Improving Your Golf

Placing the Hands

Such a grip calls for the hands to be in practically direct opposition as they grasp the club-that is, with the palms facing each other squarely. The (left) hand is placed against the shaft in such a manner that the shaft makes a diagonal contact from the crook of the index finger across the palm.

It is, with this left hand, a combination palm and finger grip. When this hand is closed the club should be held in the first two fingers and the palm. There should be a fold of flesh between the club and the little finger.

This, as a matter of fact, is a check point by which you can tell whether you have the palm-and-finger grip.
Now we also want nay, demand-that only two knuckles of this left hand be visible when the hand is closed tightly on the club. As you address the ball and look down at your hands, you must see no more than two knuckles, those at the base of the index finger and the big finger. Not four knuckles, not three knuckles, not one knuckle. Two knuckles!

This is your second and last check point for the position of this hand.
So much emphasis has been put on the left hand over the years that many people believe the right doesn't amount to much in the grip. They couldn't be more wrong. The right hand is very important, both in the way it grasps the club and in the way it fits against the left. Let's take the club first.

Inside the left hand.
The important point here is that the club lies diagonally across the palm, from the crook of the index finger, and comes out halfway between the root of the little finger and the base of the palm. There must always be a fold of flesh between the club and the root of the little finger.

It has been said that the grip with the right hand is a finger grip. This is true. But where in the fingers? There is only one place that is correct, and that .is at the very base or root of the second and third fingers, where they meet the palm.

This is the best place because there the club can be held most securely. There is not only less chance but less inclination, with such a grip, to loosen the hand at the top of the swing or anywhere else.

Such a grip, because it is at the very edge of the palm, makes for a tighter connecting joint between arm and club, with less give than any other. It transmits more power when the ball is struck

Any grip higher in the fingers of the right hand, say along the inside of the middle knuckles of the second and third fingers, is untrustworthy. It is a loose grip to begin with, and the tendency is to loosen it further at the top of the swing. Finally, there is more give in it when the ball is hit.

We have identified the right-hand grip as being taken with the second and third fingers because, of course, the index finger is separated slightly from the middle finger and is hooked low around the club. The little finger, in the over- lapping or interlocking grips, does not touch the club at all. In the so-called ten-finger grip, though, the little finger would grasp the club exactly as the second and third do.

In taking our grip we recommend placing the left hand on the club first in its proper position, then sliding the right under the shaft, fingers extended and palm up.. As the club slips into the little groove where the fingers meet the palm, slide no farther. Close the hand then, moving it up the shaft slightly so that the third finger fits against the index finger of the left hand and the little finger overlaps or Hes on top of the left index finger.

You will find that the palm of the right comes up and faces directly to the left, and that the center of the base of the right hand fits snugly over the big knuckle at the base of the left thumb.

Both thumbs will be on the shaft, the, left lying a little to the right of the top (at about 2 o'clock in aviation parlance) and the right lying to the left of the top, at about 10 or 10:30 o'clock. The well-known V's, formed by the folds of flesh between the thumb and fore-finger of each hand, should both point a shade to the right of the chin, to about the inside joint of the color bone

Incidentally, one of the club manufacturers has a small ridge-line running down the underside of all its grips. This fits perfectly into the groove at the base of the fingers of the right hand, and practically locks the player into the correct right-hand position.
Ridge-line or not, however, this is the overlapping grip.

. Its principal points are that the hands are opposed, the left has a palm-and-finger contact, the right a finger grip alone-and that only two knuckles of the left are visible at address.

Two slight refinements should be mentioned. The crook of the right index finger, when the grip is completed, must always be farther down the shaft than the end of the right thumb. The crook of this index finger may be regarded, almost, as a hook, and it must never be higher than the tip of the thumb.

It is also permissible to place the overlapping little finger down against the seam between the left hand's index and big fingers. This is not too important. It may feel more comfortable that way to some and it may give a feeling of greater security to others. If you like the little finger down in the seam instead of riding on top of the index finger, by all means put it there.

We believe this grip is better than the interlocking or the ten finger grips. The pure baseball grip is not even to be considered; it has nothing whatever to recommend it.
The overlapping grip gives us a better chance to maintain full and tight contact with both hands at all stages of the swing. This we must have.

You might be a golf beginner looking for your first set of golf clubs and equipment or a pro shopping for upgrades, but all will agree that golf bags are essential in the game. Next to golf clubs, a golf bag is one of the most important golfing equipment there is.

