Manzella Neutral Grip

[duckjr78]

I have a question about the Manzella grip and I haven't been able to find an answer in a thread or in a picture so I'll ask here.

For a right handed player, how much of the left middle finger should be covered by the right hand heel pad? In my normal interlocking grip, there is no overlapping of the heel pad over that finger. The heel pad sits right next to the finger on the club.

I have COFF and am working on getting rid of the flip. It's coming along well, but I'm wondering if I am making it more difficult on myself by having my hands in this position. My backyard practice swings and chip shots feel awkward, but much more solid when I have the heel pad covering more of the middle finger.

Thank you in advance to anyone that is able to help.

 

[softconsult]

The heel pad is supposed to be on top of the grip. No part of the heel pad or right hand should cover the left hand middle finger. Right pinky finger hooks around the middle knuckle of the index finger of the left hand (presumes right handed golfer).

Now Jim Furyk has a grip where the overlaps two right hand fingers, in which case the right pinky would hook the middle knuckle of the middle finger of the left hand. That's only way I can envision what you are describing.

 

[WoodbridgeGolf37]

Heel Pad

I believe this is a mix-up in terminology. It is my understanding that the heel pad is below the thumb. I think you are referring to the area below the pinkie finger.

 

[softconsult]

No, the Heel pad is not below the thumb, it's below the base of he pinky finger.
Put the pad under your thumb on top of the grip, and you will be gripping it in your
palm.

Doubts? Look it up with Google search.

 

[WoodbridgeGolf37]

....and yet again...

I'm wrong. Thanks for wising me up.

Now I'm thinking my grip must be jacked-up too. Even the most seemingly obvious posts here always seem to lift my fog a little more. Thanks to you both.

 

[softconsult]

I went to my one and only lesson with Brian complaining about my Driver.
What was the first thing we dealt with? My grip.

My grip was pretty good, just a little weak. We spent at least 40 minutes
going over how to take the grip, over and over again until I got it. Now 8 months later I still find myself drifting back to the old grip and have to remind myself to follow his steps.

So don't feel bad. You have lots of company. This seemingly simple subject ain't so simple, and it's the cause of so many problems for golfers who don't have it right.

 

[fronesis]

The heel pad is supposed to be on top of the grip.

Yes, the left heel pad. The OP asked about the right heel pad.

No part of the heel pad or right hand should cover the left hand middle finger.

I don't think it is this simple.

Take a perfect manzella neutral left hand grip. Then start to add the right hand. When you 'shoot out the trigger finger' of the right hand to hook pp#4 you will simultaneously move your right heel pad toward or over your left middle finger. Depending on the size of your hands and the 'length' of your left thumb, your righ heel pad may slide on top of the outside of the left middle finger.

It does not overlap in my own grip (I have very small hands) but I can see how it might for others.

This does not anwer the op's question, but I do think it's a good one and would like to hear more discussion of it.

 

[softconsult]

Ah, the human brain. It thinks it read the sentence, but gets it wrong.

I agree, he's talking about right heel pad, not left.

I was basing my answer on my grip. The outside of my righthand below the heel pad sits right next to the middle finger of left hand. I would either have to move right hand much stronger or overlap two finger instead of one to get the heel pad on top of middle finger. I have large hands and long skinny fingers.

Maybe original poster could put up a picture.

 

[duckjr78]

Fronesis has it right. I meant the right hand heel pad over the left hand middle finger. Sorry if there was confusion. The "shoot out the trigger finger" is exactly what I am talking about. The perfect picture of this would be the standard "down the line" photo of a golfer in his address position, but there is rarely ever a close up of the grip from this position.

I have a feeling that this subtle movement of my right hand may help me get a little closer to the right forearm being on plane with the clubshaft at or around impact. I know this isn't an imperitive, or anything close to the sort, but maybe it's a step in the right direction for me.

 

[Deadly_Scope]

Most golfers have the inability to keep their hands the same throughout the stroke once they've wrapped them. They move their grip during the stroke.

 

[BIGBALL]

Most golfers have the inability to keep their hands the same throughout the stroke once they've wrapped them. They move their grip during the stroke.

I am having issues with this. My backswing is actually way too short, and I don't really cock my wrists. But when I try to lengthen it and cock my wrists, I start to "lose" the club and i can feel the grip change. I can only assume that my wrists joints are very tight ( which i know they probably are )and that feeling is the only outcome. Very frustrating!

 

[softconsult]

Or, you do not have your hands on their in a correct manner. I doubt your wrists are stiff, but you might have it too much in the palm of your left hand.
That will hinder your ability to cock and it can cause your grip to change because you can't control the club with that grip. Just a guess.

On the trigger finger subject, Brian told me not to worry about it. Spreading that finger apart down the shaft is optional. His focus was on the left hand and getting the heel of the left hand more on top of the grip.

 

[duckjr78]

On the trigger finger subject, Brian told me not to worry about it. Spreading that finger apart down the shaft is optional. His focus was on the left hand and getting the heel of the left hand more on top of the grip.

I'm not concerned with the trigger finger and where it is on the shaft. My question is when I point the trigger finger down the shaft, it moves my right hand so that my right heel pad is slightly over my left middle finger. This feels better to me than having the heel pad on the grip and next to my middle finger. Is this acceptable in the Manzella Neutral grip?

 

[BIGBALL]

Or, you do not have your hands on their in a correct manner. I doubt your wrists are stiff, but you might have it too much in the palm of your left hand.
That will hinder your ability to cock and it can cause your grip to change because you can't control the club with that grip. Just a guess.

On the trigger finger subject, Brian told me not to worry about it. Spreading that finger apart down the shaft is optional. His focus was on the left hand and getting the heel of the left hand more on top of the grip.

Steve

Thanks for your response! I've had a couple lessons with Damon, and we changed my grip from weak to Manzella Neutral a while back, and I constantly monitor my grip, because if I don't, it will go right back to where it was. I actually saw him Monday. Wanted to ask him more about this, but we were working on some things and it slipped my mind. So to sum up, I'm not sure what the issue is

 

[softconsult]

If you are seeing a Manzella instructor, then far be it from me to inject my thoughts. You a lucky to be able to geographically close to one of these guys. Wish I was.

 

[softconsult]

So I'm really just curious. The more I think about what you are describing, the less I understand how that is possible.

If pad of your right thumb covers your left thumb, how is it possible for the heel pad of the right hand to do anything but lay there beside your left middle finger.

Wait a second. I can almost do that is by making my right hand grip very strong relative to the left, but even then it's tough for me to manipulate my hands so that the heel pad overlaps the middle finger.

 

[JonWil]

I have a question about the Manzella grip and I haven't been able to find an answer in a thread or in a picture so I'll ask here.

For a right handed player, how much of the left middle finger should be covered by the right hand heel pad? In my normal interlocking grip, there is no overlapping of the heel pad over that finger. The heel pad sits right next to the finger on the club.

Thank you in advance to anyone that is able to help.

Mmmmm...... maybe handsize and finger proportions have something to do with it. When I interlock as duckjr78 the right heel pad lies next to the left middle finger just as his does. However, if I overlap with the right pinky and use a long thumb left hand, my right heel pad presses on top of the left middle finger. In fact, I can take all fingers and thumbs off the handle, and support the club with just the pressure of the left middle finger and the right heel pad.

I can see where varying the length of the thumb down the grip, or varying the 'overlap' of the pinky either in between index and middle finger, or pinky on top of index finger, would move the right heel pad to various positions on the left middle finger. So I guess the OP is asking, "Where should it be?"

I think the answer is, "Wherever you are comfortable for the shot you are playing."