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Change scares a lot of people. Golfers, for example, are especially prone to feelings of high anxiety with the slightest of grip changes. But to play Natural Golf (NG) a grip change is definitely required. How the club is held is one of four basic fundamentals that all Natural Golfers must learn.

1. The NATURAL PALM GRIP–For the last 100 years or so, golfers have held the club in their fingers creating a double-axis setup between the club shaft and the arms. This double-axis requires quite a lot of club head rotation to square the face by impact. World-class timing is needed to be consistent. And in case you haven't yet noticed, very few are blessed with that sort of timing. The National Golf Foundation tells us that one percent of all golfers shoot par or better, leaving the vast majority scrambling. By re-positioning the club diagonally across the palms of both hands a single-axis is created thereby drastically reducing much of the needed club head rotation. In fact, Natural Golfers hold the club the same way carpenters hold their hammers, or tennis players hold their rackets...in the palms, not the fingers.

2. The SINGLE-AXIS–The second NG basic fundamental is the single-axis which is automatically created by putting the grip end of the club diagonally across the palms. Single-axis means there is no angle between the shaft and the dominant forearm. It gives golfers a straight-line setup to the ball which is easier to learn and much more repeatable.

3. The WIDE STANCE–Natural Golfers place their feet further apart than most conventional players. The wider stance gives more stability and limits hip rotation. The longer the club, the wider the stance. With a driver, for example, the insides of the feet are as wide as the shoulders. The wider the better. The limited hip rotation is much less-stressful on the lower back and leads directly to the fourth fundamental. 

4. FACE THE BALL AT IMPACT–With a palm grip, single axis setup and wider stance, the only fundamental left to learn is to ‘face the ball at impact'. This is a significant departure from conventional golf. To accomplish this Natural Golfers make sure to keep their right heel (for right-handers) on the ground at impact. This limits hip rotation and insures that the club head will stay on line longer after the hit. It also results in markedly straighter shots. Is there a weight shift? You betcha'! Natural Golfers actually slide through impact rather than rotate their hips. When you face the ball at impact your body can transfer energy to the ball in the direction you want the ball to fly. At the start of the downswing, the weight shift begins by actually sliding the left knee toward the left big toe with minimal hip rotation. The head simply stays in place. Keeping the right heel planted accomplishes this, although it takes practice to change the habit of clearing the left hip as conventional golfers do. Immediately after impact Natural Golfers release their right heels and finish the swing in a balanced fashion. Longer, straighter shots are usually the result.