85 replies to this topic

[HLore]

I am avid golfer that has been playing for about 16 years. I am currently a 3 handicap. I have been a 3 for about 10 years and can't seem to improve and in my opinion it is because of my ball striking.  I have always struggled with controlling the club which resulted in throwing the club at the ball which has led to snap hooks, blocks and worse shanks. I know being a 3 sounds good but the honest is I am very inconsistent, yes I get hot shoot 75 than shoot 82,83 etc...

The twist here is that I play golf left handed but I am a natural right handed person. I play baseball golf and hockey left handed, but throw, write and kick right handed.  I always thought my left hand was dead in my swing so I lead with my dominant right arm. This dead left hand/arm is what I believe leads  me losing the club as i am only 5'7" and have small hands. I drive the ball well and hit short irons well but my mid irons are pathetic.

I have been experimenting with switching to a 10 finger grip and the results have been very impressive. Much better ball striking and control. Most teachers will say the disadvantage of a 10 finger grip is lack of unity with hands combined with a dominating lower hand that results in hooks. Well since my lower hand is not my dominate hand like most people, I feel that my hands are working excellent together and I am getting great results.

The fact that my dominate hand is different than traditional I think really makes the 10 finger grip work for me. Does anyone have any experience with this in teaching or experimenting

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[Cicero]

 HLore, on 12 May 2011 - 09:35 AM, said:

I am avid golfer that has been playing for about 16 years. I am currently a 3 handicap. I have been a 3 for about 10 years and can't seem to improve and in my opinion it is because of my ball striking.  I have always struggled with controlling the club which resulted in throwing the club at the ball which has led to snap hooks, blocks and worse shanks. I know being a 3 sounds good but the honest is I am very inconsistent, yes I get hot shoot 75 than shoot 82,83 etc...

The twist here is that I play golf left handed but I am a natural right handed person. I play baseball golf and hockey left handed, but throw, write and kick right handed.  I always thought my left hand was dead in my swing so I lead with my dominant right arm. This dead left hand/arm is what I believe leads  me losing the club as i am only 5'7" and have small hands. I drive the ball well and hit short irons well but my mid irons are pathetic.

I have been experimenting with switching to a 10 finger grip and the results have been very impressive. Much better ball striking and control. Most teachers will say the disadvantage of a 10 finger grip is lack of unity with hands combined with a dominating lower hand that results in hooks. Well since my lower hand is not my dominate hand like most people, I feel that my hands are working excellent together and I am getting great results.

The fact that my dominate hand is different than traditional I think really makes the 10 finger grip work for me. Does anyone have any experience with this in teaching or experimenting

This is a similar to the reason I'm switching to the ten finger grip this season.  My lead hand is stronger than my trail hand, and I think the ten finger helps balance things out.

[jones137]

Play whatever works for you. I'm currently playing an overlap grip but have played my best golf with the ten finger grip or sometimes even a ten finger grip with  an inch in between my top hand and lower hand. Seems I'm able to hinge the club better this way. ....as a matter of fact, I may try this again this weekend.

[Cwebb]

The 10 finger grip does not promote more of a hook for me at all.  Because I have better control of the club, the release of the face is less handsy, therefore the face rate of closure is more consistent.  Here's the link from a Harvey Penick book, that I always direct everyone to when they're seeking opinions about this grip.

We've got two of the all time greats, including a 3 time Masters champion saying that a 10 finger grip is very effective....

http://books.google....er grip&f=false

[farmer]

If you hand a child a club, how do they grip it?  Is the 10 finger grip the most natural way to hold a club?  Maybe Harry Vardon had a hook problem and invented a new grip to compensate, and 100 years of golfers have sliced the ball.

[HLore]

I have been practicing with ten finger for 4 days today I am bringing it to the course. After doing some research it really is making more sense. The quote from Moe Norman makes the most sense, " I have ten fingers why not use all of them" . Combine that with why do baseball players never overlap? Because you have less support.

[dlam]

Playing with 10 finger creates all sorts of extreme ball flights.
the little finger of the right hand can cause slice.
During the downswing if the maximum pressure point on the right hand is at the little finger then it is slice city.

Also the left forefinger should have a bit of a gap between the index finger and middle finger
I find that if the left forefinger and middle finger are "splint" together than that can create a hook with the lower lofted clubs ,

the higher lofted clubs 6 iron to wedges would not have that much sidespin,  but the other clubs would.

