Instruction
The problem with a strong grip
In my experience, the grip is the single biggest influencer on all golf swings. It controls the club face, the club face controls the flight of the golf ball, and the flight of the golf ball flight controls the swing. And like most other things that involve the golf swing, grips can be broken down into three types: strong, neutral and weak.
This article deals with a strong grip, which is currently a popular grip to teach in golf instruction. While it can be effective for some golfers, it is not a panacea. The problem with a strong grip is that it CAN open the club face. That sounds crazy, because most golfers think that a strong grip will help them close the club face, but here’s how it works.
Note: The first part of this story discusses the top hand in the grip, which is the left hand for right-handed golfers. The second part of the story discusses the lower hand, or the right hand for right-handed golfers. All references of left and right are written for right-handed golfers.
A lot of players who strengthen their grip create an extended, or “cupped,” left wrist position at the top of the swing. That’s because when you make the grip stronger, you extend or “cup” the left wrist from the start. In any case, a cupped left wrist at the top of the swing starts the club down steeply during the transition, which means that the club will be in a more vertical position as it moves toward the ball. That action actually OPENS the face.
Notice the accentuated “cup” in this golfer’s left wrist.
Yes, there are great players who cup the left wrist at the top of the swing and then move the right elbow forward enough in the downswing to lower the shaft back onto a functional plane — that’s exactly what Ben Hogan did — but I’m describing MOST golfers, and they don’t have Tour skills.
We know that when the center of mass of the club (a spot a few inches above the hosel) gets above the hand path, it is really difficult to square the face, and invariably this is what happens when the club starts down very steeply. From that position, there is a strong opening effect on the face, which defeats the purpose of the strong grip in the first place.
It is true that the strong grip closes the face to the back of the top hand, but the action it promotes often causes the opposite effect. That is why I rarely strengthen grips for slicers who are slicing from being too steep. If you are trying to get the club to come in on a lower vertical swing plane, which means it will be flatter into the golf ball, I DO NOT recommend strengthening your grip if you’re slicing or hitting weak fades.
The other problem with a strong grip is that when the downswing starts down quite vertically, most golfers will react to that steep position in one of these ways:
- Shortening the lead-arm radius (a.k.a. the chicken wing)
- Raising the swing center (a.k.a. bailing out)
- Reversing their weight shift (a.k.a. backing up)
Every one of those moves is the player’s way of trying to avoid hitting the ground too early. These “fat” shots are the tendency of golfers who get the shaft too vertical in the transition, which makes it very difficult to stay “in the shot.”
A strong left-hand grip can create a “blocking” action at the bottom of the swing.
Finally, if the stronger top-hand grip does succeed in creating a closed club face, it often creates a “blocking action” at the bottom of the swing. Golfers do this to keep shots from going left, and use a hanging-back motion to give the club face some loft so they can hit it higher. This is the classic move of a “shut-to-open” player, who usually suffers severe toe hits in the process.
I’m not suggesting that golfers can’t play with stronger grips: after all, some do it quite well. But if you’re slicing problem became more severe when you tried to strengthen your grip, I’m suggesting that the reasons above may be why. Regular readers of my articles know full well my definition of a good grip: One that squares the face! Different swings needs different grips and finding yours is one of the keys to better golf.
The Bottom Hand
Now for the bottom-hand grip on the club, which is the right hand for right-handed golfers. It is best in a fairly neutral position, with the “V” — which is formed by the right thumb and the index finger on the grip — pointed as far left as the chin and as far right as the right shoulder. Yes, there are always exceptions, but most players should stay in that range.
The “V” in this golfer’s right-hand grip points between his chin and his right shoulder.
One of the most obvious and immediate results of a bottom-hand grip that is too strong is a low, quick hook, also called a “quacker.” If you’re not getting the ball in the air very much and it’s diving low and to left, there’s a good chance that your right hand has turned too far under the club. A bottom-hand grip that is too strong is also easily the No. 1 cause of excessive club face rotation into impact.
There is much more to be said about the grip, but enough for now.
