Backhand Golf swing

7ofBrian

Hey guys.
New poster to the site and fairly new to golf.
Iv noticed i get some funny looks at the range for my unorthodox grip. Im right handed but i find it much easier and more comfortable to hold the club with my left hand below my right. Im driving a consistent 175-200 but when i switch to a standard grip, i can barely break 100 and it just feels wrong.
Should i Force myself to learn the standard grip or keep practicing with what feels comfortable to me. Ive played 3 rounds at dublin city golf course (formerly balinascourney) and i can hold my own against some guys who have played dozens of games up there.

heavyballs

br7ian wrote: »

Hey guys.
New poster to the site and fairly new to golf.
Iv noticed i get some funny looks at the range for my unorthodox grip. Im right handed but i find it much easier and more comfortable to hold the club with my left hand below my right. Im driving a consistent 175-200 but when i switch to a standard grip, i can barely break 100 and it just feels wrong.
Should i Force myself to learn the standard grip or keep practicing with what feels comfortable to me. Ive played 3 rounds at dublin city golf course (formerly balinascourney) and i can hold my own against some guys who have played dozens of games up there.

just because it feels normal to you doesn't mean it's correct. Lose it and adopt a normal grip,go to youtube and that will give you a basic idea of the correct way to hold the club.

just one quick tip,the reason why you can't hit it long with the normal grip is probably to do with your left arm,when you use a reverse grip(cack handed)the left is a bit bent at the start and becomes more bent as the swing continues back
try keeping your left hand straight as you swing back with the normal grip and take it one step at a time and you will get after a while

gripcasey

While i have a normal grip, my brother has the same grip as yourself and he plays off 3. For years people told him he will never get to single figures because o his grip.dont say much to him now

Woodgate

gripcasey wrote: »

While i have a normal grip, my brother has the same grip as yourself and he plays off 3. For years people told him he will never get to single figures because o his grip.dont say much to him now

He is definately talented then but I'd say he could have got lower with the correct grip.

death1234567

Change your grip. There's a reason 99% of right handed golfers grip the club Left hand on top. I used to grip cack handed (still do with my putter) but I changed years ago and never looked back. Takes a while to get use to so be patient.

aster99

Force yourself to change, it will be hard now but worth it in the long run

TrustyRusty

br7ian wrote: »

Hey guys.
New poster to the site and fairly new to golf.
Iv noticed i get some funny looks at the range for my unorthodox grip. Im right handed but i find it much easier and more comfortable to hold the club with my left hand below my right. Im driving a consistent 175-200 but when i switch to a standard grip, i can barely break 100 and it just feels wrong.
Should i Force myself to learn the standard grip or keep practicing with what feels comfortable to me. Ive played 3 rounds at dublin city golf course (formerly balinascourney) and i can hold my own against some guys who have played dozens of games up there.

If you are new to golf I would suggest you change to the orthodox grip ASAP. It will make life a lot easier for yourself in the long run. I play cack handed myself (off 7) and I kinda regret not making the change years ago, but I couldnt be bothered trying to change at this stage (old dog and new tricks etc!!).

Screaminmidget

TrustyRusty wrote: »

If you are new to golf I would suggest you change to the orthodox grip ASAP. It will make life a lot easier for yourself in the long run. I play cack handed myself (off 7) and I kinda regret not making the change years ago, but I couldnt be bothered trying to change at this stage (old dog and new tricks etc!!).

I started Golf this year with the Cack-handed grip, and im down to 11 now. The only Problem ive had is (once)at the driving range, some random guy saw me swinging with this grip, and told me to change. I asked him his handicap and pointed out that, even with many more years experience than me, I was off the lower handicap. He then Proceeded to shout at me and tell me that I would go no-where in the game. This has put me off playing in mens competitions now, unfortunately. I only play in open singles with my mates.

