You’ve probably seen the clip of Drive, Chip and Putt contestant Colton Gress swinging his hand during Sunday’s competition. At first glance, his capture seems unconventional – but after talking to two of them TOP 100 GOLF TEACHERSit’s clear that his swing works extremely well because his mechanics are so solid.
How his cross hand grip works
In a traditional forehand, Top 100 GOLF teacher Rick Silva explains, the forehand and footprint oppose each other—creating a steady “war pull” that controls the clubface. A hand grip can achieve the same effect. The player simply rotates his hands differently around the club, so the wrists and forearms continue to work in opposition. It seems unusual, but biomechanically, the goal is the same.
“So for that to happen, the underhand or the right hand … he rotates his right hand under the glove so you can see the undersides of his matching nails,” Silva says.
How is it hitting so far?
Once the swing begins, explains Top 100 GOLF instructor Joey Wuertemberger, Gress moves into the same positions as other elite ball hitters. He takes a big swing back with a full hip turn and massive shoulder rotation, which helps him build speed efficiently.
This rotation is the key to its power. His hip swing back is deep and his shoulder turn is even greater, creating a lot of stored energy. Then, in transition, he breaks down the body expertly. His lower body leads—using his legs to shift and rotate—while his upper body lags behind. This sequence—big backswing, powerful spin—is a major reason it generates so much power.
“As he comes down to the ball, he has good upper body angle, so his head is behind the ball and his arms are right in front of him,” says Wuertemberger. “So he brings the club into a good, strong position.”
The results speak for themselves. In Sunday’s contest, Gress hit his first drive 275.3 yards and his second drive 264.8 yards, showing the distance he can generate with his unconventional arm swing.
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