The Key to Better Impact Is Keeping Your Bottom Hand Connected

One of the most common things I see when I video golfers through impact is the bottom hand slipping down the golf club. While this might seem like a small movement, it can have a significant effect on the quality of your impact.

When the bottom hand starts to separate from the top hand during the downswing, the hands can become disconnected as they approach the ball. This can make it much more difficult to control the clubface and can often lead to the golfer flipping the club through impact or lifting up and topping the golf ball.

So, What Should Your Hands Be Doing?

As you come into impact, you want to make sure your bottom hand stays high and remains connected closely to your top hand.

A simple way to check this is to video your swing from the front. When you look at your impact position, you should be able to see that both hands are still very close together on the golf club.

If you notice a large gap developing between your top and bottom hand, this is something you should pay attention to.

When the hands stay connected, it gives you a much better chance of maintaining control of the golf club through impact. It also helps you deliver the clubface more consistently into the back of the golf ball.

This is particularly important for beginner golfers who may be using a ten-finger grip.

While a ten-finger grip can be useful when first learning the game, you need to be careful about using it for too long, particularly if you notice your bottom hand starting to slip down the club during your swing.

Because the hands aren't physically connected, there is a greater opportunity for the bottom hand to move away from the top hand during the downswing and impact.

For this reason, an overlap or interlock grip is generally more preferable once you become comfortable with your grip. Both of these grips help keep your hands closer together and allow them to work more as a single unit throughout the golf swing.

So, How Do You Check Your Impact?

The easiest way is to simply video your swing.

Take a few swings from the front and pause the video when the club reaches impact. Look closely at your hands.

Are both hands still close together?

Or has your bottom hand slipped down the club?

If your bottom hand is slipping down, don't simply try to hit the ball harder. Instead, focus on keeping your bottom hand high and connected to your top hand as you swing through impact.

This is a simple setup and swing check that can make a big difference to your ball striking.

Remember, the goal is to have both hands working together through impact rather than allowing the bottom hand to separate from the top hand.

If you're struggling with inconsistent impact, flipping the club through the ball or topping your shots, check your hands first.

Keep your bottom hand high, keep both hands connected, and give yourself the best possible chance of creating a consistent impact position.

If you'd like to learn more about improving your impact and ball striking, contact me at David Waters Golf Coaching, located at Emerald Lakes Golf Coaching Centre.