Edited by dlam, 12 May 2011 - 05:37 PM.

[golfsavvy]

One of the very longest hitters I've ever seen was a kid in Phoenix who had a 10 finger grip.  This kid could have been a contender for long drive contests, if he put his mind to it.  I had never considered it until that.  Done correctly, it can be powerful and accurate.  I found I was hitting a pull, but it went there every time.  For some people that have a stronger right hand, it can be the way to go.  Clubfitting becomes a different consideration as well.

[braveheart]

I recently have been experimenting with grip due to  hitting some slight fades and more than a few shanks. I tried the 10 finger grip for my last few rounds and my iron ball striking has been much more solid. I can release the club and its helping me get through the shot easier. I have some micro tears in my R rotator cuff so I have been having trouble getting my right side down and through. Evident by my right hand with Vardon grip slipping off to side. The interlock does not fare better so the 10 finger is working for me. I am not one with small or weak hands as its often recommended for. One of the best golfers I know, uses the 10 finger grip. He has big hands and says he never felt comfortable with anything else. Whatever works, use it.

[Jim Waldron]

I teach a ten finger grip to almost all of my mid to high handicap students. It is not just ten fingers, but the Power Grip position which increases your effective wrist setting range of motion and thus creates a longer clubhead arc for more distance.  It is also a powerful anti-slice grip position. With this grip, you don't lose any hand unity like you will with a conventional ten finger grip. You hold the handle in the fingers of your left hand on only a slight 10 degree angle off of 90 degrees to the palm. Conventional grip is about 25-30 degrees angle. This creates a longer left thumb, more control and more wrist setting, and more clubface closure due to more active forearm rotation. If you already tend to hook the ball, do not use this Power Grip! The right hand is also in the fingers. You don't want too strong a left or right hand with this grip as it will create too much clubface closure. More of a neutral position with the V's about toward your right eye to right ear.

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[hammer45]

is there any chance you could put a picture of your grip on

[Shambles]

I've only used a ten finger grip once and that was because I was using a club so stiff that I could not square the face at impact any other way. It needed a bit of experimenting to get the right space between hands, but it worked.

I returned the clubs immediately after and never used the ten finger again.


Shambles

Edited by Shambles, 16 May 2011 - 09:13 AM.

[Mobile06]

The only time I use anything other than a 10 finger grip is when I'm putting, chipping or playing air golf.  

I try the interlock grip occasionally if my swing is in a slump, and i've tried everything else.  But when I hit any club longer than a 7-iron with that grip, I dont feel like I have any control of the club face at the top of my back swing, or at impact.  I can say though, that the interlock grip for me is an instant cure for bad hook with woods.

[genis]

I've never even thought about the ten finger grip. I tried it yesterday on the range and it improved my ball striking significantly. My shots felt much more solid and even sounded different. I did pull a few left, but that was only a too closed clubface.

[peterhunt100]

 Cicero, on 12 May 2011 - 09:42 AM, said:

 HLore, on 12 May 2011 - 09:35 AM, said:

I am avid golfer that has been playing for about 16 years. I am currently a 3 handicap. I have been a 3 for about 10 years and can't seem to improve and in my opinion it is because of my ball striking.  I have always struggled with controlling the club which resulted in throwing the club at the ball which has led to snap hooks, blocks and worse shanks. I know being a 3 sounds good but the honest is I am very inconsistent, yes I get hot shoot 75 than shoot 82,83 etc...

The twist here is that I play golf left handed but I am a natural right handed person. I play baseball golf and hockey left handed, but throw, write and kick right handed.  I always thought my left hand was dead in my swing so I lead with my dominant right arm. This dead left hand/arm is what I believe leads  me losing the club as i am only 5'7" and have small hands. I drive the ball well and hit short irons well but my mid irons are pathetic.

I have been experimenting with switching to a 10 finger grip and the results have been very impressive. Much better ball striking and control. Most teachers will say the disadvantage of a 10 finger grip is lack of unity with hands combined with a dominating lower hand that results in hooks. Well since my lower hand is not my dominate hand like most people, I feel that my hands are working excellent together and I am getting great results.

The fact that my dominate hand is different than traditional I think really makes the 10 finger grip work for me. Does anyone have any experience with this in teaching or experimenting

This is a similar to the reason I'm switching to the ten finger grip this season.  My lead hand is stronger than my trail hand, and I think the ten finger helps balance things out.

