Ask Marty - Natural Golf Q&A

Natural Golf Q & A

Do you have a question or comment about Natural Golf ? Send it to Marty at Marty@switchtonaturalgolf.com

Question from Jerry: Just thought I would mention that Golf Pride has a jumbo Tour Wrap grip out that is nice and tacky. It looks like a new design and is about 3.5" around just below the cap and 3" around at the bottom on my clubs. I use two wraps of tape for the lead hand and 4 wraps for the trail hand. These feel much better than the original NG grips (never used the ST grips) or the Lamkins that I have been using. Edwin Watts is selling them for $4. Not sure about the weight but I can weigh one later and get back to you or I'm sure the Golf Pride site will have it listed. Your readers might like to know about these. Keep up the good work.

Marty: Thanks for the tip. I'll look for these the next time I'm at the golf shop. I've become very used to the Lamkins but I'm sure some people would like another option.

Question from Joe: When I began golfing, because of some limitations I was only getting about 190 yards from my drive. This may sound unbelievable but I hit some drives today beyond 225. Something about the single plane allows my body to move freely. Anyway, along with that yardage has come a nasty slice. I tend to hit slice even with my old swing. Any suggestions you might have would be greatly appreciated. I've toyed with ball placement and such but nothing seems to be effective.

Marty: Most people who use the NG/single plane swing have a tendency to hit draws and hooks. To reduce the chance of hitting slices try the following:

1. Grip:
- Make sure the grip runs parallel with the bottom of your trailing forearm (right arm, if you are right handed). This part of the grip should NOT be visible from behind.
- Thumbs should be running over the center (top) of the grip at address; not far to one side or the other.
- Hands should be positioned in the center of your body, in front of your pants zipper, not too far forward or back.

2. Ball:
- Position inside your left heel, just inside your left hip

3. Backswing:
- Keep your trailing (right) elbow pointed down (avoid flying elbow syndrome)
- Both hands should be about shoulder high, directly behind right shoulder at top of the backswing; avoid over swinging.

4. Swing path:
- Focus on hitting the "3 o'clock" position on the ball (assuming the top of the ball is at 12 o'clock)
- the club should be approaching the ball from the inside, not outside of the ball.

If you are slicing you are probably hitting the ball with an outside-in swing path. You just need to change that to inside-out. Try swinging VERY SLOWLY to groove a better swing. I occasionally practice hitting my driver as slowly and deliberately as possible. I may only hit the ball about 100 yards but I'm grooving a good swing. It's easy to just start swinging faster to add yardage once the swing is grooved.

Question from Joe: Thanks so much for all the work you put into this site. I'm a life long athlete (48 yrs old) who just began playing golf last summer. I came across NG and have been working on the swing. Didn't think I'd get past how uncomfortable the grip felt until I took your advice and bought some jumbo grips. Makes all the difference. Can't understand why graves does not advocate larger grips. My question is: the distance between feet at set up seems pretty wide for me. I think you use 24 for irons and 26 for woods. I'm 5ft 8, do you think I can close a bit without risking getting off of plane?

Marty: I've heard Graves say that the larger grips inhibit a "full release" of the club. But I really don't agree. I've been playing tennis for 30+ years so I'm used to larger grips in my hand. Also, most racquet/stick sports use larger grips; baseball, tennis, hockey, polo. Golf Magazine had its cover story this month on baseball and golf. They mentioned a number of similarities, but didn't mention grips.

As for your question about the width of your feet, my notes reflect Graves' advice. I've lately been playing and practicing with a narrower stance and have found it to work fine (18" for the wedges and up to 24" for the Driver). I just have to be careful to avoid lateral sway, which is likely when you are tall and/or thin. With a narrower stance, you also have to be careful not to over swing; either on the backswing or follow-through, or you'll lose your balance. Graves is correct that a wider stance provides better stability but it has also aggravated pain in my left knee (minor injury from tennis and weight lifting). I've found a more athletic "ready" position, like a basketball guard, outfielder, defensive back, etc. is working better for me.

