If you are in a trap where the sand is reasonably soft, aim to hit a spot about two inches behind the ball. The wedge will do the rest. If the sand is hard or wet, you cannot hit so far behind the ball, because the packed sand will offer too much resistance and your wedge won’t be able to travel through the sand beneath the ball as it must. In these conditions, you should aim at a spot about an inch or so behind the ball. Swing the club a little more upright and use a shorter swing and follow-through. You may have to use a little more power than when you are playing from soft sand, but not much more. Keep your swing essentially lazy.

Now, if you have a bad lie, say, a lie in a footprint, you’ve got to waive the no-power rule and hit this one hard. You aim at a spot just behind the ball, use an upright swing with no pivot and hit forcefully–as if you were trying to bury the clubhead in the sand beneath the ball.

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One of the most amazing phenomenons about the game of golf is the number of decent or even above-average golfers who play with a fundamentally unsound grip. Most of these poor grips are ingrained by habit and difficult to change. But change it you should.

The most common flaw among most golfers is made right at the beginning of the swing process–the grip. This vital fundamental does not receive nearly the attention it deserves with the great majority of serious players.

For beginners, young or old, the most important first step is to develop a grip that is basically sound and right for your game. One problem is that many golfers play fairly well with a bad grip; what they fail to realize is that they’re limiting their potential because of an improper grip.

When a player develops a poor grip and still plays good golf, it’s hard to get him or her to change. The reason is
simple: Changing a grip you’ve become used to is difficult because the adjustment feels so uncomfortable at the beginning. And bad habits are hard to break; changing a poor golf grip is just as difficult as any other damaging habit that is ingrained over time.

So, if you have a grip that is fundamentally unsound, don’t be misled into thinking it will be easy to correct. It sounds simple to just change the position of your hands on the club, but it isn’t. But, if you persevere and practice with a grip that is right for you, the dividend will be improved play on the golf course.

The golf grip isn’t emphasized as much as other aspects of the golf swing because it’s harder to describe and display on videos. However, you can get a good feel on how to hold the club from Richard’s videos.

The fundamentals are tricky because the same grip won’t work for every player, there’s a degree of individuality that must be taken into account that depends on a golfer’s age and strength and other factors.

Using the Vardon grip–which is right for almost every golfer–is the way to go and the important basics are:

• Put all four fingers of the left hand around the shaft with your thumb on top of the shaft.
• Place the small finger of your right hand over the index finger of your left hand. And then put the other three fingers of your right hand around the shaft with the right thumb on top of the shaft.
• When you address the ball, the back of your left hand and the palm of your right hand should be facing down the target line.
• Make sure your hands are close together and firm, not tense, on the grip of the club.
• Your left hand should be the dominant hand when you begin your swing. Make sure your grip is slightly firmer with your left hand than the right.

The above points are vice versa for left-handers.

Even though the Vardon grip is, by far, the most popular and used by most golfers, the ten-finger grip is often better suited for some senior golfers and ladies who have small hands. The fundamentals are the same, but all ten fingers are on the grip. Get some advice from a professional before trying this.

The best way to get started with a good grip–or correct a bad one already established–is to study videos closely or go to a teaching professional or a skilled player for help.

Don’t be bashful about asking for some free advice from your pro or a good player who you’re acquainted with. This doesn’t require an expensive lesson; the grip isn’t complicated, but it’s important to establish good fundamentals. Beware of taking unsolicited advice from someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about.

After you’ve developed a sound grip, you can experiment with small adjustments to find out what is best for you. If you move your left hand to the right (clockwise), it encourages a hook; moving it the other way, to the left (counterclockwise) encourages a slice.

It should be noted that none of these basics apply to the putting grip. Even the pros differ wildly in their choice of putting grips, so that will take some research and experimenting on your part to find out what’s best for you.

Finally, as your game becomes better and more refined, you’ll discover that your grip isn’t the same for every shot. The basic Vardon grip remains the same, but you will learn to adjust your hands for short shots as opposed to the tee ball with your driver. Practice and sound guidance from your trusted advisers will aid you in this area.

Don’t ignore the grip; it’s the most overlooked fundamental in the game of golf. And it’s one of the most important.

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