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Trigger Finger Discussion

This video emphasizes the pivotal role of the trigger finger in maintaining control of the golf club face throughout the swing. Those using a palm or baseball grip may encounter challenges related to rotational movements and imprecise control of the club face. The suggested grip adjustment, emphasizing proper alignment of the trigger finger with the club, aims to empower golfers with enhanced control, resulting in a more stable and accurate swing and minimizing directional misses.

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This concept video is the trigger finger discussion.

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Um, so at least once a season, um,

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I'm reminded about how important, uh, the trigger finger

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of the trail hand is for club face control.

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Um, oftentimes golfers who have a kind of more

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of a palm grip

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or more of a baseball grip kind of like this,

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where they use the webbing as part of the power source

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and primary control, um,

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have very little control of the club face.

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Um, so if I hold the grip kind of like this,

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which is a little bit more of a, um, kind

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of a newer golfer problem, then as I bring the club back,

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I can feel it move around in my hand.

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You can see if I pull on it, it moves kind of that much

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and it, it moves in almost like a rotational, um,

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or orbital movement kind of like this, where if I was

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to get a good trigger finger where basically, um, the,

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the index finger is more in line with the club kind

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of like this, and there's a little bit of a space here.

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Um, if we zoom in, you can

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see a little bit of a space there.

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Now, as I bring it back, you can see that's going

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to resist up against there.

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And if I just put the thumb on for a little bit of support,

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now as I go to move it, I feel like even as it moves around,

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I have control of where it's pointing.

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This, this joint right here is a, is where we have a lot

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of our sensory, um, control.

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Um, so it's important for, uh, artists, it's important

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for chefs, um, and it's important for golfers.

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So a good grip includes a connection in that point.

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If you are just using the webbing here, then basically

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what you have to do is you have to use the left arm

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as your main or only control mechanism.

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And there's a timing element both in the top of the swing

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and during the release that often leads to just a lack

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of feeling of the club base.

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Um, so I highly recommend, uh,

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at least periodically checking in on your grip.

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And one of the things that you want to look for,

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um, is this trigger finger.

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So, uh, whether you do the,

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once you've established this grip,

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whether you do a full on open hand

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or just uh, no thumb, um, I think a no thumb swing.

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The, the Hogan no thumb drill is a much, um, kind

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of easier transition, um, where you, if you're used

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to using the webbing, like here, if you take the thumb away,

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then the club really flops around at the top of the swing.

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But if I have a good trigger finger,

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then if I have the thumb off the club,

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I still feel like I have complete control

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of the club face at the top of the swing.

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And this will help us narrow in our misses so

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that they're not quite as great going, um, left to right.

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So, like I said, at least once

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or twice a season, I have a student who, um,

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has a major breakthrough in club face control from,

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from learning this, uh, trigger finger connection.

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Uh, so I thought I'd revisit it

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and link the related, uh, drill videos

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to help you work on it over on the right.

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But the way you assess it is from this face on camera angle,

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being able to see, um, how far down

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that index finger is sticking.

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If it's more like this,

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where the thumb is sticking way down, um,

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and you can't even see any of that index finger,

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I highly recommend at least giving this a try.

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It will feel much more stiff.

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But what starts out as feeling stiff

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ultimately will feel stable or more secure.

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