5 Golf Gear Warning Signs

In the video and article below, Neil Tappin and Alex Elliott discuss some of the warning signs you should be on the look out for. They reveal what certain marks on your glove mean about your grip, what tee marks on your driver say about your swing path, and how your wedges will wear according to your technique.

5. Gloves

There are two areas of wear to be wary of on even the best golf gloves. The first is in the palm, and the second is along the thumb. If your gloves are wearing in either of these areas, and especially if they are wearing quickly, then that means you are probably gripping the club too tightly.

Wear here is also a problem because it stops you from being able to hinge your wrists properly. The best thing to do to solve this would be to check for wear, work on how to grip a golf club, and make sure you upgrade your glove regularly. 

4. Clubface wear

A wear mark can tell you a lot. For example, if it is towards the heel, this gives you a clear indication of your strike pattern, and why you are producing a certain flight. The same can be said if you are looking to learn how to stop toe strikes.

To find out your contact point, foot spray is the best bet but you can also use face tape on the head, although this will affect flight because of friction. Just seeing for yourself will give you a clearer idea of what you need to work on.

3. Tee marks

The tee marks left on your driver will give you an idea of the ball flight you're producing and where the ball is going. The most common among amateurs is left-to-right and therefore the tee marks on the sole-plate of the driver go from the heel to the toe in a diagonal motion. This indicates you could be in need of a fix for how to stop cutting across the golf ball.

One such drill to solve this would be to imagine an object in front of you that you have to draw the ball around and this will help you hone a better swing pattern.

2. Wedges

This is especially important in relation to the leading edge. Wear marks on this part of the club indicate you strike the ball with a steep angle of attack, which digs the club into the ground and creates big, deep divots. This makes the ball harder to control.

A better place to have wear marks is on the sole of the club. After all, that's how the best golf wedges are designed to be used. This can be achieved by imagining the sole is an airplane coming into land. The aim is to just brush the turf in the same manner a pilot will look to smoothly land the wheels on the runway.

1. Driver grip

The thing to look out for here is in relation to where your top hand and thumb meets the club. A wear pattern could be a sign that your grip is changing throughout the swing or that you are gripping the club too tightly, which creates a lot of tension.

Using your imagination can help resolve this. Picture the grip as a tube of toothpaste and imagine your mission is to keep all the contents inside. This will lighten your grip pressure and allow you to release the forearms better in order to complete the swing.