If you’d like me to analyze your swing, go to my Facebook page or contact me (dennisclarkgolf@gmail.com) about my online swing analysis program.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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LiveForGolf
Jul 8, 2022 at 3:13 am
Old article, but it’s wrong unfortunately, a strong bottom hand with a shoulders pull swing from the inside / skim the stone, cut the ball with a really open face works really well with a strong right hand.
kim howard
Oct 23, 2021 at 11:50 pm
For me showed immediate improvements and even hiting driving iron really well. However easy to only go half way and creep back into too strong right hand position. With reasonably small hands and age 71 I found that could quickly lock in correct grip by changing from overlap to interlocking. Also worth noting that too strong right hand grip can very likely result in hip movement on downswing resulting in impact closer to the heel and even dreaded shanks.
Nick Lakin
May 5, 2019 at 3:53 pm
Well written article. You seem to be talking about my swing to a tee (pun intended). Seriously. I’m going to start working on weakening my grip. I’m thinking I should do this in increments? Or should I just weaken it to the desired position and go from there? Thanks again for your insight to the strong grip.
Funkaholic
Mar 22, 2019 at 10:52 am
This is an ignorant and backwards article, keep your strong grip and work on your rotation.
Raymond
Aug 15, 2021 at 8:48 pm
This is an ignorant and backwards comment.
miquel
May 24, 2018 at 11:29 pm
Thanks for the informative article. I am guilty of the strong right hand, and most of the faults you mention. I will work on the grip asap.
Andy
Sep 15, 2016 at 8:36 pm
Totally agree with all of this. I’m a caddie and I’m constantly trying to fix peoples grips because they come in way too steep with a strong grip and hit the ball terribly inconsistently. I’ve tried to get my grip to dead neutral and to see 3 knuckles on my right hand. It has gotten me much more shallow and taken my hands out of the swing in turn allowing me to use more of my body in turn allowing me to gain more distance.
Dennis Clark
Aug 19, 2015 at 5:17 pm
Yes it might help
David
Aug 18, 2015 at 6:43 pm
Would a weaker grip, for someone who has a strong grip and steep, flatten the down swing at all?
Ryan S
Aug 18, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Dennis, you mentioned a strong grip leading to too steep a downswing and potentially an abbreviated follow through (chickenwing). I believe this is my problem – any thoughts on how to remedy? I can’t seem to consistently follow through (almost to the point where i’m stuck inside and under the plane). Thanks in advance!
Dennis Clark
Aug 19, 2015 at 5:20 pm
the chicken wing is usually a reaction to something…it might be a steep transition or a very early release…id have to see it really
Shawn Lavin
Aug 17, 2015 at 10:04 am
Dennis, can’t believe I stumbled upon this article. We were paired together in the PA Open years ago at Nemacolin. I think that my strong grip leads to crossing the line, then over the top in transition. But instead of staying over plane, i lay the shaft down, then use too much hand action to square it. Works most of the time, but in competition it can be unpredictable and ball flight gets lower.
Fabian Lozano
Aug 17, 2015 at 4:53 am
The strong grip has jothing to do with low hooks. In fact with an stronger grip you can square the clubface earlier reducing ROC (Rate Of Closure) during impact zone resulting in straingther shots.
Is a bad release that causes hooking by a clubface closing at impact. If you let your hands rolling or underflip then you can hit a low hook or high hook.
But if you mantain a good release (left wrist supination-flexion / right wrist pronation- extension) Driving and Holding then you can hit straighter as ever.
http://www.kelvinmiyahira.com/articles/articles-2/2011-articles/66-2011-09-pga-tour-grip-styles-part-2-continued
geohogan
Aug 5, 2020 at 9:51 am
The total DS from top of BS to impact is less than 1/4 second
Too short a time to know(proprioception) where our hands are in space in real time.
So thinking a golfer can square the clubface “earlier” is a mirage.
Ball clubface impact is 5/ 10,000 second. Thinking “release” earlier is also beyond
even Trumps imagination.
Chuck
Aug 15, 2015 at 6:47 pm
Interesting stuff. I don’t have much of a comment on the substance, but I had a lesson recently with a nationally-known instructor; the head of instruction for one of the better-known golf schools in the world.
