4 replies to this topic

[Irishgolfer88]

Howdy Folks

I have just joined here , I recently returned to playing golf after not playing for 11 years. I quit when I was 18 and at the time I was playing off 11 handicap.

I made a return over a month ago and have been given a handicap of 17 , I decided last week to get some golf lessons to eliminate any bad habits I have as I was pushing my drive alot out right.

The instructor who by all accounts is very good decided to change my grip as he said my right hand was very weak which always helps in hitting a slice or right block,

I went out to the golf course a few days afterwards and shot a 98 (22 over) that being with losing a few balls and losing my concentration near the end plus my golf course is pretty damn tough

I had some moments where i was hitting beautiful draws however the grip felt very weird and not normal to me , I was just wondering in yer experience , how long will it be until it feels natural.

I would hit say i hit my drives anywhere from 230 to 270 yards depending on the roll and how well i hit it , I had my clubhead speed measured at 95mph.

I just dont know could i keep playing with an alien grip like that or is it worth sticking wiht it for a few weeks??

Peace from ireland

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[larrybud]

EVERY change will feel unnatural at first.  When I changed my putting grip a couple of years ago (and it wasn't a radical change) it took a good month in the winter before it was "natural".

It will also take PRACTICE, not just going out and playing golf, to ingrain those changes.

[Dsevans8]

I am in the same boat and it is a very hard pill to swallow. Making those changes to grip, posture, alignment takes time and hard work to make them natural. Problem is if you don't improve those fundamentals you have nothing to build off of. Stay the course!

[zdob3]

For a legit change to become natural and feel normal, think about 1000-1500 swings for the amateur golfer.

It takes tour pros 500-750 swings on average to no longer have something "new" feel unnatural to them.

[DivinDave]

I changed my grip also, my right hand was weak, just like yours.  My SS is also about the same 95 and my big miss was a really big slice.
that was Februray last year.

Any change in grip is going to take a while to get used to.  If the grip change has resulted in big misses  in the opposite direction, then thats a good sign. You'll have to learn how to feel the swing with that grip.

As for me, its almost second nature now to have my right hand stronger.  My grip also now enables me to work the ball better from Right to Left a little bit and my big miss/ slice isnt anywhere as big as it used to be.  Stick with it, and you'll most likely be glad you did.