This is one of best videos on grip i have seen. Grip is the most important ,but also the most boring, part of golf swing. I would love to see more insights on the grip. By fixing my grip by half an inch, my shot dispersion on a 9 iron went from 20 yards to 4 yards.
Upon further reflection, this is perhaps one of the biggest revelations in golf. Thanks Dan for being the only person that I've found to shed light on this often misunderstood concept!
Hi Dan, after you fixed my grip I realised that I'd always thrown the club away because of the long thumb. Because you can feel the pressure of the shaft against it at the end of the backswing it encourages a pushback with the thumb in the downswing. Great stuff.
I am from the Ben Hogan School of golf I learned to play golf by reading Ben Hogan. I found the video because recently I've been feeling pain in my left thumb at the top and I feel like the stress on my thumb has been making my club dip toward my head. To relieve this pain and problem at the top I have found if I put my thumb to the right of the center of the shaft and go long with it it seems to work better for me. It relieved the pain and increased fluidity in my backswing in setting at the top.
Came across this video when trouble-shooting pain issues in my left thumb... this makes so much sense! I'd been using the "long thumb". Heading to the driving range to practice the connected grip. Thank you for taking the time to post this video.
Splendid, Dan. Thank you. I've recently had this exact pain/tendon issue with my lead thumb/forearm (Right - I'm left-handed) while working with Hogan's "5 Lessons" and getting help from a golf pro friend. This helps a lot.
Wow, I have learned more from watching a boatload of your videos this past couple weeks, than the dozens of lessons I have had over the last 15 years of playing. Thank you!
Thanks Dan I play off 6hcp and only recently wanted work on why my left thumb was injured/sprained every now n then. And for some damn reason never took it on board to address this issue. But lock down and constant rain recently in Australia made me think about this more. Surprise I get your explanation and have implemented this with great relieving affect. I implore all golfers man/woman get a lesson and or a fine tune. The pros do it and obviously we should too. Thx Dan Great work
The past few years after golfing for 30 years I've developed a sore left thumb. I believe I took the grip for granite, the left thumb became long and disconnected. By really concentrating on connecting the left thumb and thinking about the three pressure points, I have much less pain at the top of the swing. Thanks Dan!!!
Kudos! I have Ben's 5 Fundamentals, watched the GOATs explanations, fiddled and fudged, but this vid is my "Aha!" moment. The 'short thumb' appears to explain my game. Having those three parts of the left hand apply their pressure in equal measure made the light bulb go off. All my feelings of why the grip does not feel natural during the swing have been addressed. Thank you.
Dan: I have xxl hands and always felt I should shorten my thumb for more control, but I then cannot set my left wtist! Thanks so much for clearing up this issue!
I "long thumbed" last year and it made all the difference. Able to square up the face much, much more consistently and occasionally hit baby draws. Coming from a lifetime of controlled & loose fades.
Great video but could have used a little more cloesups. It's not immediately obvious to most what the difference is. And especially to help one figure out what they are currently doing. Still a great analysis nonetheless.
Dan, I was one of those "short thumb" grippers who had trouble losing a connected grip halfway through the swing. I'd seen tips that "shortening" the thumb would allow a free-er swing, but it turns out to be the opposite. I tried what you recommend and not only drove the ball well, but hit irons more accurately (and farther).
@@patrickcahill5292 After years with a slicing problem, I learned enough to fix it, but have had an issue with hooking the longer clubs, so I extend the thumb more for those clubs.
Surprised to see you were doing a vid just on the thumb but it was Informative and interesting Dan. Understood what you were explaining and clearly saw the differences in the thumb "positions" on the club. Always look fwd to your vids, nice decs too. Have a good one.
Got injured on my thumb with golf, and this is the perfect explanation for it why. It describes perfectly what happens when I hold my thumb wrong/short.
Hi Dan, I'm a 55 year old golfer desperately searching for ways to get rid of the early extension in my swing which has been ingrained over 25 years of playing golf. I've been enjoying your videos as you seem to find the ideal balance between technical content and practical advice and your videos are definitely helping me to understand what I need to change. Please would you advise which of your videos I should focus on to help me learn the correct release and reduce/eliminate early extension?
Completely new to me! I'm sure I have the loosy-goosy grip at-the-top issue, feels 100% better just swinging on the terrace with the thumbpad in contact!. Thanks!
Thanks, Dan great Video. If you have large hands this video could be like night and day on how you control the club. Never realised pad of thumb wasn’t connected and have always struggled with control. Never been picked up in any lesson I’ve had… thank you
Hogan's short left thumb worked for him for a couple of reasons besides controlling an over swing. Right hand rides high on left for a more unified grip, allowed more hand pressure for a firmer grip, and probably worked better with his swing path.