Question from Joey: I'm 51 and have played Natural Golf for over 8 years and have a 6 handicap. I went to a one day school when I first started and have had several lessons from certified Natural Golf instructors. I have struggled the last few months and seem to have lost some distance and consistency. My handicap has gone up because of this. I have viewed your site several times over the last couple years and have a few questions. I noticed you don't keep your heel down through the hit and don't really face the ball at impact. Is this because you found you get more distance letting your heel come up and clearing your hips a little more than they teach?

Marty: You've made some good observations of my swing. The videos are a few years old now and I plan to update them this year. Regarding my right heel and facing the ball at impact, I do think I'm hitting the ball longer and straighter by driving my lower body forward and through the shot and letting my heel come up. I've also been playing with a narrower stance since these videos were made. That's made my ball striking more consistent.

This isn't textbook Natural Golf but it has been working well for me. One of the points I try to make on my site is that you can play competent golf without a perfect NG swing. I don't necessarily advocate different techniques, but realize it's very hard to watch a video and copy it exactly. Since my one certified NG instructor left the teaching profession here in Hawaii, we don't have anyone else to provide NG instruction. Someday I'll try to visit a NG/Graves Golf school when I'm on the mainland. Until then, I'm on my own out here.

Question from Gates: I have a habit of starting my downswing too soon and too hard. I have tried pausing at top of backswing like you in your videos and it seems to help. Can you comment on this? Also, can you comment on lining up club 8 or 10 inches behind ball like Moe. I tried this and get a good shot each time yet i don't see anyone else do this.

Marty: I think the transition to the downswing is the MOST IMPORTANT part of the golf swing. If it's too quick you're likely to mishit; hook, block, top, fat, etc. If your transition is too slow you'll lose the momentum of the backswing and not be able to generate much club head speed. Having said that, I can say that I've been working on reducing my transition time, trying to make it smoother without such a pronounced pause at the top. To make this work I have to focus on making a GRADUALLY accelerating downswing.

There was a pro who promoted the concept of "Gravity Golf", where you simply let the force of gravity start the downswing and not try to muscle the club downward. Of course, you need to accelerate the club into the ball if you want any meaningful distance. But that can be achieved in the last few feet prior to impact. Freddy Couples' swing is a good example of this. His swing is much longer than NG recommends and his shaft goes way "over the line" at the top so don't try to copy it. But the tempo of the backswing, transition and downswing is great.

I also like to line up a ruler along my "toe line" to help with alignment on the range. The ruler is parallel to the impact path, not in line with it. But one advantage of putting a club directly behind the ball is to reinforce the image of "driving a nail" into the exact impact point…the back of the ball…at the 3 o'clock position (if 12 o'clock is at the top of the ball).

Question from Jack: I just found your web site and have really been encouraged by all the information you have. Thanks for doing all this. I've a self-taught NG - hoping to save a bad lower back; I started golfing in 2002 and started NG after a few months. NG has worked pretty well for me - I got to a senior hc (i.e. winter rules year round) of 10 for a while. In the last several months, my swing has changed to where I am having a terrible time getting off the tee with a driver.

Marty: I'm pleased to hear you've found my site helpful. As for your hooking problem here's a short list of things to check:

1. Grip; make sure your grip is not too strong (hands rotated clockwise on the grip as you view it). Ideally, your thumbs should contact the top of the grip, if the point of contact is on the right side of the grip it may be too strong and lead to closing the face (and hooking). Also, make sure the grip runs from the "pad/bone" directly below your right index finger through the palm and in the middle of the pad on your right hand opposite your right thumb. The key is that the end of the grip should be in line with the lower part of your right wrist/forearm. Don't let your right palm pad get on top of the grip or you'll be "off plane" and likely to close the face on impact.

2. Ball position; ideally the ball should be aligned just inside your left heel and inside your left hip. You might want to move the ball back (more toward the center of your stance) to hit straighter. Moe Norman often positioned the ball forward of his left foot but he was able to drive his legs forward into the downswing to keep the club square. If you rotate your hips very much you'll hook the heck out of a ball in this position.

3. Address position; make sure you are standing the appropriate distance from the ball. The width of your stance doesn't matter as much as the distance your "toe line" is from the ball. Graves recommends standing about 36" from the ball with the driver...that's measured by putting a yardstick perpendicular from the ball to your "toe line". This distance varies with the length of the club; about 22" for wedges, 26" for 6 iron, 33" for 3W and 36" for driver. These measures are for someone who is about 6 feet tall. They can be less for a shorter golfer but the key is that the ball should be positioned so that you have to reach out with your arms straight from your shoulders to make contact. If the ball is closer you're likely to hit hooks.

