A lot of amateurs forget that it takes two hands to grip the club properly. Because they put their lead hand (the left hand for righties) on first, they’re more likely to place that hand on the club carefully. The trail hand is often an afterthought, which can lead to a loss of control of the clubface.
What I typically see in a poor right-hand grip is the handle laying too much across the base of the fingers and the hand turned upward so the palm is facing the sky before it closes on the club. This is often caused by bringing the hand in from underneath the grip. When you do this, the right hand ends up too much on the underside of the grip – so much so that the base of the right thumb loses touch with the left thumb. This type of ultra-strong grip causes the clubface to shut through impact, leading to a lot of low, left bullets off the tee.
If your drives aren’t flying as high or straight as you’d like, check your right-hand grip. When you add your right hand to the club, make sure the handle rests diagonally across the middle joints of the middle three fingers [top photo]. This will neutralise your grip – with the ‘V’ created by the right thumb and forefinger pointing between your chin and right shoulder when you complete your grip. Your right hand should cover your left thumb [above]. From there, you’ll have a much easier time squaring the face and hitting those high bombs you’ve been searching for. – with Dave Allen
Travis Fulton operates Travis Fulton Golf in Jacksonville, Florida.
