Whether your goal is to someday win your state amateur title, beat your friends on the weekends, or just be able to get your ball around the course without looking like a fool, I can help you.

You want to hit the ball long and straight off the tee? You want to chip the ball close to the hole and putt with confidence? I can tell you how to do those things.

The game of golf is really like an exclusive little club; actually a big club with a ton of members. The game is full of secrets that some members know and some don't. I have been playing golf since I was a ten-year-old kid. I have tried it all. I am now a 32-year-old man who has taught and played as a professional, and I know which "secrets" are the real secrets and which ones are phony.

The basics of the game has to begin with the grip. Your grip is the only contact you have with the golf club, so we must begin there. Grab a club and do this along with me.

Everything I am writing will be for right-handed golfer. Simply reverse all instruction if you are left handed.

The Grip:

Grab the golf club at the middle of the shaft with your right hand. Hold the club out in front of you so it looks like you are lining it up to stab yourself with the grip end of the club. Now, open your left hand up and face the palm to the sky under the golf grip. Now, lay the grip across your left hand so that it makes a diagonal line from the tip of your index finger to the base of your little finger.

Now, keeping the club on that line, simply wrap your hand around the grip. You should be able to hold the club comfortably out in front of you with just your left hand. In fact, you should be able to remove all but your middle finger from the club and still hold it comfortably off the ground with little effort.

With the full left hand gripping the club, turn your right hand palm to the sky. Stick the middle two fingers out and with the left hand still on the club lay the grip on the middle pads of those middle fingers, then slide the fingers up the grip until your right ring finger is touching your left index finger. Now, just wrap the right hand around the grip.

You will notice that your right little finger will feel out of place. There are two options with the little finger and neither one is wrong. Go with whatever feels comfortable. You can either interlock your right little finger inside your left index finger or you can simply lay it over the top. Jack Nicklaus and Tiger

• 1
• 2
• 3
• next page >>

---

Add your voice

Know something about The basics of golf: Learning to play?
We want to hear your view. Write now!