And he worked on my grip right away, which I had always presumed was solid and book-neutral. He is definitely part of the new strong-grip thinking in golf instruction; such a thing really does exist. In my case, he thought it might help with me crossing the line at the top of the backswing, and it might get me back to a better position at impact. I like the teacher in question; he’s a genuinely good guy. But I am still mystfied by the (very!) strong grip insistence of some modern instructors.
He mentioned to me; there are an increasing number of tour players going to stronger grips. I think he is right about that but I have no idea about how to quantify such a thing.
Dennis Clark
Aug 15, 2015 at 10:08 pm
Interesting comments Chuck…how r u hitting the ball with the new grip? I’m curious about stronger grip NOT crossing the line? It usually has the opposite effect.
CT
Aug 14, 2015 at 3:29 pm
I have a question. My hands are on the smaller side and I notice that my right hand is always in a strong position because it does not sit well otherwise using the overlap grip. Anyway, I can grip my driver and hover the head above the ground, then let go with might right hand and the club twists a bit to the right (opening the face). I swing with an inside swing path and get hooks once in a while when I don’t turn hard through impact. I also block/push the ball once in a while, especially with my irons. I am not a steep angle of attack player, but I’m pretty sure I have some issues with my grip and release. Btw, a 10 finger grip allows my right hand to sit properly on the grip, but I cannot see myself playing with a baseball grip. Any thoughts?
Gubment Cheeze
Aug 14, 2015 at 8:13 pm
You just need a good swing thought
I have/had the same problem
my swing thought is to keep my index finger knuckle on my gloved hand pointing at 12 o’clock
When I start under releasing again I think more towards 11 o’clock then or if your left handed 1 o’clock
Maybe that helps
Gubment Cheeze
Aug 14, 2015 at 8:15 pm
You may need to do a little work on ball position also
Gubment Cheeze
Aug 14, 2015 at 8:15 pm
And work on more of a body release
Dennis Clark
Aug 14, 2015 at 9:22 pm
Butt diameter is the first thing you need to check. Small hands need thinner
10 finger grip is perfectly OK. I HAVE A SCRATCH PLAYER USING IT.
the face twisting open is a toe hit for sure.
Robert
Aug 14, 2015 at 12:43 pm
This is interesting. I think if someones grip is weak, it’s ok to strengthen it. But I see your point. However, if someone had a strong grip, I would suggest that, at setup, they not cup their wrist like the example you have above.
When I hit the ball my best it was with a very strong grip. However, I put a lot of shaft lean in at address so that I got rid of that awful cup wrist. That cupping can really hurt a swing.
If you only strengthen your grip, but don’t adjust anything else, I agree that you will really make things worse. But if you adjust your wrist with the grip, you will hit low, piercing shots. And it actually becomes more difficult to hook the ball because it’s harder to flip your wrists over at impact.
I’m not as strong as I used to be so I don’t do that anymore, but it was sweet to hit those low piercing shots back then. They were so consistent.
Dennis Clark
Aug 14, 2015 at 9:07 pm
Robert this is exactly correct. BUT…when you deloft you have effectively turned your 6 into a 5 iron AND the club goes much more inside and can get trapped behind the hands and can be laid off at the top. A lot of low hooks are the result of strong grip delofted to “appear” weaker. Also when you deloft significantly you have to careful of not aiming the face right and getting the golf ball too far back in the stanceI’ve never corrected anyone other than a quick fix with the deloft. But if it works for you, DO IT! A little is fine BTW. Thx
Robert
Aug 14, 2015 at 11:25 pm
Yeah, agreed. You shouldn’t do it without proper instruction on HOW to do it. I think we are on the same page here for sure. I’ve been playing for 27 years and every time I end up playing with someone that is new to the game I tell them, “You need to make sure you have a good grip and posture. Without those, it is impossible to have a consistently good swing. I’ve been playing for over 25 years and I STILL work on making sure my grip and posture are correct. And when they get off, I hit it bad.”
I’ve seen too many people go get lessons and they work on the persons swing first instead of the grip and posture. With a bad grip and posture, if you hit a good shot, it’s luck. With a good grip and posture, it makes it hard to hit terrible shots.
mo
Aug 14, 2015 at 1:15 am
That looks exactly like my grip and I definitely don’t have open face issues. My misses are pulls and hooks.
