Today we are going to talk to you about how to grip your golf club properly. You may be asking, "Why? I think I grip my club just fine. Why do I need some internet writer to tell me otherwise?"
The truth is that this may actually not be the case, and you may have been gripping your club the wrong way this whole time. This can make a huge difference in your golf game, as the correct grip can lead to more accurate shots, and an improper golf grip can send the ball flying into the woods... or worse.
So, even if you think you have no issues with your grip, you may want to take a look at this article just to make sure, as we talk about the best method for gripping your golf club.
3 EASY STEPS : Gripping and holding your golf club!
We want to keep it simple on guiding you with your proper golf grip, so we are just narrowing it down into 3 Easy Steps.
1. Self-Evaluation
Before we're going to dive in and talk about the technical aspect of your golf grip, let us start first by evaluating yourself. What do I mean? Meaning you have to assess and check your current golf grip. If you're an amateur or just started playing golf, you may need our help on how to grip your clubs properly.
So asked yourself...How do you hold your clubs? What is your finger's position? Are you confident and comfortable with your golf swing?
Most of the golf shots' mistakes are caused by the way you hold your club. A proper golf grip is the most important and the foundation of your swing.
Now that you already assess how you usually hold your clubs on the course, let's move on to how to grip a golf club & hold it properly. You can now compare if you place your hand right on the golf club.
2. Hand Placement
This is where you're game should begin and your grip with your golf clubs plays a big role. Let start with how you hold your club upon pickup. Why is it important to have the proper golf grip? Your grip controls the club face. Before demonstrating the proper golf grip, let us talk about the most common mistakes of golfers with their grip.
You should avoid the "palmy grip. What is a palmy grip? It is when your golf grip sits in the middle of your hand. You'll notice that you're doing the palmy golf grip when there is a gap between your middle pinkie finger and pad of the lead hand as you closed your finger. Every time you hold the golf club be mindful of the gap.
Now that you're aware of the most common mistake, let's talk about how to properly hold the golf club. Always use your weaker hand first, also known as the lead hand ( left hand for right-handed). To improve your golf grip, you can use gloves. With the club in your hand, make sure the grip of the golf club is running at the base of the fingers. The pad of your hand feels like it is crushing the top of the grip.
When the golf club is already in the position with your left hand (lead hand), you can grip your club with your right hand (trail hand) with the type of golf grip that you wanted. Notice how your right thumb is setting the left thumb. As you look down, the ideal knuckles of the lead hand that is visible to you should only be at least two or three. To confirm that your hands are in the right position, you can also see a "V' form between your thumb and your forefingers on the right hand.
Depending on where the "V" points, we can categorize it as weak, neutral, or strong.
Neutral Golf Grip
On a neutral grip, it formed by his thumb is pointing to the nose. When you look down, you can see two knuckles of the lead hand. This kind of grip promotes straight ball flight.
Weak Golf Grip
With this type of grip, only one knuckle is visible and the club face is square to the target. Both hands are facing each other forming a "V" by your thumb and index fingers. When playing, this type of grip helps with blocking the hands full impact of the ball and your golf swing.
Strong Golf Grip
For a strong grip, you can see exactly three knuckles when you look down. The club face is also positioned square to the target. The "V" formed by the thumb and index finger is pointing towards the right shoulder
3. Pressure
As you are now in the right position with gripping your clubs, the next question is... how hard should you grip your golf club?
Are you holding it tight as if you're holding your dear life to it? You're making a big mistake. So what is the correct golf grip? You should apply the right pressure with your grip when you hold a golf club. It should not be very tight and not loose either. It is essential to keep the grip pressure consistent. If you grasp it tightly, instead of the club face you'll be delivering the heel of the club. You should keep your grip soft yet firm.
3 Main Types of Golf Grips
Below are the three most common types of golf grip that are known to golfers. Of course, you don't need to keep altering your golf grip style. But it's better to know the other types and have a little experiment. Once you find the most comfortable grip for you, you can now stick to it.
1. Overlapping Grip
The overlapping grip or also known as the "Vardon grip". It is one of the most common golf grip among golfers.
The right pinkie finger is placed between the index and middle finger of the lead hand. This is most popular with men or those with large hands.
2. 10-Finger Grip
The 10-Finger Grip also known as baseball grip is the one recommended golf grip for beginners. This is usually preferred by other golf teachers. Some PGA Tour players like Bob Estes and Scott Piercy used this type of technique.
