Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Why does Todd Graves refuse to teach the golf grip first — and what does he teach instead? The answer is body tilt, or "side bend," and it's the setup move that lets you strike the ball more consistently.
Here's the short answer: the entire purpose of the golf swing is impact, so you should build the swing backward FROM impact — not from the grip. And impact demands a lot of side bend. Todd's measured data shows the average conventional golfer sets up with just 0–6° of side bend, but impact requires up to 25°. That means a conventional player has to ADD roughly 20°+ of tilt somewhere in the swing — an extra, timed move that has to be perfect every single time. Moe Norman solved it by presetting about 16° of side bend at address, cutting the movement from address to impact by roughly 75%. Less movement, fewer compensations, more consistent strikes.
When you preset that tilt, three things happen on their own: your right shoulder drops onto the plane, your arms fall into alignment, and the club travels straight back and straight down on a single plane instead of rotating around you. It also orients your hands for you — which is exactly why Todd teaches body position before the grip. Set the tilt, and the hands find the club correctly by themselves.
The two ideas that reframe your whole swing:
• Stop ADDING side bend in the downswing — preset it at address like Moe
• Don't start with the grip; start with the body orientation that impact actually requires
This is the common-sense side of the Single Plane Swing: reverse-engineer impact, tilt to start, and let everything else fall into place.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Why I don't teach the golf grip first
00:20 Place your hands wrong and your body has to compensate
01:14 What Moe Norman did better than anyone: consistent impact
01:33 The whole purpose of the swing is impact — reverse-engineer it
02:09 Where conventional instruction starts you in "the one mistake"
03:00 Side bend explained: 0–6° for most golfers vs. 25° at impact
03:52 How Moe preset ~16° of side bend and cut his movement 75%
04:35 Why side bend puts you on the single plane (straight back, straight down)
05:52 How body tilt sets your hands — the real reason grip comes second
06:36 Why this is the easiest way to strike the ball consistently
07:12 Learn the full Single Plane Swing (The Intelligent Golf Swing)
📘 Get Todd's book, The Intelligent Golf Swing: theintelligentgolfswing.com
🏌️ Start learning the Single Plane Swing: singleplaneacademy.com
🌐 Graves Golf: gravesgolf.com
📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@ToddGravesGolf
#SinglePlaneSwing #MoeNorman #ToddGraves #GravesGolf #GolfTips
Why does Todd Graves refuse to teach the golf grip first — and what does he teach instead? The answer is body tilt, or "side bend," and it's the setup move that lets you strike the ball more consistently.
Here's the short answer: the entire purpose of the golf swing is impact, so you should build the swing backward FROM impact — not from the grip. And impact demands a lot of side bend. Todd's measured data shows the average conventional golfer sets up with just 0–6° of side bend, but impact requires up to 25°. That means a conventional player has to ADD roughly 20°+ of tilt somewhere in the swing — an extra, timed move that has to be perfect every single time. Moe Norman solved it by presetting about 16° of side bend at address, cutting the movement from address to impact by roughly 75%. Less movement, fewer compensations, more consistent strikes.
When you preset that tilt, three things happen on their own: your right shoulder drops onto the plane, your arms fall into alignment, and the club travels straight back and straight down on a single plane instead of rotating around you. It also orients your hands for you — which is exactly why Todd teaches body position before the grip. Set the tilt, and the hands find the club correctly by themselves.
The two ideas that reframe your whole swing:
• Stop ADDING side bend in the downswing — preset it at address like Moe
• Don't start with the grip; start with the body orientation that impact actually requires
This is the common-sense side of the Single Plane Swing: reverse-engineer impact, tilt to start, and let everything else fall into place.
⏱️ CHAPTERS
00:00 Why I don't teach the golf grip first
00:20 Place your hands wrong and your body has to compensate
01:14 What Moe Norman did better than anyone: consistent impact
01:33 The whole purpose of the swing is impact — reverse-engineer it
02:09 Where conventional instruction starts you in "the one mistake"
03:00 Side bend explained: 0–6° for most golfers vs. 25° at impact
03:52 How Moe preset ~16° of side bend and cut his movement 75%
04:35 Why side bend puts you on the single plane (straight back, straight down)
05:52 How body tilt sets your hands — the real reason grip comes second
06:36 Why this is the easiest way to strike the ball consistently
07:12 Learn the full Single Plane Swing (The Intelligent Golf Swing)
📘 Get Todd's book, The Intelligent Golf Swing: theintelligentgolfswing.com
🏌️ Start learning the Single Plane Swing: singleplaneacademy.com
🌐 Graves Golf: gravesgolf.com
📺 Subscribe: youtube.com/@ToddGravesGolf
#SinglePlaneSwing #MoeNorman #ToddGraves #GravesGolf #GolfTips