4. Backswing; try to keep your left arm relatively straight (not wrapped around your head) at the top of the backswing. Ideally, your hands should match the 45 degree angle of the club shaft at the top of the backswing and they should be directly behind your right shoulder (aligned with the target line...not behind your back). Steve Stricker's backswing is a great example. Although he does NOT follow the "Natural Golf" theory he has a great single-axis backswing, one that is very simple and repeatable. It's probably the best model to watch on TV.

Question from Patrick: Thanks for your effort in trying to help people enjoy golf. I have enjoyed watching your videos and are playing much better since I switch to the NG method. I was now thinking of re-gripping a club or two. I know you mentioned you prefer the "Jumbo grips". I was wondering if you ever tried the so called "Full Release Grip" that is tapered the opposite, where the fatter end is toward the club head and the thinner end at the top of the shaft ? Do you have any feed back for them ?

Marty: Yes, I've tried these before. The feeling is quite odd, there's no other tool or implement that I know of which has a similar grip. Since the fat part of the grip is held in the front fingers it may help to counter a hook (discouraging the hands from releasing?) but I think there are better ways to correct a hook. Of course, if someone likes the way these grips feel and can play well with them that's fine with me. I just don't think there's any advantage to them.

Question from Gene: I have a question about the trail foot and keeping it on the ground after impact. I have tapes from Todd Graves and also watched Moe Norman videos and both teach both feet on the ground well after impact. I have watched your videos and to me your trail foot comes off the ground earlier than they teach. I have trouble to getting through to a left side finish keeping my trail foot on the ground. I can hit the ball very straight but lack distance. Can you give me your thoughts.

Marty: Go take a closer look at some Moe videos. He certainly has his trail foot on the ground at impact but it does come off the ground about halfway through his follow-through. I think both Moe and Todd have more flexibility in the legs and hips and can keep their feet on the ground longer than most. My lower body flexibility is only average and my foot comes up earlier. Frankly, I don't think this matters much. The key is to keep the trail foot on the ground and be stable at impact. Since I'm tall (6') and thin (150 lbs) I have a tendency to move my hips laterally, and too much sway isn't good. So I try harder to keep my hips stable and come up after impact.

Question from Murf: Thanks for taking your time to help golfers like me. I appreciate it. My question is that in your explanation of the palm grip you tell us the following: "The pad of the R thumb should stay on the right side of grip; don't weaken by allowing pad to move to left side of grip!" Is that a typo as it seems easier and more natural to allow the thumb to rest on the left side...as if hitting a block wall with a single jack.

Marty: What I wrote is correct and is something that most NG golfer agree on. When you place your right hand on the grip the thumb should contact it at the top (12 o'clock). The thumb will extend over to the left side of the grip (11 o'clock) but the tip is not resting on the grip. Your thumb pad should be on the right side of the grip. If you rotate your right hand clockwise your grip gets stronger, making it easier to hit a draw but also the dreaded hook. If you rotate your right hand counter-clockwise your grip gets weaker, making it easier to hit a fade but also the ugly slice.

I prefer to have the hands in a relatively neutral position, neither too strong or weak, with the palms facing each other and in alignment with the center of the body and stance.

Question from David: Can I use an interlocking grip as long as I maintain the single axis set-up with the handle going up the right forearm? I have been struggling with the 10 finger grip a little bit and feel more comfortable holding the clubs using an interlocking grip. GGA recommends an overlapping grip which is extremely awkward for me, and NG endorses the 10 finger grip. I would love to hear your thoughts as it seems the folks at NG aren't really updating their website or responding to questions.

Marty: Yes, you certainly can use an interlocking grip with the NG swing. The key is to make sure your hands are working as a single unit and not independently. Using the 10 finger baseball grip can be difficult, especially if you have a strong right hand. There's a tendency to have the right hand "take over" the swing which leads to hooks.

I previously used the 10 finger grip but switched to the overlapping grip a number of years ago. It took some time but I find it very comfortable now. It also helps me play with "less active hands", which I think is a key to avoiding hooks and slices.

