I recently purchased a new set of Callaway X-22s, FT Hybrids, FTi driver, & X woods. I only do this every 20 years so this will likely be my last set of clubs. The first thing I did was regrip all of them with the new Golf Pride Multi Compound grips with the soft left hand and corded right. I've been regripping my own clubs for years and I'm pretty good at it, not that it's all that technical, just some allignment preferences & installment techniques.
Anyway, here's the meat of all this rambling, likely aimed at the more experienced golfer, at least those experienced with equipment experimentation. I read much about gripping and the preferences of pros like Jack to build up under the grip with tape. There are as many preferences as there are golfers so no one method stuck out as a favorite to the majority. One layer of tape is 1/128th of an inch and to be honest, I couldn't feel the difference. I ended up puting 4 layers of tape under the left hand and then 4 full length strips, the last being the double sided tape, that made for a total of 8 layers under the right and 4 under the left. That's 1/16th inch buildup under the right and 1/32nd under the left. I liked the feel of how that took some of the taper out of the grip. Perhaps it made a comfortable similarity to a baseball bat.
My request for feedback now stems from my recent work using the Hank Haney book, "Essentials of the Swing." I found that I had let my grip migrate too far into my fingers, especially in the right hand. The loose grip was causing me to do a little "regrip" at the top of my back swing. While checking my technique in detail, I found that it took a little effort to get it right. I use an interlocking grip and wear a cadet large glove, just your normal hand, fingers not overly long or stubby and proportional to 5'11" dude.
I wonder if I have taken all of the "built in technical formatting" out of the design of the golf grip, and replaced it with what felt comfortable to me in a ball bat.
Comments (9) | |
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HIGH_LANDER
6/9/2010 10:26:33 AM great read,man! |
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1hacker
3/3/2010 9:11:43 PM I'm a Surge fan and like his teaching in this is a 3 out of a 1 to 5 rating. I find I don't regrip when I stay at this level with both hands but if lighter I wear the glove out. And Ob1hit2 love your piston analogy. |
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aumurray
11/18/2009 7:51:02 PM The worn glove in the palm is definitely from the regrip at the top. The grip acts like a worn out piston rod and it can chew up a new glove real fast. Years ago a golf teacher said to notice the bottom three fingers of the left hand for a right handed golfer. He taught that you could squeeze the club as tight as you wanted with those 3(pinky, ring and middle). No pressure from the thumb or index finger should be applied. He could hit shots one handed this way.(That is another story) By squeezing with these three fingers he believed you would fire the triceps in the left arm helping extension of the left arm. Using Jack's left thumb support and this grip tension can help to firm up at the top. The right hand, my teacher taught, you should only have grip tension in the two middle fingers(ring,middle) and all other fingers in the right hand are neutral. So, with five fingers, three from your left hand and two from the right is where all the tension for keeping you hands connected to the club needs. The left thumb support, three left hand fingers, and two right hand fingers is a good foundation to work on in your grip. Then just swing the club and don't cast or hit with the hands. Hang on for the ride! |
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T LAVAN SHOEMAKER
11/18/2009 6:41:50 PM That is the typical spot where my glove wears out as well. How interesting. I never correlated that with the regripping at the top. I DO know that it has caused me frustrating inconsistencies in my ball striking. When I hit the sweet spot it is a beautiful thing indeed, but I can follow up a "pro" shot with one that looks like a drunk taking a hack a beer can...with similar results. I am really seeing positive results from the going through my swing from setup to follow through using Hank Haney's book. My most impactful and most frequently recurring fault is simply swinging too dang hard. Hank addresses that too and just maybe he's got to me with this little question. "If I had a choice between hitting ten 6 irons, 3 of which I smashed to 170 yards, but the spread from shortest to longest was 25 yards, OR, ten shots to 159 yards, all within 5 yards of each other, which would I prefer? Furyk also provided a tip that his dad taught him. When I practice on my home range, I now set a cone at my target distance instead of shooting into the wild blue yonder. He was right. I just keep getting harder and harder trying to see how far I can hit it. |
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aumurray
11/18/2009 5:38:51 PM I have done the same T. Before they came out with oversized grips I would do the extra wraps of tape to give the larger feel. Even for a while I played with ladies grips which are smaller than mens regular. I don't have long fingers and have gone back to regular grips. It is fun to tinker with the grips. You highlighted the "regrip at the top of the swing". I had the same issue and would wear the palm of a glove out from this letting loose of the club at the top. I had to address my hands and more to the point the amount of finger pressure to apply to hold the club steady. The Golden Bear would stress working on the thumb of the left hand. He would let the thumb be the resting spot to support the club at the top of his swing. He even suggested stretching the thumb out down the shaft if you had long fingers. Keep working with the grip as it pertains to your hands connecting to the club and 1/64 won't mean as much. |
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Spiko
11/18/2009 4:00:32 PM I think that grips is personal, for years I used regular size grips, last year I went to the midsize and did not see any diferences, so I went back to the regular ones, however what you mention here is a bit more technically complicated for me since i do not know anything about regriping clubs, all I know is how much they cost at the golf shop. |
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aumurray
11/18/2009 7:15:46 AM Good comments. |