What is the primary purpose and goal of the grip? In project management, it is vital to set the primary goal (ie. purpose) to aim for. Accordingly, the grip has to fulfill some primary goal. The goal of returning the clubface back to square at impact can be considered to be the primary goal of the grip. A strong grip position makes it easier to return the clubface back to square at impact, while a weak grip position makes it harder to return the clubface back to square at impact. Obviously, these can be over done, as overly strong grip position can make it easier to overly close the clubface at impact, while overly weak grip position can make it easier to overly leave the clubface opened at impact.

Waggling can be considered as part of the gipping process. The waggle can considered a trial out of the grip in serving the primary function of squaring the clubface at impact. Most of today’s top players do not waggle, as Nicklaus do not waggle (although in his video, he did perform a few waggles before setting up.) During the development and learning phases, waggling can be of use.

Wagging is very good at the development of the ability to get the clubface back to square at impact consistently. When waggling, the golfer’s primary focus is to return the clubface back to square at the back of the ball. Squaring the clubface is the primary focus of the waggle. Do enough waggling, it becomes fairly instinctive to be able to return the clubface back to square at the back of the ball by impact. Waggling also provides many times extra practice of the wrist action to square the clubface. For example, if a player waggles twice before making the driving backswing, three times more practicing of the final release is being made, which can more quickly imprint the final release action needed to square the clubface at impact.

Obviously, if a player is already good at returning the clubface back to square by impact very consistently, waggling is no longer needed. If a player never (or almost never) pushes, pull, push-slice, pull-hook, nor duck hook the ball, the clubface is pretty square at impact almost all of the time, and waggling is unnecessary. When there are straight-pushes, and straight-pulls, and duck-hooks, the clubface is not squared at impact. (The “straight” in straight-pushes and in straight-pulls means the ball flies without curvature.)

A push (straight-push) shot is when the clubhead swing path is inside-out with the clubface opened at impact, and the clubface pointing in the direction of the push.

A pull (straight-pull) shot is when the clubhead swing path is outside-in with the clubface closed at impact, and the clubface poining in the direction of the pull.

A duck-hook is when the driver clubface is drastically closed at impact, producing a low diving hook that does go far as the ball dives down to the ground and into the rough a short distance from the tee. Additionally, since the clubface angle, and the clubface loft is linked, a severely close clubface at impact also mean the clubface loft is severely reduced, adding to the low diving trajectory of the ball.

Anytime, there are these pushing, pulling, and duck-hooks, it means that the clubface is deviating far from squared at impact (with the clubhead path being off as well with the push and pull, and most probably with the duck-hooks.)

Waggle is a good means to develop the instinctive ability to square the clubface by impact, no matter what the clubhead path is. It is instinctive to have the clubface pointing in the same direction as the clubhead swing path. For example, an inside-out swing is coupled with an opened clubface pointing in the same direction as the inside-out path, resulting in a pushed shot. Waggling can decouple that link, so that a squared face at impact can be produced from an inside-out clubhead swing path.

Waggling has the danger of promoting a consistent slice if done wrong. Most people will waggle back and forth along the target line. Instead the waggle should be fairly inside-out. This is because, at setup, both the hips and shoulders are fairly square and parallel to the target line, while at impact, the hips are fairly opened, and the shoulders may be slightly opened. Thus, waggling along the target line, rather than well inside the target line to out, will promote an outside-in clubhead swing path during the actual downswing, when the hips, as well as the shoulders, are opened from their square positions at setup. This effect had been explained in detail in a prior comment a while ago.

Having the clubface squared at impact consistently will eliminate pushes, pulls, and duck-hooks. Only when intentional hooking, slicing, drawing, and fading are called for, will the clubface be not squared at impact. Having a goal to square square the clubface at impact will decrease none squared face impacts. Waggling can be used to develop the instinct to square the clubface at impact consistently. Strong, weak, and in between grip positioning will help consistently squaring the clubface. Eliminating late and early hits promotes squared faces. Not swinging up (nor down but level with the ground) with the driver promotes square faces at impact.

Thanks!
Dan

The standard priority is to place the grip first. The starting point is to analyze the grip before proceeding to other aspects of the swing. While the grip is a somewhat individualistic thing, as hands differ between people, there are standard approaches to the grip. The grip is on the light side so as to swing the club fully during the final release. The fingers hold the club fairly lightly, as if to throw a baseball, or to pass a basketball. To increase control the last one to two fingers of the leading hand hold with a little more firmer pressure, which will tend to “lock” the bottom side ( the pinky side) of the leading wrist to being “flat” during the final release. The leading wrist is flat going through the release when the leading wrist does not form a cup with the forearm. With the pinky of leading hand being firmer and in control, the base (bottom pinky side) of the leading wrist and hand forms a pivot for the release turn. A flat leading wrist makes the leading hand, wrist, forarm, elbow, upper arm, and shoulder into a single firm unit in striking the ball with increased clubface angle, and clubhead path control during impact.

Many power drivers like Sam Snead, and Bubba Watson use a stronger grip position than the neutral grip position. When the clubhead travels at high speeds, there is less time to close the clubface during the release. A stronger grip position needs less rotation of the leading arm, elbow, wrist, and hand during the final release to square the clubface of the driver. Less “working” of the hands during the final release promotes control, accuracy and consistency.