You have probably heard all the different techniques for curing your slice (the number one problem with amature golfers). Change your setup, do this or that with your hips, adjust your swing plane path, etc. While many of these tips will help you, until you have the proper grip on the club, all that other stuff won't matter. The proper grip will help all those other teaching tips fall into place naturally.

Let me explain 4 simple steps to assure the correct golf grip so as not to produce a slice.

1. Grab the club with your offhand (left hand for right handers). What most golfers do...they take the club and rest it on the ground and take their grip. What this does is lets the club lie underneath your left thumb pad. This feels natural, but this is actually incorrect. What you need to do is hold the club up in the air with your right hand at a 45 degree angle. Now place the club in your left hand right along the base of your fingers. See how different the angle is? This is the proper starting position with your left hand.

2. Time to grip it now. With the club still in the air at a 45 degree angle, slowly wrap your fingers around the grip starting with your pinky. This will produce a strong grip and keep the hold along the base of your fingers, not just under your thumb.

3. Most golfers will put their thumb down the right side of the handle. This will restrict you wrist hinge as you come down through the ball. What you want to do is place your thumb right on top of the middle of the handle. This will produce the wrist hinge that you want.

4. Now place your right hand onto the club. Some golfers like to interlock their pinky's. It really doesn't make a difference for this drill. Now that you have the club with both hands you need to get into proper alignment to the target. It's common to have your left forearm point to the right of the target and have your left elbow point right at the target. This setup makes it difficult for the left elbow to fold after impact. The correct setup would be to have your left forearm point directly at the target and have your left elbow point at your hips. This will allow for a circular swing path and allow you to stay on plane.

Follow these 4 simple steps and you will be well on your way to hitting straighter shots more consistently. Remember it all starts with the grip.