There are many ways to hit different shots: cutting, pulling, soft and low. Most golfers think that shaping the shot requires a ton of swing and setup changes. You can, but there’s an easier way: Just adjust your palm position when you grip the club at address.
Check out the photos below. On the left, you can see how I placed the palm of my hand on top of the handle before tightening the handle. On the right, you can see how my palm is more under the handle. It’s subtle, but this simple change in hand position has powerful consequences when you’re trying to hit different types of shots with every club in your bag.
With your trailing palm on top of the club, you’re in a better position to hit the ball further down, with the grip moving towards your body – good for producing a slice when you need it or hitting a finesse shot around the green. With your trailing palm under the club, you’ll automatically shape your swing more in-out and close the clubface more easily — good for pulling power off the top and off the fairway.
Try each one. With an extra shot finesse in your game, you will achieve lower scores.
How to do it
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GOLF
1. Place your trailing palm more on top of the glove to provide more of a downstroke or pull off a smart fade when the situation calls for it. This hold also works great from the sand and on delicate chip shots around the green.
2. Place your trail palm more under the handle to create an inside-out path, which is great for pulling or if you have trouble cutting.
Jeff Smith is director of instruction at Eagle Springs GC in Wolcott, Colo., and Timbergate GC in Edinburg, Ind.
