Natural Golf Equipment
What kind of grips do I need ? Do I need new clubs ? What are the best training aids? Can
you recommend a video ? These are all common questions I receive. I'm certainly no expert on
everything that is out there, but I can tell you what I've found to be the most useful for me.
GRIPS
It's very difficult to use a Natural Golf hand position on a conventional/standard size grip.
The standard grips are designed to be held in the fingers and are too small to be held
effectively in the palms of your hands. But you have a few options. The
Natural Golf grips are certainly the best known. They are about 3.0" (inches) around and
are non-tapered. You can buy these at the NaturalGolf.com website.
Another option
which I like even more are the Lamkin Crossline Jumbo grips. These are 3.5" at the butt end and taper to 3.0"
at the middle and bottom. I like the feel of these grips, the extra width at the end really helps
to eliminate unwanted wrist action; the only wrist action you want is similar to that you would use
with a hammer; one direction back and through.
Check out my video: Natural Golf Grip Options.
CLUBS
There's not a big difference in the Natural Golf brand clubs, but their design is better suited to the NG swing than
conventional clubs that are bought "off the rack".
The good news is that you don't need to buy new clubs. Natural Golf clubs are specially designed
for the NG method and are about 1/2" longer than standard. They also have a flatter lie angle,
which means the toe of the club will lie flat with the ground when held correctly. The NG stance is
wider, with the club held further
out in front of your body. The club shaft should be aligned with your left arm (for righties). When
viewed from behind, the club shaft and your left arm should form a straight line. The NG clubs are
designed so they lie correctly, with the sole of the club flat on the ground, the toe even with the
heel.
A conventional
club will likely lie a few degrees "toe up" when held in the NG setup. That's not perfect but
it won't have a huge impact. It will simply facilitate a right to left shot (draw) and since 90%
of golfers hit a face or slice a club that counters that tendency will probably help more than
hurt.
TRAINING AIDS
I recommend three training aids that I've found quite useful:
1) 36" yardstick from any hardware store. Use it to help position your feet
(consistent stance, parallel to your target line), and position your ball. The traditional NG instruction recommends a narrower stance for
shorter clubs and a wider stance for longer irons and woods. I prefer to position the ball just in front of my body center (pants zipper)
for all clubs except the Driver, which I play just inside my left heel. It may be more comfortable
for you to adjust your "feet-width" for each club. The yardstick will help you measure
this so you can experiment and determine what works best for you and then how to practice that
consistently. I always use a yardstick when I go to the range. It helps me make sure that my
feet and ball position are consistent.
2)Graves Golf Academy - "Feeling of Greatness" Training Club. It is a 6 iron with a pre-formed grip that will put your hands
in the recommended position. You can hit balls with this club - unlike the Momentus. It is pricey, however,
around $130 and available on his website.
3)The Swing Extender. This only costs about $30 but
it's a good aid. It helps you avoid over swinging and at the same time helps create swing
"width" so you can still hit a powerful shot. Here's a link for a site that sells
it.
http://www.golftrainingaids.com/swingextender.html
NATURAL GOLF VIDEOS
I recommend the Graves Golf Academy "Total Game Overview" and "Troubles & Solutions" DVDs.