Extending your thumb far down the shaft
gives a
feeling of strength and stability, but it’s an illusion.
It certainly looks contrived.
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I like to see the left thumb
extend just past your
forefinger when the grip is complete. It’s natural and
relaxed, and will perform that way.
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ONE ASPECT OF THE GRIP I RARELY HEAR DISCUSSED
IS THE ‘short-thumb’ and ‘long-thumb’
styles of holding the club. They merit attention because they
have a subtle effect on other features of your left-hand grip.
Ultimately this determines how much hand action you use during
the swing, and how well you control the club at the top of the
backswing.
The long thumb I’m demonstrating for you here (above left)
is rarely used by better players. When you extend your left thumb
far down the shaft, it causes the handle (grip) to shift towards
the palm of your left hand. That’s not good; a palm grip
restricts hand action and thus your ability to generate clubhead
speed. Moreover, you can’t control the club very well during
the late stages of the backswing. The club tends
to bounce on you at the top. The long thumb sometimes gives the
sensation of giving you more control, when in fact it |
provides less. I rarely lengthen a
player’s thumb position. I much prefer the short-thumb position
I’m demonstrating (above right). Actually, I like to call
it a neutral thumb, because that’s where it should be. You
can see how the handle now rests more towards my finger tips.
If I opened my hand you’d see the club runs along the callus
pads at the base of my fingers, but not beyond them into the palm.
The short thumb allows my left wrist to hinge fully on the backswing,
and because my fingers are in position to control the club, I’m
capable of generating all the clubhead speed I need coming down.
In other words, it allows you to enjoy your full speed potential.
Experiment with the two thumb positions next time you practise,
and see if what I’m saying isn’t so. This is one fundamental
you simply cannot afford to overlook. |
