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THE GRIP An easy way to learn the grip is to break it down to the constituent parts i.e. the four P's. (this page will take a little longer than normal to fully load, however if you need help with your grip it will be worth the slight delay.) Placement Position Pressure Preference Placement Hold the club in front of you with the clubhead square and place the left hand about half an inch from the top of the handle with the left thumb running down the middle of the club.
Position As above the left hand sits on top of the club. Slide the right hand up to join the left covering the left thumb. The position of the right hand forms a V shape of the right thumb and first finger. Point the V between the right side of the chin and the shoulder.
Pressure Grip pressure has an important effect on several vital aspects of the swing model, including release and clubface position. Grip the club firmly so as to ensure that the club does not slip at any point during the swing. Grip too tightly however (check for skin forced tight across the knuckles!) and problems both with the game and your physical well being will ensue. Preference Refers to different types of grip:- .
(1) The Vardon Grip Probably the most popular grip in golf today. Developed by early British professional Harry Vardon, this grip links both hands by the use of the little finger of the right hand:- Simply overlap the little finger of the right hand on the first finger of the left. An ideal grip to bring the hands together without slippage or tenseness.  (2)The Interlocking Grip
Interlock the little finger of the right hand with the first finger of the left.
AIM Lining up to the target is obviously important. The way the player stands to the target will influence the way that the club is swung. This in turn will GOVERN the flight of the ball. It's as fundamental as that!. Here's how to learn alignment quickly and easily Venture onto the practice range (or even the back garden) and select a target for practice. Take up the stance and adjust until you think that you are in the correct position. Keeping the feet in that position, place the club you are holding, on the ground along the line of the toes. Now that the foot line has been established, it is possible to move away, get another club and place the second club where the ball would be, parallel to the club which marks the foot line. It is now possible to move behind the clubs and see if they are pointing towards the target as in the figure below.
If the clubs do not line up correctly, simply choose another target and repeat. 10 - 15 minutes of aiming at different targets in this way is usually enough to give the player a good sense of alignment. Remember Flight line points to the target. Foot and shoulder line is parallel to it. When checking make sure to place the club exactly along the toe line before changing position to place another club along the flight line. When the player is satisfied with alignment it is time to study Set Up.SET UP Body Posture The Set Up deals with body posture and ball position. The way the player stands over the ball will either help or prohibit the operation of the In Swing Principles. Thus:good body posture is imperative in achieving maximum success. Take up the address position (see below)
Bend slightly from the waist and flex the knees. The weight should be evenly distributed, that is, neither inclined toward the right or left side or toward the heels or toes. The feet should be about shoulder width for a 5 Iron (this distance is increased slightly for longer clubs until the stance will be some 2 inches wider than the shoulders when playing a No 1 wood (the driver) and about 4 inches narrower than the shoulders when playing a pitching wedge) Ball Position The ball position is measured in two ways, Horizontal (distance from footline) and Vertical (In relation to the feet, e.g. centre, opposite left heel etc.) and varies for different clubs and, for advanced players, different types of shot:-
The usual position is that the ball be placed about 22" from the foot line N.B.:- Fortunately, the swing model makes full allowance for individuality. The distance between ball and foot line quoted above is for a player, 5' 10" with a regular set up and using a 7 iron. This distance will vary for different sized players, (or those who prefer a more upright or a flatter set up) will increase for the longer clubs and will decrease slightly for the shorter ones
On the vertical axis, the ball should be in the centre of the stance
for all the irons except for the 5 Iron (
1\2" left of centre) the 4 Iron (1" left of centre) and the 3
Iron (1 1\2" left of centre)
The above positions, and also the grip and aim suggestions are given as a general guide. Do not be afraid to make adjustments in order to satisfy individual requirements. When the player is satisified with ball position, the swing as a whole should be learnt before isolating separate In Swing Principles.
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