The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-03-25
SARAZEN TELLS
WHY HIS STYLE
OF GRIP SUITS
Makes Hands Act as One, He
Explains, But Doesn't Advo.
cate 1t for All.
BY GENE sARAzEN.
Worlds Golf Champion.

O0tG u III Htts
BY GENE SARAZEN.
Worlds Golf Champion.
n ECENTLY I read a golf article
in which the writer criticised
n ~ my grip-rather he wass criti-
cising the interlocking grip, which
I use on all shots up to the chip
to the hole. He said the interIock.
ing grip was practically useless for
most golfers. The writer gave no
reasons for his opinion and there
fore, his criticism. so FAR as am
able to judge, was valueiegS.
viii grant that the interlocking
grip is not practical for all. Neither
is the old-fashioned grip, nor the
overlapping grip. Each Individual
must adopt the grip that is best
suited for his or her hands.
Gripping the club properly is es-
sential IL one wishes to progress in
golf. That means that one must do
a bit Of experimenting before finally
adopting any grip.
For instance those-and they in.
clude the great majority-who use
the overlapping or Vardon grip
do not all grasp the club in the
same way. Jock Hutchinson overlaps,
but, unlike most other players, he
overIaps two fingers OF the left hand.
That is because Of the size of his
hands. Jock has unusually large
palms, 10 which are attached long
and powerful digits. But every
body's hands aren't so large as
Jocks.
|OLD-FASHIONED GRIP.
Hagen. Barnes. Evans. Bobby
Jones and Vardon air overlap one
finger only. And Francis Ouimet.
from whom = copied the interIock-
ing grip. holds the left thumb
straight down the shaft in the palm
of the left hand whereas bend the
thumb underneath the shaft.
! consider this grip to be as pow.
erful as any ever originated. Willie
Anderson was the first to use II.
And all OF the old-timers win tell you.
that no one could hit ball further
or play the game better than this
Scot
Johnny McDermott also used the
SAlSCAlOEhAIAS grip. 0uEE4y SOQ
wouldn't call him a dub! Francis
Ouimet used the grip when he won
the National Open and believe he
still holds the club in this manner.
On the other hand, stars like Abe
Mitchell, Mike Brady and Sandy
Herd use the old fashioned grip.
Yet Brady teaches the overlapping
to most of his pupils because this
grip is more adaptable to the aver
age player than any other. also
teach my pupils to grip the club IN
this manner, provided the interlock-
ing grip is uncomfortable or un-
suited for them.
The trouble with the old-fashioned
grip is that it tends to produce a
sliced ball. The criticism of the in
terlocking grip is that it gives one q
tendency to hook-yet that is a
trouble seldom experience. AS a
matter of fact am more apt to push
my shot than am to hook.
The interlocking grip is bad II you
over-swing as the right hand spreacs.
use stroke that is little more
than three-quarters-I used to over.
swing but eventually cut down my
back swing to conform to my grip
and to keep the stroke more CON-
pact.
The feature of the interlocking
grip is that it keeps the hands to-
gether-locks them so to speak-so
that they can't slip apart or sepa-
rate. That should be the purpose
Of any grip-viz., to have the1hands
act as one in unison throughout
the stroke.
DO NOT BREAK GRIP.
The overlapping grip brings the
hands together nicely. What Is
more. the strain is not quite as Sc
we're as it is with the interIocking
grip. There is less tendency in
using the overlapping grip for the
hands to spread on the backswing-
in fact, you can with both the over
tapping and old-fashioned grips
overswing without going off the
line
l think everybody, though, ought
to make his swing as compact as
possible-even if it does mean loss
| of power-because there is nothing
| like accuracy and direction for
scoring well-examples, Harry Var
don and Chick Evans.
4
will have to adjust your hands to
| the style of your swing.
II you have tendency to hook,
hold tho hands well above the shift
ON top as it were.
II you find yourself slicing your
shots. turn the right hand under
| the club.
That is what both Hagen and
| Hutchinson have been doing since
they began using straight-faced
wooden clubs.
Another bit of advice regarding
the grip! See that the fingers do
most of the work. The palms OF
the hands are OF little use in swing,
ing the club. The fingers do the
/ guiding and the gripping. Hold
| the club firmly, but not too tightly
and above all do not break your
grip in the backswing.
] Copyright. 1923. The Bell Syndicate, Inc. ]