W
ith Claw grippers Tommy
Fleetwood, Justin Rose and
Sergio Garcia rolling Europe
to victory in last year’s Ryder
Cup, the hold is becoming
increasingly accepted and practised. And no
wonder; in reducing the infl uence of the
lower, often dominant hand it can transform
your stroke from an awkward, hands-driven
action into one in which the arms and
shoulders drive a smoother, more
pendulum-like action.I PENDULUM PUSHER
In the Claw, the trail hand is
mostly off the grip with just the
index fi nger and thumb cradling
and stabilising the club. Consider
the inside of the trail knuckle as
a pressure point; it is in the ideal
position to push the pendulum
through. The lead hand is in a
neutral position, the back of it
looking up the target line.2 TOTAL
CONTROL
The true benefi t of the Claw is felt
as you swing through. Rather than two
wrestling hands leading the face, delofting
it and slowing it down, control of the stroke is
passed on to the arms and shoulders. As that
trail knuckle pushes the club through, the handle
effectively slows while the head is allowed
to release. This means a more stable face
and controlled acceleration. If you
struggle with either of those,
give the Claw a go.
golf australia | AUGUST 2019 47C
CLAW GRIP ... CAN
IT CAN HELP YOU?
BY GARETH JOHNSTON