It is considered a necessity. A good golf bag will lessen your worries on the golf course, (i.e. all your clubs are in their proper place) and you can focus on your teeing.

If you're a beginner golfer, then golf bags are definitely a must. However, there are things that you should know before going to the nearest golf store and buying a golf bag on impulse. First, there are two types of golf bags? carry bags and cart bags.

Carry bags are golf bags that are used when you are planning to have a lot of walking on the golf course. Cart golf bags are those that you use when walking is not possible (as some golf courses prohibit walking), and riding a golf cart is your option. A beginner golfer will most definitely buy a walking bag at first, although if you are a serious beginner of the game, then you will eventually buy both types of golf bags.

If you are a newbie in the game, you might ask "What is a golf bag for? I only have four golf clubs." A golf bag is a functional equipment rather than a fashion statement. It is not just for your golf clubs, but it can also hold your other golf equipment and accessories. Some advanced golf bags even have pocket coolers that can keep your drink ice-cold even for hours! You might want to consider that, especially when you will buy a carry golf bag.

When buying a golf bag, especially a carry golf bag, find a comfortable one. One should check the straps to see if it fits comfortably and whether it can be carried easily. Remember that your golf bag will be one of your trusted companions on the greens, and that you will spend hours with it. So choose wisely. Don't buy low quality bags, because you will end up purchasing another bag in the next few months if your old golf bag tears up. You should also buy your golf bag depending on the number of golf clubs that you have. Most golf bags can carry up to 15 golf clubs. A tournament however limits the number of golf clubs in your golf bag.

Another important thing to consider when purchasing a golf bag is its weight. This is one of the most important things to know. Golf bags should be light enough to be carried or carted easily, but sturdy enough to hold your clubs and protect them. Some golf bags are even water resistant, and are rain proofed for the protection of your clubs. Most of these golf bags have 8 or 9 dividers or pockets. Again, the number of dividers that you will need depend on the amount of clubs and accessories you will carry. If you have many golf clubs then choose a golf bag with many dividers. However, these types of golf bags have the tendency to be heavier. Some bags can weigh less than 5 pounds! These types of bags are made up of space-age materials such as graphite, however, they more expensive.

Remember that when buying golf bags, the lighter it is, the better and more comfortable it will be.

In the chemistry of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics, surface structures are vital physical element. History has it that there are things that seem to be peculiar on their make-up hundreds of years ago which eventually came up with a better composition based on scientific research. And a golf ball is the best paradigm of this theoretical stand in history.

During the earliest days of golf on the eastern coast of Scotland, most players used ancient apparatus in order to play the game in a more disorganized and informal way. Here, the first clubs and golf balls are made up of wood.

It was on 1618 that the feather golf ball was finally introduced. This was commonly known as the "Featherie". This feather golf ball was a handcrafted ball made with goose feathers securely pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere. This is being done while the ball is still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded creating a hardened ball.

But because these kinds of golf balls are specially handcrafted, they usually cost higher than the clubs. In doing so, only a few privileged people could afford to play golf during those times.

Next came the Guttie golf ball. This prehistoric kind of golf ball was made from the rubber like sap of the Gutta tree that can be found in the tropics. Normally, these Guttie balls can be easily shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually used as a golf ball. With its rubber nature, guttie balls can be cheaply reproduced and can be easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.

However, between the two earliest forms of golf balls, the feather golf ball was said to travel farther than the gutties. This is due to the smooth surface of the gutties that limits the capacity of the golf ball to cover more distance.

With this new scientific analysis, the developers of golf ball finally came up with balls with the "dimples" that are predominant in modern golf balls nowadays.

Dimples are crafted into golf balls so as to reduce the aerodynamic drag, which will be acting on the ball if it were totally smooth. This is because smooth balls, when sailing through the air, leave a huge pocket of low-pressure air in its stir therefore creating a drag. With the application of drag, the ball slows down.

Hence, by having dimples on golf balls, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball. This, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results to a smaller wake and lesser drag.

Dimples also help players to put backspin on a shot making the golf ball break off on the putting green.

The idea of putting dimples on golf balls can be traced back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. It was during this time when the players observed how their shots become more and more predictable as their balls turned rough from play.

When William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell ball in 1905, golf balls finally took their modern form.

From then on, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf balls took its form with standard size and weight.

Today, there is an abundant selection of golf balls to fit different golf game and condition. There are golf balls that offer control, while some offer distance. In whatever ways golf balls vary, only one thing is common and known. Golf balls are not just elements of the sports arena; they are more than ever paradigm of a concept in physics.