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Grip It Like A Pro If your goal is to make 2024 your year, start by rethinking your grip. e age-old advice of gripping your clubs so that the Vs created by your thumbs and forefingers point toward your rear shoulder doesn't cut it anymore. Research on human anatomy and efficient movement proves that there's no universal "best way" to set your hands on the handle. Every player's body and range of motion varies, oen wildly. If you don't consider these differences when taking your grip, you'll be fighting yourself the whole way and hitting slices and hooks without ever knowing why. 1. Start with your lead hand Pointing both Vs at your trail shoulder assumes that we all move in the same way. We don't. Every player has his or her "natural motion." A good grip accentuates it while a poor one limits it, and a good grip starts with placing your lead hand on the handle in its most natural setting. To find it, stand erect with your arms dangling freely at your sides. No ball, no golf posture. Now, grip the club. at's it. You're now in position to start and finish your swing with zero need for manipulation. Try this: Let your lead arm hang soly at your side, then grip the club in the fingers. is is your most natural lead-hand position. If you're a slicer of the ball, then you've been getting this wrong the whole time. en this: With your new lead- hand hold, point the club out in front of you, then begin rotating the handle back and forth, as if turning a doorknob. You should immediately recognize more comfort and range of motion. For some, the ideal lead-hand position will be more "on top" of the handle. 2. Slip on your trail hand: Using your new lead hand position, hold the club out in front of you at a 45-degree angle. Slip on your trail hand, being careful to place the grip through the base of your fingers (so they can wrap around the handle easily), not through your palm. Hold the handle in your trail hand like you're holding a suitcase. 3. Tweak your trail hand: Even the slightest mismatch between your trailhand hold and the manner in which your trail arm extends during your downswing will limit your potential. If you tend to slice, it's likely that this grip and extension mismatch is the culprit. 4. Add the finishing touch It's unlikely your Vs will both point toward your trail shoulder once you find your natural hold. Not only is this okay, but it's also what you need to swing without restriction while keeping hooks and slices at bay. One last thing: Check for any gaps between your fingers. You want zero. is increases the surface area over which you can push and pull on the handle, giving you greater control of the clubface. You wouldn't bench press with your fingers apart, right? Your hold is now perfect. Let 'er rip! Good Golfing! ~ Brian Garlington, PGA | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | NOVEMBER 2023 | 23

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