I recently watched the Sony Open here in Hawaii and was interested in seeing Lucas Glover (US Open winner) play. He's known as one of the stronger, but "handsier" players on the tour. He can just bomb his drives, well over 300 yards, and up to 40 yards past some of his playing partners. But that comes with a price, when he's not on, his shots tend to spray...and he missed the cut here. I did see he finished in the top 10 in San Diego. Long story short, try to play with softer, quieter hands to keep the ball in play.

Question from Gene: I found your site and really enjoy it. I also have a book by Peter Fox and there seems to be some difference between your videos and his instruction. Your set up extended arms and right hand palm grip is close, but there are things that are different: hand position always in middle of body, arms extended through finish. Your finish looks like what most golfers do now. I plan to take lessons this spring. I found a teacher who broke off from ng, Tom Sanders in Nashville Tennessee. All golf swings differ from person to person, but they all do the same thing in that nine inches before and after the ball, is that true for ng? I am 63 years old and played golf for some forty years. My ng swing with driver is good. My irons not so good. What advice can you give until I can get lessons?

Marty: Glad you liked my site. Of course, I'm just an amateur and don't pretend to have all the answers or the best technique. However, I am pretty good, playing to a 5 handicap. I've done well in a number of USGA tournaments so I can speak with some authority on playing good golf. You're right about the fact that all good golf swings will result in the same thing happening just before and after impact, that is, the clubface will be square and hitting down into the ball with the irons and sweeping through the ball with fairway woods and hybrids.

The major advantage of the NG swing is that it is easier to consistently perform, primarily because it requires less hand, hip and shoulder rotation. As for advice, that's hard to say without knowing more about your swing. But if your driver is better than your irons, it may be due to having a flatter, shallower swing plane. I'd recommend taking a video of your swing with the driver and an iron so you can see.

You should definitely insist on a video with any lessons. I've found that it is very difficult to improve until you can actually see and understand what you are doing on the swing and what you need to change. The video doesn't lie and it often reveals things you didn't think you were doing.

Question from Ted: I have noticed after reading some of your posts, you do not use hybrids. Any particular reason? It sounds like you carry a driver, 3 wood, seven wood, 4 iron through PW, gap. sand, lob and of course, a putter. I am considering buying a new set of Pings and trying to consider the make up of the set that would be most beneficial to me and my NG swing.

Marty: My fault on this one. My "7 wood" is actually a 21 degree PING G-10 hybrid. I normally use the shorthand "7w" for this club but I should change that to "7h". As for my 4 and 5 irons I've been contemplating a switch to equivalent hybrids (24 & 27 degrees respectively) but have one reservation. I can usually hit my 4 & 5 irons reasonable straight but don't get the height I need to land them softly on the green.

The only downside of switching to hybrids is that I often play in very strong winds (over 20 mph) here in Hawaii where you need a reliable "knockdown" shot. Without a knockdown, you'll often be short hitting into the wind and long hitting with it. I've put balls way over the green with a full swing with my 7h from 200 yards (with the wind) and left them far short from 190 (into the wind). If you're not often playing in such high winds the hybrids are definitely a better choice.

Question from Bill: Thanks for putting up this great website. I have been practicing the NG swing over the last few weeks and I hit my iron shots nice and straight probably 80% of the time, but I'm not doing too well with my driver. Distance isn't a problem but my slice is now terrible, where as with the conventional swing with the driver I was hooking the ball (mainly due to trying to kill the ball). Can you please give me any tips or reasons why the driver should be so different to my iron shots.

Marty: Since the Driver is the longest club in your bag and has the least amount of loft (8-11 degrees most likely), it is the most difficult club to hit straight. Very few pros try to hit their driver perfectly straight, almost all will aim to one side of the fairway and try to draw or fade the ball. Most pros have a preferred shot shape, either draw or fade.

If you're slicing your driver, you’re either hitting the ball with the club face open and/or you’re swinging the club on an outside to inside path. You need to go through a checklist of items to identify the cause.

