I just received a rather entertaining comment about Hank Haney and how I somehow have a personal agenda against Hank Haney by criticizing the hand strengthening exercise device he pitches.
Firstly, I do not know Hank Haney personally and certainly have no other ill will towards him & secondly, last time I checked he was rated pretty highly as a golf teacher (i.e. see Tiger Woods' golf coach for several years & Golf Channel Show 'The Haney Project'), so who would I be to criticize his teaching? It is usually not a coincedence when soemone arrives on that noticeable of a stage.
To say that I know a fair bit more about the anatomy, function and injury conditions of the hand, wrist, forearm & elbow than Hank Haney would not be a stretch. I worked as a health care practitioner that treated athletes, musicians & workplace injuries for 10 years and I played professional golf for 3 years, through out which I travelled with and observed professional golfers and had a specific focus of observing their training routines (or lack there of) and injury conditions. There is no doubt in my mind that the belief system that is well-established in golf that squeezing a ball, or a coiled device, or a spring loaded device, etc. etc. in grip (flexion) only has played a serious begative role in the health & performance of golfers around the world, especially professional golfers.
For Hank Haney to be pitching a grip-only device in this day & age shows a lack of understanding of the mechanics of the muscles of the hand, wrist, forearm & elbow - period. There is no emotion involved, it is just wrong. I'm not sure of Hank's reasoning for doing this, but someone is giving him poor advice - and that poor advice will be a detriment to many players.
Yes, I am aware that many teachers preach that the 3 pinky side fingers of the left hand (in a right handed golfer) provide the most grip pressure and the same is true of the ring & middle finger on the right hand. The spring loaded ProHands golf gripper trains the hands individually and so somehow this makes it right. Well, the observation here is partially true, unfortunately these individual fingers also have very key extensor muscles that must be strengthened through their full ROM before the fingers will be healthy & stable. Until then they will be imbalanced, as is the outcome with all grip-only hand strengthers in question.
I am not in the habit of criticising people, but dangerous principles must be dealth with directly. Golfers must start to understand their main equipment, themselves! Balnce is as key as strength. I would be happy to discuss this principle with Hank Haney directly. I'm sure he would reconsider his endorsement if he was properly educated from a knowledgeable source.