I am left handed (left side dominant) and play golf with a right hand swing. I changed to a 10 finger grip last summer and my ball striking has never felt better.

[gators78]

Scott Piercy who won last week uses a 10 finger grip.

As said above Harvey  and Jimmy Demmaret both like a 10 finger grip.

As long as you can the thumb of your high hand down the shaft and your right hand overlaps properly then you're fine, you just don't want a 'baseball grip' where the thumb is wrapping under the shaft.

If this feels stronger for you and you can get more force behind it then definitely do it. It makes no sense to try and limit that power, remember its way easier to straighten somebody out than it is to lengthen somebody out.

[A V Twiss]

[I am left handed (left side dominant) and play golf with a right hand swing. I changed to a 10 finger grip last summer and my ball striking has never felt better.
[/quote]

I find this interesting as I am also naturally left handed but play golf right handed.  My few experiments with the 10 finger grip has led to more than a few dreadful hooks.  I must be doing something wrong.  My ten finger grip is a basically a standard grip but without any overlap or interlock where the right hand butts up against the left.  Any thoughts anyone?

[JB lefty]

I think there is something in this grip for the lefties that are natural right handers. I am a natural right hand but play left. I play off 9 atm left handed and 21 right handed. I am going to give it a try.

[catch2285]

After struggling all year, I'm going back to the 10 finger grip (right handed). I have tried the interlocking and overlapping this season with no luck, trying to master is mainly because those are the popular ones taught or seen on tour. With the interlock/overlap, my misses are always pushes to the left, not a slice, but just shoot straight right about 30 yards off target.

I feel with those two grips that it just makes my right hand feel really weak, which leaves the clubface open on impact even with a perfect swing, especially when I have to hit a long shot. Going back to the 10 finger and I'm already playing better, and not thinking as much. However, on pitches/flops from about 30 yards and in I still interlock. I feel like this gives me a little better wrist hinge to get the ball up in the air with some spin.

[justinp766]

actually contrary to popular belief , the dominant right hand on a ten finger grip causes a big slice or nice fade depending on how much you use it.
If you swing properly.  If you take all the pressure off your right hand and put it all in your left hand you are most likely to hit a heavy draw ... like when the pro's mishit the ball .... usually a hook.... and obviously most of the time they are using a "vardon" grip which places emphasis on your upper left hand if your a right handed golfer.

I actually switched from interlocking grip to ten-finger grip because I got sick of playing a heavy draw on every hole.

If your a decent golfer , you should have no problem creating hand unity with a ten-finger grip.

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[lookma_nobackswing]

i play with a 10-finger and have been hearing and reading a lot of positives about it lately from golfers and teachers at all levels.  it's gaining in popularity for sure, and for good reason.

[russc]

Not conducive to having  the hands  work together as a one unit,but certainly can work for some people

Edited by russc, 17 March 2012 - 09:58 AM.

[Man In The Miura]

I too am a right handed person that plays lefty.  I played the first 20 years of my golf with a 10-finger grip.  It really promotes distance, especially for those of us with our dominant hand on top of the club.  For me, though, the 10-finger had to be changed because the dreaded snap hook was always lurking.  I settled on the overlap about 4 years ago.  Good luck with the 10-finger.  I think it works, but if I'm honest, it isn't optimal.

[Cwebb]

 russc, on 17 March 2012 - 09:30 AM, said:

Not conducive to having  the hands  work together as a one unit,but certainly can work for some people

Could you explain in detail why you think this is the case?  I've never heard anyone point out the details for why they think a 10 finger grip would potentially hold someone back.

Edited by Cwebb, 17 March 2012 - 11:23 AM.

[Tanner25]

 hammer45, on 16 May 2011 - 07:23 AM, said:

is there any chance you could put a picture of your grip on

+1 on the picture Jim.

[Fish-N-Chips]

I feel the exact same way! When I was handed a club two years ago, as a baseball player I instinctively went with the 10 finger grip. I have tried multiple times to overlap or interlock but I always feel like I'm going to lose the club and I have accidentally thrown it once or twice.

 catch2285, on 13 August 2011 - 07:28 PM, said:

After struggling all year, I'm going back to the 10 finger grip (right handed). I have tried the interlocking and overlapping this season with no luck, trying to master is mainly because those are the popular ones taught or seen on tour. With the interlock/overlap, my misses are always pushes to the left, not a slice, but just shoot straight right about 30 yards off target.

