Proper Strokes
Players develop their own strokes, and whatever works may be considered a proper stroke.
However, effective techniques have developed over the centuries.
A stroke has three elements: stance, grip, and swing.


Stance is either: side (golf) shown at left, or center at right.
A side stance gains distance while sacrificing accuracy.
All professional players use a center stance. Eyes are in line with ball and destination.

Three grips are most commonly used: standard, golf (Irish), and Solomon.
Player on left above demonstrates a baseball bat grip rarely seen in competitive play.
Player on the right above uses a modified golf grip.



Standard grip shown at left. Solomon grip at right.
Hands are placed at varying distance from each other as determined by desire for either more accuracy or more power.
Player to left above chooses to modify a center stance by aligning her right foot with the ball, an uncommon but often effective technique.



Matt Baird using Solomon grip with hands spread for power at Maui.



Follow-through stroke with standard grip, illustrating stereoscopic advantage of center stroke.



Standard grip, center stance, Irish swing.



Eyes on mallethead instead of ball not recommended.

Foot shot about to go awry:
wrong foot on ball, balls not touching, and eyes straying from shot.

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