1. Stance; make sure your alignment is square and not open or closed to the target line.
2. Ball position; should be just inside your left heel, not too far forward.
3. Grip; hands in a neutral or stronger position if you need to correct a slice (rotate both hands clockwise just slightly!)
4. Backswing; keep hands more on an inside path on the backswing. At the top, the grip should point to a spot that is approximately 5 feet behind and one foot below (closer to you) to the original teed up ball position.
5. Downswing; keep your right elbow tucked close to your torso and approach the ball on the inside path...aim for the back right part of the ball (approximately 4 o'clock position).
6. Impact; club face square, arms fully extended and in front of your body
7. Follow through; allow the clubface to "release", naturally rotating so that the toe passes the heel of the club.

You should try hitting 1/2 to 3/4 swings with your driver at "Super slow speed". Try to hit your driver only about 100 yards and see if you can hit it straight...or with a little draw. Work on a very slow speed until you get that down before trying to hit full speed. Until you can do this I'd recommend teeing off with a 3 wood.

Question from Kyle: I really enjoy your website and I spend a lot of time on it. I just started playing golf and the set of clubs I have are hand me downs. I want to learn the natural golf way of playing. I was thinking about buying the st110 irons from NG but I can’t find any reviews on the internet. The Graves website returned my email with a very bad review, but I would like your advice on what to do.

Marty: Graves has often been critical of the Natural Golf company and their clubs. I agree with Graves on this one. I've hit with a few NG clubs - irons and driver, and didn't like the design or the performance. They seem too clunky for me. I've always liked PING clubs and have had several sets of irons and woods. But these clubs are premium priced and may cost well more than you want to spend.

I think the best clubs for the money are the Adams A7 line and the Cleveland HiBore XL line. Both provide hybrids for the 3 & 4 irons with progressive offsets (more offset for the longer clubs to make them easier to hit straight). The 5 iron through PW are more like standard irons. I recommend starting with just these 8 clubs and once you've gained confidence in hitting them consistently then adding woods and short wedges to your set. In any case, don't buy a driver until you can hit a hybrid and 3 wood well. Ideally, you should buy a 3 wood before a driver and not hit a driver until you drop your handicap below 15. Most golf pros say that you shouldn't use a driver if your handicap is over 12 since it will probably cost you more strokes than it saves ….but few people (especially men!) have a small enough ego to limit themselves to a 3 wood off the tee.

I know Graves offers a fitting service for the Adams A7 line and he offers a competitive price for the clubs (though I don't know how much he charges for shipping). I think this might be the best way to go for you.

Question from John: I am pretty familiar with the basic fundamentals of the swing as taught by you and the Graves brothers, but I have a couple of questions. Golf instructors, both NG and CG, talk about releasing the club into impact but very few define exactly what is meant by "release". My take is that release means that all the angles that were created in the backswing, in the wrists and right forearm angles, have to be reversed or return to the positions they were at impact. My question is, do the angles release on their own as a result of centrifugal force during the forward swing or does the golfer have to make a deliberate move to do so.

Marty: The angles should release on their own but it's important that you do not let this happen too early. One of the most common mistakes in the downswing is to release the club prior to impact. This happens when you let your wrists get too active, or try to "help" your swing. Both conventional and Natural Golf swings rely on storing power by holding a leverage position with the wrists and forearms…so does any other sport that's played with a stick or bat. The key is to maintain that leverage position until the point of impact.

John: You also talk about rotating the hands through impact. Is this an automatic move (does it just happen) or does the golfer have to make a deliberate move to rotate the hands?

Marty: This is similar to the leverage position. If you try to make this a deliberate move you will probably be too "handsy or wristy". Better to think of "letting" the club head rotate naturally as your hands rotate through the impact zone. A good way to develop this feel is to hit soft pitch shots with a full swing but only at 1/3rd of your normal swing speed. When you swing that slowly it becomes more obvious what the natural rotation of your hands should be. Just like if you swung a baseball bat and noticed how your hands rotate through the hitting zone. One of the reasons why it takes so long to develop a consistent golf swing is that you have to practice enough so that your muscles know what the correct feel is and you don't have to try to control your muscles with complex swing thoughts.

John: There is some clockwise rotation of the hands going back so does the golfer have to reverse this move in the forward swing and if so at what point in the forward swing.