If like me you are trying to slightly strengthen your top hand ie thumb at 1oclock not 12 remember to match it with the heel ,took me months to work this out!
As I'm sitting here gripping wondering if I'm short or long thumb I'm a naturally short thumb gripper as I feel the short thumb places the pad of the thumb on the shaft if you go long you're more on the crease or the bend of the thumb. I was recently having a real problem with SNAP hooking my driver. I have recently fixed this by allowing the shaft to rest on my index finger tip as opposed to further down my index finger. It's so strange how little things leak into our swings and grips without realizing it.
Great point! I just dropped off my clubs for a full regrip and decided to try GolfPride's CP Pro grips (which are non-tapered) in mid-size to see how that will affect things.
I feel much more compfortable with midsize grips plus additional tapes... ...which should be too big for my hands, if you trust the common grip size charts. If the swingweight wouldn´t be that much affected, I would use jumbo sized grips... ...maybe because of the thumb placement, which Dan explained in Detail.
My grandad gave me a golf book called playing to scratch by mr X it was brilliant , it had a section about this , he interviewed top players , Snead hogan Sarazen , they all had an extremely flexible left thumb , some could pull the thumb back as far as the wrist ,
Yes, agree with the last comment - great content but more closeups on how the ‘connected thumb’ looks at address. General - really enjoyed the last three or four videos, very interesting content.
Great explanation of this topic, Dan. Though, I feel like you're having three intros in one video, and here comes some constructive critiques; It's like you're introducing the video and the importance of the left thumb three times. 1. "We are going to take a look at the importance of the thumb placement on the grip" *Intro-tune*. 2. "So guys, today we are taking a look at the left thumb on the grip, and gonna have a look..." *Fades to black* 3. "So, today we're gonna be talking about the importance of the thumb placement on my hand. What Ben Hogan did in his book, and we're gonna be looking at the difference between a long and a short thumb..." Maybe shorten these, are stick to a maximum of two of them, and after the number two go straight to visualizing what you're about to teach. Not saying this is the way to do it, but it might feel tidier and sharper. Just my one cent :)
For me, the left thumb just gets in the way and causes lots of tension in my backswing. I have been doing a baseball grip with my left hand. It gets the thumb out of the way and I am able to get lag much easier.
for me the long left thumb increases my club head control, creates more lag on downswing and increases my distance. i strongly feel golfers should try both. i play terrible golf with a short thumb. i am pretty sure hogan switched from short to long.
Dan Whittaker I think a lot of people missed ur point. For me with thumb pad connection it is slightly drawn but it hinges well and I dont lose control.
@@DanWhittakerGolf If it's not in the life line then the heelpad must be the primary support. And if the heelpad is a primary support, what's the function of the thumbpad as a contact point?
For the love of god, use fewer words to effectively communicate your points… and stop cutting to far away camera angles when you are describing a grip change… we can’t see what you are talking about! So frustrating to watch.
Coming soon Ben Hogans left testicle, and how he used it to shift weight in the golf swing and bend steel framing for his house. I guess the whole Ben Hogan thing is worth milking with the 'mystique' of Hogan and his 'secrets' so prevalent on youtube... Put the name Hogan in the name of the vid and ppl will click. :)
This is one of best videos on grip i have seen. Grip is the most important ,but also the most boring, part of golf swing. I would love to see more insights on the grip. By fixing my grip by half an inch, my shot dispersion on a 9 iron went from 20 yards to 4 yards.
This is the best explanation of the proper left thumb placement I've encountered. Thanks Dan!
Upon further reflection, this is perhaps one of the biggest revelations in golf. Thanks Dan for being the only person that I've found to shed light on this often misunderstood concept!
Hi Dan, after you fixed my grip I realised that I'd always thrown the club away because of the long thumb. Because you can feel the pressure of the shaft against it at the end of the backswing it encourages a pushback with the thumb in the downswing. Great stuff.
Well said sir I could not figure what was bolloxing my swing and that was it the long thumb pushing back and throwing away lag
I am from the Ben Hogan School of golf I learned to play golf by reading Ben Hogan. I found the video because recently I've been feeling pain in my left thumb at the top and I feel like the stress on my thumb has been making my club dip toward my head. To relieve this pain and problem at the top I have found if I put my thumb to the right of the center of the shaft and go long with it it seems to work better for me. It relieved the pain and increased fluidity in my backswing in setting at the top.
Came across this video when trouble-shooting pain issues in my left thumb... this makes so much sense! I'd been using the "long thumb". Heading to the driving range to practice the connected grip. Thank you for taking the time to post this video.
Splendid, Dan. Thank you. I've recently had this exact pain/tendon issue with my lead thumb/forearm (Right - I'm left-handed) while working with Hogan's "5 Lessons" and getting help from a golf pro friend. This helps a lot.
Might be the best grip video ever.
