The Lazy Golfer’s Companion. Peter Alliss

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      THE RIGHT GRIP FOR THE RIGHT HAND.

      The correct grip for you can only be found with a little experiment, but there can be no variation in the pressure with which you hold the club. It must be firm and light, not squeezed tight. Unfortunately many golfers, judging by the white knuckles and rigid forearms one sees, throttle any chance of a free release out of their swings. You should hold the club lightly at first, for your grip automatically tightens as you accelerate on the downswing. It’s rather like driving a nail in with a hammer.

      Next in a sound pre-shot routine comes A for aim and alignment. Forget what you often see on TV, where Greg (and other Tour pros) grounds the club behind the ball, holding only with his right hand, before taking his stance. A pro is concentrating solely on aiming the club in this way; his alignment has become second nature to him, mostly from practice. You however should form your grip firmly on the club and try a practice swing (not taking a divot on the tee) while deciding the line of the shot. To help you line up, choose an aiming point some four or five feet from the ball, a leaf or blade of grass. Then, moving to the ball and looking down on it, you should put the club face behind it squarely along the target line, using your aiming point. To align your body correctly for the shot, just ensure the line of your feet and shoulders are parallel to that line.

      Matt, like many club golfers, fails to check this aim, or alignment, of his feet and shoulders with every shot. Then, if his feet point right of the target while his shoulders point left, he develops an ugly shank. It is even more exasperating as Matt doesn’t know why it happens, not why it mysteriously disappears (when he aims his body correctly again.) You must always check that your body is aimed in line with the clubface for every shot.

      With S for Stance, you have to consider where to put your feet, how far apart they should be, your weight distribution, how straight your left arm is at address and how you stand up to the ball.

      Feet first. As a club golfer, you should never stand with your feet square to the target line as you swing. They must point a few degrees out, otherwise they could lock your backswing and restrict your downswing. They should be as far apart as your normal walking stride, for if too widely spread (as some golfers favour when using a driver) it restricts the hip turn and locks the left knee. This causes a tilt of the shoulders on the backswing, leading to fat shots and slices.

      Everything in golf should be 50–50; the tension in both hands, the weight on both legs. Stand evenly balanced. If you start with the preface that everything is 50–50, it makes life much easier.

      Your left arm should be stretched out comfortably as you set up and your right elbow relaxed. If you try and force your left arm ramrod stiff (to try and copy the pros in the backswing) your left shoulder will be set too high, impeding a full shoulder turn and probably leading to a reverse pivot.