Now for the Vardon grip and how to apply it.  With the club soled on the ground in front of you, apply the open left hand so that the shaft lies diagonally across the roots of the fingers, from the middle knuckle of the forefinger to a point just below the base of the little finger.

Close the hand on the shaft with the thumb, not (repeat not) on the top of the shaft but rather to the right, about one-quarter to one-third of the way round. This next picture shows the position you should have formed at this stage.

  The next point is vitally important and it is stressed in the drawings.  The top three fingers must remain close together and not spread.

  The forefinger will be very slightly, no more than one-eighth of an inch, away from the next finger to help support the "short thumb" which I am about to describe.

  Don't stretch the left thumb down the shaft (Fig. 3). Draw it up as far as is comfortably possible so that the ball of the thumb, the fleshier part, is pressed with a gentle firmness on to the shaft (Fig. 2).