How to grip using this type? Using your lead hand, hold your club with your fingers pointing to your knee before closing them. Then cover the lead hand( left hand) with the trailing hand. The right thumb setting on top of your left left thumb and is aligned with the lifeline.
3. Interlocking Grip
The next grip is a technique used not just by Tiger Woods but also with other popular golfers. It is called the interlock or interlocking grip.
How to use the interlocking grip? Intertwine your trailing hand little finger with the lead hand's index finger.
5 Tips for Your Grip
In addition to the above steps, please consider the following golf grip tips for a better chance to perfect golf shots.
1. Keeping Your Arms Neutral
A big mistake that a lot of new golfers will make when gripping the club is that they hold their arms tight and stiff as if the club will fly away if they don't. On the opposite side, there are also golfers that think to let your arms hang loosely as an inflatable tube man will help with the motion of your swing. In truth, neither method is preferred.
Both tight and tense arms and extremely loose arms can lead to a loss of swing control, which will make your shot inaccurate. Instead, when gripping the club try to hold your arms as you would naturally. This will allow you the perfect amount of arm motion and helps you to keep control of the club.
2. How to Hold the Club:
When you grab the club you will want to confirm that you grip it with your fingers as opposed to your palms, trying to maintain a firm, but not overly tight, grip. By holding the club in this fashion you are able to both keep the club from flying out of your hands and keep control of the club during your swing.
For comparison's sake, you would want to use the same grip on your club as you would on the handle of a suitcase.
3. Hand Position
Your hands should be positioned with your dominant hand closer to the club head, gripping the point where the grip on your club and the shaft meet. Your other hand will be placed closer to the top of the club with your palm facing outwards. Your fingers should also be placed on the club as follows:
Thumbs
Both thumbs should be pointed down the center of your club towards the clubhead. The thumb on the hand furthest from the club shaft should be tucked slightly under your dominant hand, producing a "V" like Maishape. Never place your thumbs down the sides of the club, as this can lead to less club control during your swing.
Forefinger
The forefinger on your dominant hand should be wrapped around the base of your club grip, with your other forefinger resting just above the top of your dominant hand.
Middle and Ring Fingers
The middle and ring finger should rest around the small crevices on your club grip, which will help to keep your hands on the club.
Pinkies
Pinkie fingers, being the smallest and weakest finger on your hands, have a lot less effect on your grip and control. This means that pinkies can, essentially, grip the club in the way that makes you most comfortable.
4. Range of Motion
When gripping your club, try keeping your wrist from becoming too tense. Keeping your wrist stiff can limit your motion when following through on your swing, making it harder to make an accurate and consistent impact.
5. Don't Adjust Your Grip
If you want to make sure that you get used to holding your hands properly and want to maintain consistent shots, don't constantly change up your grip. Changing golf grip prior to a swing or changing the way you hold your club constantly can have negative effects on your game and can lead to a lot of inaccurate shots and frustration.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the proper way to hold the golf club?
Everyone is different and so therefore the grip that may be effective to one player is not with you. This demonstration is for right-hand golfers. If you're a left-handed golfer, just do the opposite. If you're new to the game, the easiest way for you is to make sure the grip of the golf club is running diagonally at the based of the fingers of your lead hand. The fingers are pointing towards your knees before closing. The trail hand is going to the side and wrap it with the lead hand. The lead thumb should fit very nicely with the lifeline of the right hand.
How can I ensure I am doing the proper Golf grip?
To avoid the common mistakes you must remember the following:
- Position your golf club appropriately. The pad of your hand should feel that it squash the top of the handle. The tip of the handle should be visible.
- Your trail hand should be making a "V" shape, and the club is aligned with your ears.
- Check the position of your lead hand. You should see at least 2 or 3 knuckles depending on your hand size.
- Don't grasp the club too tight.
How to hold the golf club?
In holding the club, you should start it with the weakest hand or also refer to it as the lead hand. The knuckles on your lead hand should be visible to you as you closed your fingers.
Do I need to change my grip based on my shot?
As ball-strikers, you might be tempted to keep changing your golf grip to have a better shot. But you really don't need to do this. The best way to do this if you want to have a good tee shot is to adjust the club face while keeping the same grip and pressure.
Conclusion
You may still think after reading this that you already know all there is to know about your own golf grip. In that case, congratulations, and I wish you luck on the course.
But if you happen to have learned a thing or two today, then I have done my job. We hope that we're able to teach you how to grip your golf club properly in the simplest way. Now that you got a "grip" on how to improve the grip on your golf club, aren't you excited for some action? It's time to get out to the golf course and practice the correct golf grip techniques.