Marty: Yes, the downswing is the reverse of the backswing. At the top of the backswing your clubhead and left hand and wrist should be parallel with the target line (ideally). As the downswing progresses it should be a mirror image of your backswing. This is one area where I would recommend getting one of Graves Golf videos. He really does an excellent job not only describing but also demonstrating the proper NG swing techniques. My modest contribution to NG is to show that you don't have to have a perfect NG swing to play very competent (5 handicap) golf.

Question from Tony: I am a fit 60 year old living in England and playing off a 15 handicap. I have studied your website in detail and closely watched your videos. I have not yet tried the natural golf method on the course but have practiced the grip and stance at home in front of a mirror. I have a question and hope you can advise me. Front on, my set up looks OK and I think I have the grip correct. Your notes on the left hand grip seem pretty close to an orthodox left hand grip so I find I don't need to change my original left hand grip at all. The right hand grip is totally different and results in my right side becoming much lower and my head being well back - much like shown on your videos. However, when I check my stance in the mirror from behind there is still an angle between my right arm and the club shaft. On your videos your right arm forms a straight line with the club shaft. Can you suggest where I might be going wrong in my set-up?

Marty: You're correct that the NG left hand grip is fairly close to the conventional grip; although some conventional golfers prefer a strong (rotated clockwise) grip. David Duval is one that comes to mind. The NG left hand grip should be fairly neutral with the pad of the left hand heel on top of the grip, what some call the 12 o'clock position. The next key is that the left arm and club shaft should be straight, what Moe Norman called the "rod" position. If you get this right it becomes easier to place your right hand on the grip, gently overlapping the left thumbnail with the lower pad of the right thumb. Since the right hand will be placed on the grip several inches below the left, it will cause your right shoulder to drop below your left. Your spine will also be tilted away from the target line.

Now, if you still find that your right arm position is not in line with the club shaft at address, you need to check the distance from your "toe line" to the ball. Graves recommends having the tips of your toes 26 inches from the ball when addressing with a 6 iron. Subtract one inch for each shorter club (25" for a 7 iron) and add one inch for a longer club (27" for a 5 iron). This should ensure that your arms are fully extended and that your right arm is parallel to the shaft at address.

Another way to check this without using yardsticks or measuring devices is to address the ball and then lift the club and point it directly away from your chest. Your arms should be fully extended with the club head as far away from your chest as possible. Then, simply bend over from the waist and note where your clubhead contacts the ground. If you keep your arms straight, you should be in the proper position.

Question from Scott: Could you recommend some good DVDs from both Graves and Natural Golf that you have seen and think are very good?

Marty: I just updated my website to answer your question. You'll find my recommendations at the bottom of the Natural Golf Equipment page.

Question from Jason: Thanks for info on your site. To me, your tips do a good job of bridging the gap between the Graves site and the MoeNormanAcademy’s site. Lately, I’ve been experimenting with different grips. I’ve tried both the Tacki-Mac Unified grips that are listed on ebay under ‘Natural Play’ and the Grip One oversized non-tapered grips listed on ebay under ‘Natural Way’. From my experience, I found the Tacki-Mac’s a little too bulky and prefer the Grip One’s since they’re lighter and slightly smaller in diameter. Do you know of anyone who has tried the Feel X-Wrap grips for the NG swing? The reverse taper looks interesting but the grips are a little pricey.

Marty: I'm glad to hear that you've found my site useful. I'm sorry to say that I have not heard of anyone who has tried either of these grips. I've never seen them so I can't offer much of an opinion. However, I have tried a reverse taper grip and don't personally like it. The jumbo grips I use have a regular taper, which I like since it allows the fingers/hands to achieve a secure grip without encouraging overactive wrists. For me, getting "wristy" is the worst thing I can do on my swing.

For my driver I've been using "Jumbo Max Grips" (www.jumbomaxgrips.com). It takes a little time to get used to but it really can help reduce hooks. Hope this helps.

Question from Scott: Love your site. I go between yours, Graves and Moe Norman academy. I'm switching now, it seems like yours and Norman academy has your right hand under the grip more than the Graves training club. It seems like it is more on the side. I did buy the training club to have a place to start along with the overview videos. I am hitting the ball very straight with the new swing ideas from you and them, thanks. One last question of the grips themselves. Now I am still using my standard grips and are doing pretty good. Thinking of changing to the Winn oversize +1/8. What will be the big difference in the feel and the accuracy with the larger grips? What was the change difference for you like?

