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How to Grip with Your Left Hand

Let's start with your left hand. If you have a wrong left hand grip, you won't hit the ball very far or straight.

1) Last 3 fingers

First, try to hold the club with just the last 3 fingers of your left hand. Use middle finger, fourth finger and pinkie of your left hand. Make sure not to touch the club with your palm, index finger or thumb.

Try to move the club up and down with this grip.

2) V between the index finger and thumb

Now, place your index finger and the thumb of your left hand on the grip. Make sure that the V formed by the index finger and thumb are pointing somewhere between your right ear and right shoulder for right handed player.

If you are slicer, point this V more toward your right shoulder. If you hook the ball, this V should point more towards right ear. If you still hook it, try to point your v more towards the chin.

3) Check Knuckles of your left hand

Now sole the club. Look down on your left hand. You want to see 2 1/2 to 3 knuckles of your left hand when you look down.

The more knuckles you see on your left hand, the easier it is to close the clubface at impact.

I recommend you to start with 3 knuckles. If you slice, rotate your left hand to the right. If you hook the ball, rotate your left hand to the left until the ball starts to fly straight.

4) Grip more in the fingers

Lots of golfers who slice the ball tend to grip more in the palm of their left hand. But the good players grip the club more in the fingers.

If you feel like you are lacking distance, check to see if you are griping the club more in the palm. If so, grip more in the fingers. You will do much better with it.

5) Long thumb or short thumb?

Should you have a long thumb in which the thumb is extended down the club (grip) or short thumb?

In my opinion, you should definitely have a long thumb. A short thumb restricts your wrist cock and rob you of distance.

6) Position of your left thumb

The position of your left thumb is also important aspect that determines your ball flight.

If your left thumb is positioned toward the right side of you grip or right on top of it, you have a weak grip and will slice the ball.

The left thumb should be place on the right side of the grip. But if you hook the ball with this position, try to place it more toward the center (or top) of the grip to stop hooking the ball.

7) Left hand grip will help rotate clubface square

You can have a correct right hand grip but can still slice the ball if you have a wrong left hand grip.

One of the most important roles of your left hand grip is to help rotate your clubface square though impact.

Left hand grip have more effect on the clubface angle at impact than your right hand.

8) The drill for your left hand grip

After completing your left hand grip, you might want to try hitting the ball with your left hand only.

Use 9 iron and grip down on it with your left hand.
Hit the ball with a half swing.

If you have correct grip, the ball will go straight or have a little draw spin.

If you slice the ball or the ball goes to the right even if you experiment with your left hand grip, try to face the back of your left hand toward the ground on the downswing and through impact.



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