OP,Seeing as we are heading into the quiet time of the season, i would advise you to try change to normal grip, as it will save you a lot of hassle in the long run

NoelAPM

Deffo change the grip. You can play about with your swing a we bit but that grip is absolutely fundamental in the golf swing if you want to one day be consistent.

death1234567

Screaminmidget wrote: »

He then Proceeded to shout at me and tell me that I would go no-where in the game. This has put me off playing in mens competitions now, unfortunately. I only play in open singles with my mates.

Don't let one asshole put you off playing in comps. Most people will just comment "that's an unusual grip you have", if they say anything at all.

PROV2

heavyballs wrote: »

try keeping your left hand straight as you swing back with the normal grip

??????????????

niall.k.shanaha

I do know people who putt that way... but no one who swings that way

WHIP IT!

As a few have alluded to - the fact that you're new-ish to the game is at your advantage here. Change around immediately, stick with it and you'll be delighted you did. A course of lessons will probably be necessary for the transition.

heavyballs

PROV2 wrote: »

??????????????

is that the best you can do? ok,as you seem to have no concept of the golf swing i will explain
if you play cack-handed as you are holding the club you will see your left arm is already bent(as it's not in it's natural position),as the swing continues it will bend even more,this makes it quite hard to develop a consistant swing
as i already said the op should ditch his CH grip and adopt a normal grip,when he does this he should try to maintain a straight(ish) left arm on takeaway,the habit of bending it as he comes back will still be there and will f*** up his new grip

btw i'm a low hcp,self thought down to 3 so you're not dealing with some hacker here(like u i suspect)

Oliver1985

I have this grip to and have tried changing but I cant do it, does not feel good and i keep on missing the ball, of course I have had the know it alls down the range but i just tell them to m.y.o.b!!!:eek:

Is there any pro players using the wrong grip, i think i remember one or two ?

franbe

it depends on your goals, maybe you are limiting yourself playing cak maybe not, maybe you just want to enjoy the game with a grip you like. there was a tour winner who played cak.

Screaminmidget

i think his name was gary sewsunker (south african)

l3m0n5

I have this grip myself. drive length is about 250 but very inconsistence more often i go right WELL right. I would love to change my grip but I don't have the time really wish I had change it when I was younger but I thought it wouldn't make that big a difference:o
Maybe when I win the lotto I can sort it out. :rolleyes:

BlueIsland

Play off 10 "cak handed".. the amount of times I step onto a tee and some sack would roll their eyes. I proceed to put it 260-300 down fairway regularly. And the eye roller has WAY WAY more things wrong with their correct gripped swing... I tried couple times to change but my grip and just does not feel comfortable.I fairly much figured that I never gonna be a pro but am fairly certain I can go very very low with AND HAVE FUN with my own grip.

nompere

Screaminmidget wrote: »

i think his name was gary sewsunker (south african)

He was Sewsunker Sewgolum, and he won tournaments as a professional in the 50s and 60s. Here's a wikipedia link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sewsunker_Sewgolum

Also from South Africa - it must be something in the water - is Vincent Tshabalala. He won on the European Tour some years ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Tshabalala

franbe

http://www.myvideo.co.za/video/papwa-at-the-sa-open

papwa sad story.

the only shot ive seen caks have trouble with is the highish soft short chip, half flip release, but then freddy couples cant hit that either with his push swing.

if i was cak i'd start a cak society. see who is the best cak in ireland ?

PROV2

heavyballs wrote: »

as you seem to have no concept of the golf swing / so you're not dealing with some hacker here(like u i suspect)

Very unwise to assume to know the profile of anyone posting here.