Andy
Aug 14, 2015 at 2:37 pm
Probably because the face is open and you snap it shut right at impact.
James Saylor
Aug 13, 2015 at 10:07 pm
Nice article. But make no mistake a stronger grip can help some golfers
Jeff*
Aug 13, 2015 at 8:58 pm
Dennis, would you write an article called, what it means to play with a “shut face,” especially if DJ is gonna contend in another major, I’d really like a better understanding of that term.
Dennis Clark
Aug 13, 2015 at 8:38 pm
Id have to know your ball flight, skill level and shot tendencies.
Joe D
Aug 13, 2015 at 8:11 pm
Wow…you described me to a T. Although I am left handed it obviously makes sense. One thought though, my left hand, which is dominant….just doesn’t feel right in the neutral position. It feels weak.
I feel more power with my left hand(lower hand) under the club slightly. Any suggestions for the downswing with this grip? Thanks Dennis.
Dennis Clark
Aug 13, 2015 at 6:21 pm
make no mistake a stronger grip can help some golfers. What Im saying here is that if you fight steep in your swing, stronger may not be the way to go. Who it can help is some players who play slightly from outside or players who “lag” the club late into impact. Thx
new-spanishfly
Aug 13, 2015 at 5:05 pm
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Jim Jaworski
Aug 13, 2015 at 4:45 pm
This is a very interesting article since I recently changed my neutral grip to a stronger grip at the advice of my teaching pro. I was fading and slicing my shots previously. I still hit some big push fades and slices with this grip.
My big issue is a sore left pinky finger after making this grip change. Any thoughts on that?
JP
Aug 14, 2015 at 4:29 am
try bigger grips. helped my friend. just too much movement in the hands.
Hawk
Aug 13, 2015 at 12:57 pm
I always like reading grip articles but they always miss a piece and that is the clubface when gripping the club. I have used a strong grip, looked exactly like that in the picture. However; I had a closed face when gripping the club. At address it looked square, and the result was slightly more forward shaft lean. I had 0 issues with keeping it straight and never had an issue with the face opening, only because I griped the club with a closed face already.
Dennis Clark
Aug 13, 2015 at 12:08 pm
it really has to start with a flat left wrist, and a lower body drive at the golf ball. hitting balls on a side hill is great drill…
Bill S
Aug 13, 2015 at 11:32 am
Very clever article! In the past years, my grip have become imperceptibly stronger and stronger, months after months. And then I had to deal with with left cupped wrist at the top which caused me big issues. Finally, wanted to work to have a flatter wrist at the top, I came to conclusion that I should go with a weaker grip and it’s much better.
JustTrying2BAwesome
Aug 13, 2015 at 10:33 am
Great article! This really hits home in my complete inability to square the face. I’ve tried everything, including a stronger than strong grip, without success. I know one of my (probably many) problems is I can’t get the club head in the slot or below my hand path in the downswing. It’s always above the hand plane (is that a term???). I just can’t see in my minds eye how a club face can be on or below the hand plane, still create lag, and square at impact. Thinking about those effects in the swing I imagine a club face can ONLY be wide open, almost parallel to the target line. If I can’t envision it, it’ll never happen.
Do you have any drills or suggestions on how to keep the path of the club head on or below the plane of the hands through the downswing?
Greg V
Aug 13, 2015 at 10:14 am
Interesting article. I never associated my slightly vertical downswing with a cupped left wrist.
Good stuff, Dennis.
Alex T
Aug 13, 2015 at 9:17 am
Excellent article! I always thought of my grip as one contiguous thing, but actually seeing it broken down into a right and left hand grip has made me realise that, yes I have a strong left hand and yes I have a cupped left wrist, but actually my bad shots are caused by my right hand being too strong (quackers, as per the article). Often on a tee box if I feel less than confident over the ball or that I want to hit it a bit harder I’ll inadvertently strengthen my right hand, not because of any swing intent but because I feel more comfortable that way, and that’s causing the duck hook. One more habit to ditch, I guess. Fantastic article Dennis!