Marty: Glad to hear you've got some value out of these sites. As for my grip, I follow the instructions with the Graves training club and use it periodically at the range. If you use this club and match this grip you'll be fine. I still keep the habit of placing my right hand on the grip from the bottom but my right thumb rests on the grip just slightly to the left of the top. Some photos of Moe Norman's grip make his look stronger (right hand rotated clockwise) but that could be due partly to his oversized hand and fingers.

If you get the larger Winn grips, you'll feel the grip fill up the space between your hands when holding the club. I like that feel but some people don't. Graves is not an advocate of larger grips but I sure like them better than standard size. I'd recommend regripping one club and seeing how you like it.

Question from Joe: I started using the natural golf swing a year ago and when I first started I could hit my irons better than I ever had in ten years. Now, however I am hitting the ball fat and when I do hit the ball clean there is no power in the swing and I usually end up grounding it. Can you recommend any part of the swing I might work on or a drill that would help.

Marty: If you're hitting fat you might need to move the ball back in your stance. I prefer to hit my irons with the ball just in front of the center of my body. Moe Norman positioned the ball further forward but then he also had a strong leg action into the ball. That's not easy to do without causing other problems.

You should also check the distance you are standing from the ball to make sure you can extend your arms into the shot. Graves golf sells a device (ABP Trainer) that you can use with a yardstick to position your "toe line" the optimal distance from the ball. A relatively easy way to check is to start with a 6 iron and position the ball 26 inches from the top of your toes. Add one inch for each longer club (27" for 5 iron) and one less inch for each shorter club (25" for 7 iron). This is a general guide and might not be exactly right if you're short or tall. This ball position might feel awkward…like you have to reach for the ball. But you want to hit the ball with your arms fully extended and this is a good way to set up to the ball.

Finally, check your backswing and tempo. You might hit the ball better with a shorter, more compact swing. I find I hit the ball best when I keep my hands at or below the height of my right shoulder on the backswing. I might hit a longer shot with a bigger backswing but I'll be less consistent. A smooth tempo helps consistency too. A slow backswing and smooth downswing will help you hit more consistently and get decent yardage (for example…7 iron to 150 yards).

Question from Micha: My problem is the hook. I agree with your idea of taking one side out of play. However, I would like to take the left side out. I would much rather play a controlled fade than a controlled hook. Ever play pool? I am a pretty good player. In pool, it is a big mistake to think you can regularly control draw (backspin) as easily as you can control soft follow (topspin).

Any suggestions for taking the left out and controlling fade? What do you do when you really want to fade a ball? I realize this will cost a little distance. My playing partners are always surprised how far my ugly duck-hooks end up going. Maybe I should just live with draw since the extreme measures I go to to stop the hook sometimes result in slices that are far worse, scoring-wise, than the occasional duck-hook.

Marty: You've made a number of good points. Many golfers would agree that a controlled fade is the ideal shot shape since the ball won't run too far. If you miss the fairway, the ball shouldn't roll OB. And a fade to the green will land softer and not roll off the back. Jack Nicklaus was known for his great power-fade drives and Phil Mickelson plays best when he's got his "baby cut" working.

I played a fade for many years and appreciated the benefits. However, I've found that just hitting fades can lead to a lot of short mishits. I also play in strong winds which can kill a fade. And since I'm a relatively short hitter for my handicap (4), playing only fades makes some courses just too long. So over the past few years, I've worked on developing a draw, especially with my woods. I try to do this with an inside-out swing path and NOT by manipulating my hands or club head. I'm happy with a straight ball, but I'd prefer a 10-15 yard draw. I'm playing better now than ever though I will occasionally fight the "hooks". That's just golf.

When I want to hit a fade I make just a few adjustments;

1. Stance: open my stance by pulling my left foot away from the ball, with my left toe about 6" behind my right toe.
2. Grip: slightly weaken my left hand grip, moving my thumb from about 1 o'clock to 12 o'clock on the grip (with 12 o'clock facing the ball).
3. Swing path: slightly adjust the path for outside to in, aiming to hit the ball at the 2 o'clock position (with 3 o'clock directly opposite the target line).
4. Swing EASY: don't get too quick or try to hit the ball too hard. You don't want to hit a screaming slice, just a smooth fade.

