The Washington times., 1922-03-12
STRONG GRIP
ADVISED FOR
ALL GOLFERS

ALL GOLFEkS
Jock Hutchlson Gives Dsvotees
Of Game Tips on Proper Way
to Hold Clubs.
BY JOCK HUTCHINSON.
TyHE hands are always . source
Of worry to, the golfer and
always will be. There are SO
many different ways Of taking
hold Of . club that 1t Is impossi-
bic to set down one hard and fast
rule in connection with the grip.
Recently q golfer wrote to ask
what ,could be done for tender
hands. Unquestionably the one
who plays with tender hands must
look to his grip more than anyone
else In the game.
II Q golfer will use the finger
grip, or what Is known as the
overlapping grip. ! think he will
in time find that sore hands will
not enter into his golf at all.
This grip is used by eight out Of
ten pros and none of them have
ever complained to me of bad
hands.
In my own case / overlap with
two fingers instead Of one for which
the regulation orthodox grip calls.
My hands, both the palms and the
fingers, are always in good shape
whether handle golf club or not.
Frequently In the winter have gone
several weeks without club In my
hand, but when I picked one up
again there is no trouble to me as fai
as blisters are concerned.
Most women golfers fail st the
game because they have delicate
hands and wrists. The use of gloves
does not help much except to pro-
tect the hands from blisters which
soon develop into corns.
Large hands are one Of the great
est assets q golfer can have. There
are some good players who have
small hands, but they are few and
far between. Large hands usually
mean large wrists and forearms.
AZ golf Ii game that In played
q great deal with the forearms this
In distinct advantage and the golfer
who Possesses them can feel well
assured that he has the most neces-
sary adjunct in the game.
Exercise the Forearms.
Most Of the pros have developed
their hands at the game. II one
played a great deal Of golf the hands
would be the first thing to show the
effect Of It.
A regular course in finger develop
ment. which would also be develop
ment for the forearms and wrists
as well. should be undertaken by the
beginner In golf who intends to i'm
prove his game quickly.
II would not be necessary to con-
suit your athletic director or pro-
lessor on this subject Any simple
exercise that gives the fingers and
wrists fun play would suffice.
An amateur golfer once told me,
that he added almost 40 per cent
strength to his forearms one win.
ter through exercise.
II % happened that he had to
attend the furnace In his country
nome. He put on coal at least
tnree times day and when he
handled the shovel he took about five
minutes exercise swinging IL.
Another player once declared that
he strengthened his fingers by open.
ing and shutting his hand every time
ne thought about II during the day
The Varion Grip.
The hands play an important part
In golf. much more important than
the average beginner or duffer i'm
agfnes. Golf experts have argued
for years as to whether golf was a
left handed or right handed game
that is. whether the right did most
OF the work or whether Ii was the
left.
For years, professionals used to
teach that the left was the hand
that did the work. but for some
time the experts have seen the folly
OF this statement. The right Ia now
regarded as the most important, but
the best pros try to make the hands
work In unison and give both as
much credit as possible.
The modern grip, or the Vardon
grip. as II II usually called, was de-
signed for this purpose. II made
both hands as nearly equal az DOS
sibie. The left hand, being the
weaker. took full possession OF the
club with the right overlapping.
This made both hands the same and
gave them little chance to work
against each other, as II is possibl.
for them to do when not held close
together.
The baseball player could not grip
q golf club the way he holds a bat
and produce any kind Of blow with
It. The hands on the bat are some
times held far apart.
The hands have been described in
the golf swing as the hinge in n
long club that reaches from the arm
pit to the bead Of the driver, one-third
arm and two-thirds wood.
There must be a break In the long
club. but II must be in reality the
strongest part of the shaft. In or
der to make this the strongest part
the hands must be held ms near to-
gether as they can be. otherwise
there will be a break In the rhythm
of the swing.
For those who have short fingers,
or whose hands are notsstrong, tn
wo.hanhed grip win do. II II easy
to change later when the hands are
developed from play.
Many good players use this grip.
This is what might be called the
natural grip. Nine out of ten be.
ginners will take this grip the first
time they take hold of a golf club.