I feel with those two grips that it just makes my right hand feel really weak, which leaves the clubface open on impact even with a perfect swing, especially when I have to hit a long shot. Going back to the 10 finger and I'm already playing better, and not thinking as much. However, on pitches/flops from about 30 yards and in I still interlock. I feel like this gives me a little better wrist hinge to get the ball up in the air with some spin.

[russc]

 Cwebb, on 17 March 2012 - 11:23 AM, said:

 russc, on 17 March 2012 - 09:30 AM, said:

Not conducive to having  the hands  work together as a one unit,but certainly can work for some people

Could you explain in detail why you think this is the case?  I've never heard anyone point out the details for why they think a 10 finger grip would potentially hold someone back.

The pinkie has its own intrinsic  muscles group,called the hypothenar.The pinkie and thumb are the only fingers with such dedicated muscles.
When a golfer interlocks and  especially if he/she overlaps  the pressure by these muscles  presses on the  left hand ,thus melded them together.In a 10 finger grip this muscle pressure is focused  directly onto the grip and not the left hand.Thus the lack of melding the hands together in a ten finger grip and more pressure by the right hand on the grip. The fact that more pressure is directly  placed on the  grip by the right hand makes it  more probably  that the right hand can take over on its own,especially since the right hand is usually the stronger of the two hands (among righties)..Some people have learned to control  this tendency and have played great golf ,as you have cited in your links

I have one rule in golf .If something works then continue  it.It seems that the ten finger grip works for you and some others ,so continue it,but there is a  good reason why the overlapping  grip has become so popular.

Edited by russc, 17 March 2012 - 03:10 PM.

[Teeroy]

Great post and great comments. I am a natural lefty but play righty. As I've just gotten back into the game around last November, I have been experimenting with different grips and have begun to settle on the 10 finger grip. Not only does it feel better, but my ball flight is better and I hit it much longer. Can't beat that. The only reason why I have been trying the overlap and interlock is because that is what you read that you're supposed to do. Good to read on here others using the 10 finger grip and even some pros using it. I think I am going to roll with it for a while (and potentially forever if it goes well) since it feels so much better and works better. It will be interesting to see if my instructor tries to switch me back to a interlock or overlap. I don't think he will, but we will see on Monday - my next lesson.


FWIW, I'm a big guy with big hands so I think the fact that it works better for me is because I'm a lefty playing righty (similar to you being a righty playing lefty).

[lookma_nobackswing]

did the talk about the hands working as "a unit" start with hogan's book?   does anyone know if it was discussed as such before that?    does anyone know of any quotes from harry vardon that explain why he went to the overlap?

do tennis players have their hands working together as "a unit"?  what about hockey players, baseball players, etc.?

when a kid picks up a golf club, he doesn't overlap or interlock.  in every other sport, they don't overlap or interlock.  i feel very strongly that this is just a historical folkway.  really good to see (via the internet) that people are trying out a 10-finger and that it seems to be working for a lot of them.

Edited by lookma_nobackswing, 19 March 2012 - 01:02 PM.

[Cwebb]

 lookma_nobackswing, on 19 March 2012 - 10:50 AM, said:

did the talk about the hands working as "a unit" start with hogan's book?   does anyone know if it was discussed as such before that?    does anyone know of any quotes from harry vardon that explain why he went to the overlap?

do tennis players have their hands working together as "a unit:?  what about hockey players, baseball players, etc.?

when a kid picks up a golf club, he doesn't overlap or interlock.  in every other sport, they don't overlap or interlock.  i feel very strongly that this is just a historical folkway.  really good to see (via the internet) that people are trying out a 10-finger and that it seems to be working for a lot of them.

I totally agree.  The whole "hands working as unit" and it supposedly being easier to do that with fingers on top of or intertwined with others, just doesn't make any sense to me.

Look at hockey players for a good example....more than any other athletes, they consistently turn into good golfers.  I believe this is because the've learned how to control plane and face angle with a body turn while in rhythm and motion.  In other words, less time to think, more natural....and they do it with a split grip...not with their hands on top of one another.

Scott Piercy just shot 62 yesterday on tour, with his 10 finger grip.

It's still amazing to me that more have not at least experimented with it. It really simplifies things, allowing the perfect placement in the fingers, with the palms "lined up", and not feeling like you have to hold on for dear life with your pinkie so the grip doesn't move.

For me, it's easier to "flip" with an overlap or interlock grip. The 10 finger has really toned down rate of closure.

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