I have written many times and it has become my mantra or even battle cry that the hands are active players in the golf swing.  I believe that the grip must be relatively firm, not light, like holding the club as if it was a baby bird.  Both hands should be firm and at the same firmness level.  I use the concept of a grip handshake firmness meter of 1 to 5, with 1 being loose or holding a dead fish.  The other end of the scale, a 5 is like squeezing someone’s hand until their eyes popped out.  Shaking hands with the 3 grip is using a firm and confident handshake.  The handshake, like gripping a golf club, is firm, not loose, tight or tense, but just right.  I point out many times golfers hold a pencil tighter to sign their name than they hold their golf club trying to hit a powerful and controlled drive.  This is crazy.  I also point out by saying they would hold a tennis racquet or baseball bat firmer and so must they hold their golf club the same.

The reason we have a firm grip is to be able to swing the club with control and power.  My Surgism regarding swinging the club is, “I must swing the club; the club does not swing me.”  My mind must know what and how I must swing and it directs the muscles to move in the proper way and sequence to produce the swing motion.  This is why I believe there is no “Muscle Memory,” but rather it is “Mental Memory,” as all action begins with the brain sending the signals.  One signal of importance is grip pressure.  The club can only be lifted and swung with proper grip pressure and this is firm and taut. The last ingredient is this pressure must be the same in both hands and they must swing at the same speeds. Everything with the hands and arms must be equal for them to swing with power and control.

Another big point of mine, swinging the club with power and control to hit the shot I want is that I must know how and what to do in terms of the motion of my swing.  Then all I have to do is make that motion happen.   The key players in this are the hands and arms holding the club firmly to swing it on the desired path and plane.  I call this, “Knowing My Place in Space.”  I also call this once the takeaway starts, swinging to Point A, my desired top of backswing position of ¾ and vertical, and from A to point B, which is my T – Finish position.  That is all it is.  Lay down your path and plane and from the takeaway, lift the club up into the mitt toe up and from there keep lifting up the tree to point A, transition with the bump and swing the club up to point B.  Just connect the points and you have your swing.

This sounds simple and it is.  The key is it reduces and almost eliminates completely breaking the swing up into segments which also destroys smoothness and flow of the motion.  The point A to B swing thought is all about knowing your points set in your mind’s eye, which sets your path and plane.  All you do is swing with your hands making your club go where you want it to go, from Point A to Point B.  The swing is smooth and flowing in good sequence and powerful.

Peter finally figured out his points in his swing and how the hands had to swing the club from point to point to hit the shot he wanted.  Peter wrote about this in a blog in the Inner Circle.  I now pass the podium to Peter, so he cal tell us all about the role his hands played in his swing revelation of finding his places/points in space to swing the club properly.

“I was having problems with hooks and slices until I noticed something. When I perform the “one-piece” takeaway I focused on the club head and was having some variability in where it was during the takeaway due to what particular angle I turned back, which caused a real lack of consistency. So I started focusing on my hands. I make sure that, while I am turning with my hips I draw my hands back in a straight line parallel to my toe line (slightly outside). Once my left hand crosses my right knee I take the club straight up until my right hand is in the “thumbs-up” position (at 3/4 swing).  Amazing results.  Finally true consistency with this swing for me. So effortless and shots are straight and long. Hope this might help someone.”

Peter

The PPGS is a limited turn, ¾ backswing to a full T – Finish.  With limited body movement we get our power by swinging our arms faster on the maximum vertical inclined plane for our posture.  Power in the PPGS comes from centrifugal force as a stable body can swing the arms and club faster.  This is the same as swinging a rock on a string.  The faster the rock moves, the less the hand moves.  The symbolism is the hands are our body and the rock and string are our club, hands and arms.   Swing the hands and arms properly and the club is swung properly

Peter figured out how important it is to focus swinging his hands to his points, so he was 100% in control of swinging his club.  Be like Peter and focus on your hands swinging and controlling your club and you will see and feel the results he now has.

The Surge!

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