Wow, I have learned more from watching a boatload of your videos this past couple weeks, than the dozens of lessons I have had over the last 15 years of playing. Thank you!
Thanks Dan
I play off 6hcp and only recently wanted work on why my left thumb was injured/sprained every now n then. And for some damn reason never took it on board to address this issue. But lock down and constant rain recently in Australia made me think about this more. Surprise I get your explanation and have implemented this with great relieving affect. I implore all golfers man/woman get a lesson and or a fine tune. The pros do it and obviously we should too. Thx Dan Great work
The past few years after golfing for 30 years I've developed a sore left thumb. I believe I took the grip for granite, the left thumb became long and disconnected. By really concentrating on connecting the left thumb and thinking about the three pressure points, I have much less pain at the top of the swing. Thanks Dan!!!
Kudos! I have Ben's 5 Fundamentals, watched the GOATs explanations, fiddled and fudged, but this vid is my "Aha!" moment. The 'short thumb' appears to explain my game. Having those three parts of the left hand apply their pressure in equal measure made the light bulb go off. All my feelings of why the grip does not feel natural during the swing have been addressed. Thank you.
Thanks for this Dan, such a detailed breakdown is hard to find!
Dan: I have xxl hands and always felt I should shorten my thumb for more control, but I then cannot set my left wtist! Thanks so much for clearing up this issue!
I "long thumbed" last year and it made all the difference. Able to square up the face much, much more consistently and occasionally hit baby draws. Coming from a lifetime of controlled & loose fades.
Great video but could have used a little more cloesups. It's not immediately obvious to most what the difference is. And especially to help one figure out what they are currently doing.
Still a great analysis nonetheless.
I believe I have the short thumb issue!.....will be working on the connection now, thanks 👍
Dan, I was one of those "short thumb" grippers who had trouble losing a connected grip halfway through the swing. I'd seen tips that "shortening" the thumb would allow a free-er swing, but it turns out to be the opposite. I tried what you recommend and not only drove the ball well, but hit irons more accurately (and farther).
Same
Are you saying you went to long thumb ?
@@patrickcahill5292 After years with a slicing problem, I learned enough to fix it, but have had an issue with hooking the longer clubs, so I extend the thumb more for those clubs.
Really enjoyed that!!! Nicely put regarding Three connection Points!!!
Great lesson Dan. Big thumbs up for your lessons
Nice video. I am looking forward to trying the long thumb on the range this afternoon.
Very interesting, and helpful
This is a great video. I have been having some left thump pain recently, so go i'm going to take a good look at my left hand grip.
Surprised to see you were doing a vid just on the thumb but it was Informative and interesting Dan. Understood what you were explaining and clearly saw the differences in the thumb "positions" on the club. Always look fwd to your vids, nice decs too. Have a good one.
Great video series on Ben Hogan!Well done Dan.Regards, Simon, The Sands GC, Torquay, Vic, Australia.
Thanks to this video Im going to Slightly lengthen my thumb! for better thumb pad connection.Cant wait to try it.
great advice Dan many thanks love your instructional video's keep them coming.
Got injured on my thumb with golf, and this is the perfect explanation for it why. It describes perfectly what happens when I hold my thumb wrong/short.
Hi Dan, I'm a 55 year old golfer desperately searching for ways to get rid of the early extension in my swing which has been ingrained over 25 years of playing golf. I've been enjoying your videos as you seem to find the ideal balance between technical content and practical advice and your videos are definitely helping me to understand what I need to change. Please would you advise which of your videos I should focus on to help me learn the correct release and reduce/eliminate early extension?
Completely new to me! I'm sure I have the loosy-goosy grip at-the-top issue, feels 100% better just swinging on the terrace with the thumbpad in contact!. Thanks!
I do have it and I’m gonna try this and hope it works I haven’t been able to make contact with the driver due to that feel
Thanks, Dan great Video. If you have large hands this video could be like night and day on how you control the club. Never realised pad of thumb wasn’t connected and have always struggled with control. Never been picked up in any lesson I’ve had… thank you
A true master class Dan. Thanks 😊
brilliant video, thank you
Dan, your vids are always informative. Keep 'em coming!
Hi Dan can you do a follow up focusing on grip pressure and how it affects swing
Love this video
Hogan's short left thumb worked for him for a couple of reasons besides controlling an over swing. Right hand rides high on left for a more unified grip, allowed more hand pressure for a firmer grip, and probably worked better with his swing path.
Hey Dan, your videos are the best well done, it's a like from me
Great explanation
If like me you are trying to slightly strengthen your top hand ie thumb at 1oclock not 12 remember to match it with the heel ,took me months to work this out!
