IF I had a pound for every time someone has given me advice on the golf course I could probably afford a new set of clubs! Some tips have been useful but all it usually does is put me off my game and destroy my round.

With me, more experienced players usually point out that my head is like one of those nodding dogs in the back of an old Cortina, and that I’m not transferring my weight to my front foot as I play through the ball. But the number one topic for debate usually centres on my grip.

Until now Richard hasn’t mentioned it but I guess I knew it was coming. The left hand is pretty straight forward as you more or less let the club rest in your fingers and palm with the thumb pointing down the right side of the shaft. If I can see two knuckles on the back of my left hand I’m on the right track.


But it is the right hand that has always given me a problem. I know that my thumb and the back on my hand should be further across, resting slightly on the left side of the grip. Yet no matter how hard I have tried I’ve always found it a struggle and my hand keeps slipping back.

None of the on-course experts have ever told me why . . . but now I think I’ve cracked it.
The reason I can’t bring my right hand across is because I’m gripping the club too tightly.
If I release the pressure of my first three fingers my right hand comes round the club naturally and after a few practise sessions it feels like the grip I’ve used all my short golfing life. So with the new grip functioning nicely it’s back to the daily grind of swing building.

To re-cap: I have to make sure my left arm is straight on the backswing and follow through to create a 180 %degree arc.

I’m pushing my wrists forward mainly using my left hand and playing the shot like a forward% defensive cricket stroke.

This helps create a downward stroke with my left hand dominant helping make sure I hit the ground AFTER impact with the ball.


Richard's aims and objectives

THE aim of a great grip is to establish and maintain control of the clubface, allow the proper hingeing of the wrists and create a connection between body and club.

Chris needs to make changes to his grip to allow him to make a better angle of attack on the downswing - a steeper, more downward stroke. This will further help to make the perfect strike on a golf ball helping release Chris’s true potential.

Here are some check points to establish whether you have a great grip:

Grip the club as normal and check your right and left hand positions.

Right hand. Extend your index finger down the shaft. If it lies directly down the side so that the shaft is between your index finger and your target, your right hand is in a good position.

Let your right hand approach the club from the side of the grip rather than from above or below.

Left hand. An excellent check point for a correct left hand grip is the crease at the base of the thumb and index finger. This should be positioned directly over the centre of the club handle. When the centrifugal force pulls your arms straight through impact, your wrist,elbow and shoulder joint will seek alignment. If you want to square the clubface at impact, those three joints need to be in alignment at set up.