Follow-up from Micha: Working on the hook problem with the driver. I was amazed, after three weeks of tearing my hair out, to find that it seems to be about something as simple as ball position. I took a NG lesson a few years ago and the pro in the Chicago area kept pushing the ball further and further forward in my stance. I remembered this and tried it with my driver. I put the ball all the way up even with my front foot. It worked perfect. It gave me much more room to swing, ensured an upward blow, added distance even with 80% swings and just made the club feel much more free and natural in my hands. I realize you keep it further back, but I thought it might be something for others to try.

Marty: Glad to hear of your success. I've tried this ball position with my driver, but found that it led to too many fades and/or blocks to the right. I know that Moe played with the ball far forward so I'm not critical at all. I'm a fan of whatever works for anyone.

Follow-up from Micha: Lesson went really well. I was trying to keep the club face square to the target line during the entire backswing, which was essentially a closed clubface instead of turning better and getting the toe of the club up, big improvement.

What I have not been able to fix so easily though is the length of my backswing. So here is what I was thinking to limit it: I am thinking about the right (back) knee and foot and that I should keep that back foot firmly planted and not allow the knee to sway to the back or outside. That should form a limit I can't swing further than without breaking down that position. I haven't tried it yet, but in practice with no club it feels athletic and seems to create a nice torque between the upper and lower body. Also most of the time I duck-hook I feel like I did some weird swaying in the legs and that they were way too active. Does this make sense - keeping the right knee in and strong and not letting myself swing further than this position allows?

Marty: Yes, keeping the right leg in a "strong" position, angled back into the right hip and nearly locked at the knee is very helpful. One of my faults when I was just learning the NG swing was excessive lateral hip sway. If you allow your hips to move back and forward, it's difficult to hit consistently since your club will contact the ground at different points.

You should also find that with a "strong right leg" position it's easier to keep your weight on the INSIDE of your right foot on the backswing. This is very important. One of the drills my former instructor had me do was to put a car "tire wedge" under the outside of my right foot. This prevented me from swaying backward on the backswing.

As for your backswing, another drill is to check where the grip of your club is pointing at the top backswing. It should point to a spot roughly 5 feet behind and 1 foot below the ball at address. You should find your hands no higher than your right shoulder and may find you hit even better if you can keep your hands outside your right foot but also below your right shoulder.

Question from Larry: I have some arthritis/ deformity in several fingers and this has flared up recently. I went out to play this week and could not hold the club in my fingers due to sharp pain with a golf swing. As a desperation move during my warmup, I remembered the palm grip from my NG days. I had to modify it to work with my current finger problem but found that with this grip I had to shorten my backswing and I had to "face the ball at impact" as NG teaches or else I would hook badly. The grip I used is very similar to what you are showing on your site. I think my left hand was a little weaker than what you show, so I need to experiment some more with that. My right hand grip was nearly identical to what you teach.

Amazingly, I hit the ball very straight and lost no distance. I was wondering if you have heard from others with hand arthritis issues. I've read about the natural golf swing being better for those with lower back pain but I don't recall any comments about the hands. I was also wondering if you use a smaller version of the full swing for pitch shots.

Marty: Regarding my setup for pitches and chips: I do use a NG grip with a shortened swing. But the key difference is my stance. It's closer to the ball and open about 20 to 30 degrees. Graves models the same setup on his videos and I think it's easier than trying to hit with a regular NG stance and just a shorter swing.

One thing I'd like to mention to you that might be helpful with your fingers is a site called JumboMaxgrips.com. They sent me a couple grips to test and I have been impressed. Traditional golfers might say they look ridiculous because they are so large (3 1/2 inches around in the center and 4 1/8 inches around at the butt end). The whole point is to make it very easy to grip (like a baseball bat) and swing the club. I put one of these JumboMax grips on my driver three weeks ago with good results so far. They may not be ideal for irons and wedges, but I think they are a good idea for woods (or at least the driver).

Take a look at their website. You can order a trial set of two grips for about $25. They could be a great help for your hands and fingers. Read my review of them on this website.

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