As I'm sitting here gripping wondering if I'm short or long thumb I'm a naturally short thumb gripper as I feel the short thumb places the pad of the thumb on the shaft if you go long you're more on the crease or the bend of the thumb. I was recently having a real problem with SNAP hooking my driver. I have recently fixed this by allowing the shaft to rest on my index finger tip as opposed to further down my index finger. It's so strange how little things leak into our swings and grips without realizing it.
Awesome vid Dan! Is grip size next ?!!
Great point! I just dropped off my clubs for a full regrip and decided to try GolfPride's CP Pro grips (which are non-tapered) in mid-size to see how that will affect things.
I feel much more compfortable with midsize grips plus additional tapes...
...which should be too big for my hands, if you trust the common grip size charts.
If the swingweight wouldn´t be that much affected, I would use jumbo sized grips...
...maybe because of the thumb placement, which Dan explained in Detail.
You'd think I wouldn't be interested in a video about a thumb, I am though. Love how many aspects of the golf swing we can analyse and discuss
This is such an important video. Game changer.
My grandad gave me a golf book called playing to scratch by mr X it was brilliant , it had a section about this , he interviewed top players , Snead hogan Sarazen , they all had an extremely flexible left thumb , some could pull the thumb back as far as the wrist ,
should I try a 'one length thumb' like Bryson Dechambeau?
Hi Dan, I really like these detailed technical vids, can you tell me what impact positioning of the right hand can have on swing please?
Yes, agree with the last comment - great content but more closeups on how the ‘connected thumb’ looks at address. General - really enjoyed the last three or four videos, very interesting content.
Super tips explained not to confuse
Nice decor Dan - merry xmas
Great explanation of this topic, Dan. Though, I feel like you're having three intros in one video, and here comes some constructive critiques; It's like you're introducing the video and the importance of the left thumb three times.
1. "We are going to take a look at the importance of the thumb placement on the grip" *Intro-tune*.
2. "So guys, today we are taking a look at the left thumb on the grip, and gonna have a look..." *Fades to black*
3. "So, today we're gonna be talking about the importance of the thumb placement on my hand. What Ben Hogan did in his book, and we're gonna be looking at the difference between a long and a short thumb..."
Maybe shorten these, are stick to a maximum of two of them, and after the number two go straight to visualizing what you're about to teach. Not saying this is the way to do it, but it might feel tidier and sharper. Just my one cent :)
Love those Xmas decs Dan,you've really got in to the spirt of it!🌲🎄
On the topic of the Short Thumb: Arnold Palmer always liked to give a short thumbs up to the gallery!
Thank you very much, you're explanation was excellent. Helped a lot!
Awesome xmas decs Dan ;-)
legendary hair
For me, the left thumb just gets in the way and causes lots of tension in my backswing. I have been doing a baseball grip with my left hand. It gets the thumb out of the way and I am able to get lag much easier.
So many different views on grip, Crossfield wants it primarily in the base of the fingers
for me the long left thumb increases my club head control, creates more lag on downswing and increases my distance. i strongly feel golfers should try both. i play terrible golf with a short thumb. i am pretty sure hogan switched from short to long.
Dan Whittaker I think a lot of people missed ur point. For me with thumb pad connection it is slightly drawn but it hinges well and I dont lose control.
The MOST significant part of hogans thumb is he was Double Jointed that enables him to maintain lag.
I have never heard of gripping with your thumbpad
You have now
@@DanWhittakerGolf But you can't have the grip in your life line of your left hand, that's a putter grip
I think you’ve slightly misunderstood what I was saying, the thumb pad of the lead hand sits on top of the grip
@@DanWhittakerGolf If it's not in the life line then the heelpad must be the primary support. And if the heelpad is a primary support, what's the function of the thumbpad as a contact point?
Where is left thumb at impact? Top of backswing? A visual would be good
Short thumb puts pressure on last two fingers , and regrip issues
For the love of god, use fewer words to effectively communicate your points… and stop cutting to far away camera angles when you are describing a grip change… we can’t see what you are talking about! So frustrating to watch.
That’s not long thumb, long thumb is finau grip with thumb perpendicular to palm
This was unnecessarily long...PLEASE summarize what I am sure is good info..just could not stay awake.
How many times have you won on your???? 🤔. Ben Hogan #GOAT
Can't see a thing
Who the hell is responsible for ma
Wrong way around , short thumb acts as a leaver at the top , which opens last two fingers , regrip issues , inconstancy,
No
thoomb
😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴😴
Shot from the bleechers, and bad lighting.
Great video but need to be less than 5 minutes ...Over 5 minutes loses effectiveness and attention span.......GL
Coming soon Ben Hogans left testicle, and how he used it to shift weight in the golf swing and bend steel framing for his house. I guess the whole Ben Hogan thing is worth milking with the 'mystique' of Hogan and his 'secrets' so prevalent on youtube... Put the name Hogan in the name of the vid and ppl will click. :)