Question on “Thumb Feel”

[GrumpyCatFace]

I’ve recently discovered that my game is much more consistent when I’m able to relax my grip, and accept a “sideways” feel on my thumb. By that I mean that, inside the ball, the side of my thumb is mainly in contact with the ball, rather than the pad.

Is that generally how others hold it, or is it more on the bottom of the thumb?

[djp1080]

My thumb tends to grab the pad side a little higher than the knuckle in distance. That puts it at a little more than an inch and a half from the tip...

[GrumpyCatFace]

Yeah, it’s funny but I feel the sideways contact in my stance, then “grip” more with the base of my thumb during the swing.

I guess you’d say that the ball is held in place by the spot where my thumb “ends” and my palm begins.

[djp1080]

BTW... If I keep my hand in a more aggressive position, the left side of my thumb comes into play regarding grip. That's if I keep my fingers on the inside of the center line. Unfortunately (and unconsciously) my hand does some strange things on the backswing. I've tried various coaching techniques to cure it, but my many years of throwing a full roller previously keeps coming back.