PROV2

heavyballs wrote: »

is that the best you can do? ok,as you seem to have no concept of the golf swing i will explain
if you play cack-handed as you are holding the club you will see your left arm is already bent(as it's not in it's natural position),as the swing continues it will bend even more,this makes it quite hard to develop a consistant swing
as i already said the op should ditch his CH grip and adopt a normal grip,when he does this he should try to maintain a straight(ish) left arm on takeaway,the habit of bending it as he comes back will still be there and will f*** up his new grip

btw i'm a low hcp,self thought down to 3 so you're not dealing with some hacker here(like u i suspect)

All very well but you've still not adressed my original confusion about your left HAND straight theory. Can't wait Mr. low hcp, self thought down to 3!

franbe

another real pro for all you cack devils

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g78z9u_4yMg

franbe

the inventor of the vardon grip, harry vardon played a bent left arm

bangor

Before you heed anyone about changing a cak handed swing, ask them if they ever played hurley and if they made the change, it seems to me that those advocating this change don't know what they are talking about, the whole swing is different ,it is much easier if were just starting at golf with no knowledge of hurley. Then you wll at least have an open mind with no built in beliefs as to how to make a swing. I made this change and struggled for years because of it, I sent this post to another thread here. I suggest you read it before contemplating a change

If you are playing off a low number with a hurley grip, then stay there, unless you are young enough to spend few years learning a new swing. It's not just a matter of changing hands around, no it's a matter of rechanging your whole body, which is a big feat when you don't know what should be changed. The hurley swing is about the height of your hands from the ball, instead of the right hand being high for hurley it's low for golf. the difference this makes is huge. In golf your body must travel past the ball before contact, you may find this difficult with a swing change if your hurley swing is well entrenched in your mind. Until you can make that change, to hit the ball from in front and not behind, just leave it alone or you may end up with two different and neither being right.
swings.

Montgolfier

bangor wrote: »

Before you heed anyone about changing a cak handed swing, ask them if they ever played hurley and if they made the change

Say you may have missed the boat on that one.
But if we're bumping, I played with a cak handed guy recently off 13 he was brilliant. I have a standard grip I'm a very good ball striker and playing off 19. The difference between me and that guy was his head was always in the game and he was an optimist.
So I would say it's less about the grip and more about playing the game. Good hurlers have great game faces and know how to score when it matters.
I was a crappy hurler and used a left over right grip now I'm a crappy golfer with the correct grip.

slave1

I didn't realise there was a wrong swing in golf OP, if you're a casual golfer and enjoying the game I would not be concerned with how you look, I played with a golfer with the same grip as yours yesterday and we had a great round together.

PARlance

bangor wrote: »

Before you heed anyone about changing a cak handed swing, ask them if they ever played hurley and if they made the change, it seems to me that those advocating this change don't know what they are talking about, the whole swing is different ,it is much easier if were just starting at golf with no knowledge of hurley. Then you wll at least have an open mind with no built in beliefs as to how to make a swing. I made this change and struggled for years because of it, I sent this post to another thread here. I suggest you read it before contemplating a change

If you are playing off a low number with a hurley grip, then stay there, unless you are young enough to spend few years learning a new swing. It's not just a matter of changing hands around, no it's a matter of rechanging your whole body, which is a big feat when you don't know what should be changed. The hurley swing is about the height of your hands from the ball, instead of the right hand being high for hurley it's low for golf. the difference this makes is huge. In golf your body must travel past the ball before contact, you may find this difficult with a swing change if your hurley swing is well entrenched in your mind. Until you can make that change, to hit the ball from in front and not behind, just leave it alone or you may end up with two different and neither being right.
swings.

Aside from the fact that the OP started the thread 4 years ago, that is still terrible advice.

Yes, people can get low with a cack handed swing and there's nothing wrong with anyone continuing to use that if they are happy.
BUT, many have successfully changed and it hasn't taken them years. And they have changed for the better and their handicaps have dropped.
The last old thread you bumped was testament to this.
It "only" took The Lawman a few months of hard work but he has already lowered his handicap and I don't think he has any regrets.

People advocating the change know it's a different swing. They know it's not easy to change. But they also know that if successfully changed, then it's very probable that that golfer will benefit from it.
Telling people not to even bother changing if they want to, is terrible advice!

It didn't work for you?! It may work for others.

GreeBo

Thread is 4 years old!