a hook or slight draw with the weaker grip (or straight) (v's pointing to nose (slightly weaker) to left ears (very weak). I get more fades to slices with stronger grip.
In all of the exercises that required a straight ball, I could produce it. But not at first. I can get a good ball flight and distance but my accuracy is terrible. I never know where the ball is going. Since I couldn't get any consistency out of my shots, I got the video camera out. I notices that I had waaay too much tension in the swing. Therefore, I was swinging the 5iron harder and harder to try and correct the problem.
Once I loosened up the swing, I noticed I could hit straight balls in all of the straightball exercises. I don't really know how I was doing it but, in all cases, I felt I was rolling the clubface more or less to compensate. Even the misses were decent, no matter how strong or weak the grip was. It seemed the grip I preferred the most was v's pointing directly at my nose.
Again, in all cases, the ball flight was good trajectory and distance.
1. Hit 5 shots with a 5-iron—doing you normal stuff—you are relatively happy with.
2. Weaken your grip as much as you can and try to hit 3 straight balls. did it...had to slow down swing but it seems I was rolling clubface faster to square it up.
I would get a straight, draw, or hook out of this grip.
3. Strengthen your grip as much as you can and try to hit 3 straight balls. Opposite of number 2 I got some really hard slices here but, after slowing the swing down, I got some straight ball and some slight fades
4. Weaken your grip BETWEEN "as weak as you can" and normal, try to hit 3 straight balls. really same as 2 with no hooks.
5. With a grip BETWEEN "as strong as you can" and normal, try to hit 3 fades. Same as 3 with no strong slices.
6. With a grip BETWEEN "as weak as you can" and normal, try to hit 3 fades. I could do this. It seems as I wasn't rolling the clubface much as I was holding on to it and leaving it more open through the ball.
7. Hit 3 draws with your normal grip
I can't do this and couldn't do it.
8. With a grip BETWEEN "as strong as you can" and normal, try to hit 3 draws. Couldn't do it.
9. With a grip BETWEEN "as weak as you can" and normal, try to hit 3 draw. I could do it but not at will. Seems like I had to focus on turing the clubface over through the ball (rolling the wrists)
10. Hit three fades with your normal grip
I could do that by focusing on keeping that club slightly open through the ball.
I think what I learned is I can manipulate the clubface through the ball in different ways based on the grip. The brain seems to figure out how to instantly tell the hands what to do to get the ball to go relatively straight. I can figure out the fade, but can't figure out the draw. None of this can I do with consistency.
Also, I am going to trying staying with the grips where the v's point to the nose for awhile. I liked that best of all grips.