| The most common faults in the grip are holding the | | | | When the right hand is dropped low, the faults of the |
| club entirely in the fingers of the left hand, placing | | | | left are compounded, for a low right hand tends to |
| the left hand too much on top of the shaft, and | | | | roll over at impact. The poor player may switch from |
| getting the right hand under the shaft. | | | | slicing to smothering and go for several holes without |
| An all-finger grip and getting the left hand on top, so | | | | getting the ball more than a few feet off the ground. |
| that four knuckles show, go together. It's almost | | | | This, we need hardly remind you, is a horrible |
| impossible to hold the club entirely in the fingers of | | | | experience. |
| the left, without getting the left on top of the shaft. | | | | On any course and in almost any foursome you will |
| When dropping the right hand lower and lower, some | | | | see many peculiar stances. Most of them are not |
| people feel they will get more power. | | | | fundamentally bad, except for one thing: standing |
| Well, they are all wrong and they go a long way | | | | with an "open" body. This means, simply, that |
| toward ruining what might be a good shot. When the | | | | although the feet are in a perfectly square position |
| club is held entirely in the fingers of the left hand and | | | | (an equal distance from the direction line), the hips |
| that hand is on top of the shaft with three or four | | | | and the shoulders are facing a little to the left. |
| knuckles showing, there is an overpowering tendency | | | | These players are, in effect, aiming to the left of |
| to roll that hand over to the left as the club comes | | | | their target without realizing it. |
| into the ball at impact. When this happens the face | | | | You need hardly be reminded of the damage this can |
| of the club is turned over and closed, or hooded. The | | | | do. The player develops a pull to his shots, the ball |
| result is a bad smother or hook. That is what | | | | starting out a shade to the left and, if it doesn't slice, |
| happens with some players. | | | | staying to the left. There are usually just as much |
| The all-finger, left-hand-on-top position leads to | | | | rough and as many traps to the left of a fairway or |
| another fault. It has a strong tendency to make the | | | | green as there are to the right, and the chronic puller |
| player bend the left hand back at the top of the | | | | is sure to find most of them. |
| swing and get the left wrist under the shaft. This | | | | There are other bad positions, such as bending over |
| opens the face at the top, and it must then be | | | | too much, standing too far from the ball, having the |
| closed on the downswing. With the body and | | | | weight too far forward, and so on, but the "open" |
| shoulder action most players have, plus their fear of | | | | body is by all odds the most common fault the |
| getting the face closed too much, this is seldom | | | | average player has in the stance department. |
| accomplished. Hence we have what is by far the | | | | Let us turn now to the positive side and take the |
| most common and exasperating bad shot of them all | | | | positions that will help so much to give us a square |
| - the slice. | | | | face at impact, a straight ball that goes where we |
| Another move is for the player to try to hold the | | | | aim it, and fewer shots. |
| face of the club from turning as it goes through the | | | | Actually there is nothing mysterious about the grip. |
| ball. Then you see the lifting, lofting action which is so | | | | We merely want the club held in a certain way, a |
| common, with the player trying to hold the face | | | | way that will help bring it to the top in the position |
| square long after it has hit the ball. This is a good | | | | we want and which will help bring it back to the ball |
| way to bring on a slice. | | | | at the correct angle to the line of flight. |