So, I decided to give that Ernie Els grip a real shot today. I’ve been watching his swing, man, it’s just so smooth, so effortless. Figured if it works for him, maybe there’s something to it for my own game, which, let’s be honest, can get a bit wild sometimes.
Getting Started at the Range
I got to the driving range, grabbed my trusty 7-iron, and started to think about how Ernie holds it. I didn’t have a picture right in front of me, mostly going off memory and what I’ve picked up here and there. First thing, I focused on my left hand (I’m a righty).
I tried to place the club more in the fingers, not so much in the palm like my old, bad habit. I read somewhere he shows about two knuckles on that left hand when he looks down. So, I fiddled with it. Rotated my hand a bit this way, a bit that way. It felt a little weak, almost like I didn’t have full control at first. My old grip was probably way too strong, so this felt super different.
The Right Hand Conundrum
Then came the right hand. This is where it got interesting. I know Ernie uses an overlap grip, with the little finger of the right hand resting on top, kind of in the groove between the index and middle finger of the left hand. Putting my right hand on there felt… well, awkward. Really awkward.
- My hands felt like two separate units, not working together.
- The pressure points felt all wrong compared to what I was used to.
- I tried to get the “V” of my right thumb and forefinger pointing somewhere towards my right shoulder, another common tip.
It was a struggle just to make it feel remotely natural standing there, before even swinging.
First Swings and… Uh Oh
Okay, moment of truth. I took a few waggles. Felt a bit loose. Then I tried some easy, half swings. The club head felt like it was in a completely different place than I expected. Not necessarily bad, just… alien.
Then I went for a few full swings at about 70% effort. The first few balls? Absolute shockers. One went super right, a classic push-slice. The next one was a low hook. I was thinking, “What on earth am I doing?” My body was clearly fighting this new setup. My old muscle memory was screaming at me to go back to what it knew.
It felt like my hands were fighting each other for control of the club. That right hand really wanted to take over, which is a big no-no with this kind of grip, from what I understand. The goal is more of a unified, passive hand action, letting the big muscles do the work.
Focusing on “The Big Easy” Feel
I remembered Ernie is often called “The Big Easy” partly because of his rhythm and seemingly light grip pressure. So, I took a step back. I told myself, “Okay, forget hitting it far. Just focus on light pressure.” Like holding a bird, you know? Firm enough so it doesn’t fly away, but light enough not to crush it.
This was tough. My instinct, especially after a bad shot, is to grip tighter. I really had to consciously relax my hands, my wrists, my forearms. I spent a good 20 minutes just hitting little chip shots and half shots, purely concentrating on that light, consistent pressure with the new grip.
Slowly, very slowly, I started to feel a tiny bit more connection. When I managed to keep the pressure light and consistent, the club felt like it was swinging more freely. A couple of shots actually went straight, with a decent feel off the face. Not amazing, but not the disasters from before.
End of the Session Thoughts
So, after a whole bucket of balls, am I swinging like Ernie Els? Ha! Not even in the same universe. My hands feel a bit weird, a little sore even, from holding the club in this new way. But I’m not totally discouraged.
I think the biggest thing I took away was the potential for more consistency if I can master this. It feels like it could take some of the “hit” out of my hands and promote a better body swing. That light pressure is key, and it’s going to be the hardest part to ingrain.
This isn’t a quick fix, that’s for sure. It’s going to take a lot more practice sessions. I’m going to stick with it for a while, though. See if I can make it feel less like I’m trying to pat my head and rub my stomach at the same time. For now, it’s back to the drawing board, or rather, back to the range again soon, focusing on that left hand, that right hand overlap, and most importantly, that light, light pressure.
