Former National champion and teaching pro Amandeep Johl on the basics of setting up.
Grip-I
The key fundamental of the Golf Grip is to hold the club predominantly in the fingers (as shown in the picture) and then wrap the palm around it. It should be as natural as holding a stick, hammer or axe. One way to get this feel is to reverse the club and hold it from near the club, head side.
Posture
The Posture must be athletic, not sloppy. A player should try to keep his core muscles engaged when addressing the ball as one needs to get into motion from a stationary position. For the best posture, push the butt back and keep the knees soft, not bent excessively, so that the weight is felt in the balls of the feet, not the heels.
Grip-II
Most golfers' tendency is to have the shaft running across their palm. This is because the club has a lie angle. The ideal way is to hold the club up in the air and then grip it. The hands can be joined by interlocking the right small finger with the left index finger (for right-handers), overlapping, or plain touching it.
Ball position
Ball position plays a vital role in strike-quality and ball-start direction. The club dictates where, between the centre of the stance and the left toe, the ball rests. With wedges that have considerable forward shaft lean, the ball is in the middle. As clubs lengthen and shaft lean reduces, it moves closer to the left foot (right-handers).
Grip-III
The Grip is the most vital aspect as it provides the connection to the club. The club-weight dictates grip pressure. Held naturally, right-handers will see the club supported by the last three fingers of their left hand. In the right hand, the two middle fingers do most of the work. The forefinger is the trigger.
Alignment
Most golfers struggle with alignment due to parallax: the ball-to-target line differs from the eye-to-target line. To align properly, place the club on the ground, line it up to the target and then put the feet parallel to the line of the club-head and target. As a thumb rule, the feet line for right-handers should aim left of the target by a few yards.
Line up the club face, not your body, to the target. | Photo Credit: V. Sudarshan
(As told to Rakesh Rao)
Photos: V. Sudarshan
