Hand Position

Hi @Tom Saguto Loving the forum!

Just a quick question regarding the hands position at set-up. Should they be in the same position, inside the lead thigh as all the other clubs?

I've been working hard trying to become more consistent with a pre-shot routine and came-up with a little saying to help with a routine:

Great (grip)

Play (posture)

Because (ball position)

Worked (weight)

Hard (hands)

At (arms)

Set-up (swing)

I get a little "pausey" thinking about the hand position with the big stick as it feels I'm delofting the face, so I'm just not as fluent and therefore not as confident prior to smashing the wrath of God out of the ball!

10 comments

10 Comments

Tom Saguto

Mar 10, 2021

Fantastic, @ianantonyjones1978!! Keep up the great work - you're well on your way to crispy KFC irons and mashed potato drives!!

Tom

Ian "Twiggy" Jones

Mar 14, 2021

Replying to

@Tom Saguto during the takeaway, not just for driver but for all clubs, should the club path go back straight for a few inches and then get the “hands in” or should it just be hands in?

Ian "Twiggy" Jones

Mar 10, 2021

Cheers @Tom Saguto for clearing that up!

You're spot on regarding migrating from a set-up of hands behind the ball. Very different feels and look but already starting to feel more confident and accomplished with every swing!

Tom Saguto

Mar 10, 2021

@ianantonyjones1978 - I love your pre-shot saying, and it is absolutely spot-on because you cannot make a good swing with a poor setup!

The stock hand position - even with the inside of the lead thigh - does not change for any club until we get to the point where we've got our swing ingrained and are advancing into learning some specialty shots or working on different ball flights. It can take a little bit of time to get used to setting up for the driver like this - especially if you're migrating from a swing in which the hands were back and you were trying to hit up on the ball - but if you set your ball position for the driver even with the inside of your lead heel it should not look very delofted (if at all). And remember, the PGA Tour average angle of attack with the driver is only minus 1.3 degrees, which is very close to level. You should not have to feel like you are hitting down on it. Just lock down your hand and ball positions and make your normal swing, letting the length of the club dictate your backswing plane (which will naturally "feel" more around the body than it will for a shorter club).

I hope this helps!

Tom