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Hitting consistent shots is the proclaimed wish of millions of golfers across the globe and yet many of them overlook the need for good fundamentals.

Good fundamentals are the building blocks of the golf swing and should be prioritized above everything else. Many players often don’t realize that perceived in-swing faults such as a slice can be traced back to the fundamentals. Here is a description and guide to the grip. Other fundamentals which need to be addressed are posture and alignment.

Grip

Unless there is a specific need to strengthen or weaken the way a player holds the club the most effective golf grip is classified as neutral. A neutral grip is generally regarded as the best way to return the club face square to swing path through impact. A grip classed as strong will generally cause the club face to shut down through impact and send the ball left of target. A grip considered weak will usually cause the club face to open through impact and send the ball right. To achieve a neutral grip follow this guide.

• Let the grip of the club run from the base of the little finger on the left hand through the middle of the index finger. This will put the grip nicely in the fingers of the left hand.
• Wrap the left hand over the top of the grip until 2½ knuckles are visible on the left hand when viewed from above.
• The right hand slots underneath the left and with your preferred variation of grip (either an interlock, overlap or ten finger grip) and folds over the left thumb with 1½ knuckles visible on the right hand.
• The V created on both hands by the thumb and forefinger should point up towards the right shoulder.

The reason the grip should be given the highest priority out of the fundamentals is because the hands are the only direct point of contact between the player and club. The hands need to be placed on the grip precisely. The other fundamentals, however, are equally important and should also be prioritized to ensure a golfer’s overall consistency is improved. For more consistency focus on the fundamentals.

Many golfers skip over fundamentals and concentrate on in-swing principles instead; this is a big mistake to make. A player who struggles with a hook, for example, can work until they are blue in the face on swing plane and club path but could have overlooked a grip which is too strong and will send the ball left no matter how hard they work. A golfer’s first port of call should always be the fundamentals.

Golfers struggling with consistency are more likely to buy the biggest and best clubs available to help them hit better shots. Save your money, find a golf professional and let them check your fundamentals. It will be a much wiser and prudent investment to make.

Complacency with the fundamentals will only lead a player to ruin. If you go to watch professional golfers prepare for a tournament on the driving range they are constantly working on their fundamentals. Remember if you are aiming 20 yards right of the target and produce a perfect swing, that ball will end up in the rough or bunker without you doing much wrong, perfect your fundamentals before anything else.