There are several ways to hold a golf club properly. However, the technique you opt for should always feel comfortable to you. Of course, holding a golf club seems like the simplest aspect of the sport, though it’s not. It might be the most important aspect any golf enthusiast ought to know. You’ll hear many professional golfers attest that a poor grip yields poor stance and swings. Discover below how to hand a golf club like a pro and the essential tips that’ll ultimately create a solid foundation for a successful swing. So, find the perfect grip that suits your style of play and begin building on your golfing skills.
Though the urge to hold it like a baseball bat sounds fun, you want to resist it as you’ll not impact the range. Without a doubt, your golf grip is the essential element of an entire swing. Not only does it create a foundation for your swing, but it’s also the only connection you have with the golf club – so you have to treat it as an extension of your arms. When it comes to learning the art, trial and error remain the best way to find a perfect grip that works uniquely for you.
The overlapping grip involves sitting the pinky finger on your right hand (for right-handed golfers) in the notch between your index and the middle fingers of your left hand – both hands should overlap. It is a great grip, and experienced golfers favor it with large hands. Golfers with broad hands or those who find interlocking appealing can also learn this variation.
The interlocking is a grip variation that involves interlocking the pinky finger on your right hand and the index finger on your left hand – it’s an ideal way to link both hands. Golfers with smaller or medium hands favor this technique. Fun fact – did you know Tiger Woods use this golf grip? Well, it says a lot about the options.
Both interlocking and overlapping grip methods are great ways to unite one’s hands. Pick one and stick with it, learn the art and be consistent with the option – there’s no reason for you to switch between the two.
Just as the name implies, the 10-finger golf grip method involves using all the fingers on your right hand. The hand (right hand) should sit below your left, and there shouldn’t be an overlap. This type of golf club grip is ideal for newbies. However, it would help if you opted for one of the options highlighted above, as this one (the 10-finger golf grip) creates the most separation between your hands. It can also affect your consistency as a player.
Let’s dive into the three main types of golf club grips. But before you start experimenting with the different techniques, lets first familiarize yourself with your golf club grip. It doesn’t matter what grip you opt for; this detailed guide will help you form a solid base for your grip method.
(Note: the instructions highlighted below are for right-handed golfers. However, if you are left-handed, follow the steps but switch hands for each of them).
To improve, you need to, first and foremost, evaluate your current grip. The objective here is to objectively assess your grip and acknowledge that it isn’t perfect. So, the question is, how do you pick up your golf club? How do you hold it? How comfortable is it? How confident are you that you’ll hit a great shot? And finally, but more importantly, is there room for improvement? If your answer is “Yes,” then you’re ready to learn.
Golf clubs have rubberized grips. Though they are the standardized versions, that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the ideal ones for you. These clubs have different size grips, designed that way for a reason. Interestingly, it could be that you need to invest in some new ones. But for now, stick with your current club.
If you notice a consistent pulling or slicing, despite adapting your hold, then you may need to consider new grips. But it will mostly depend on the shape and size of your hands – for instance, petite hands and short fingers mean smaller grips are required. On the flip side, if you have huge hands, you’ll want something large. Check out the nearest pro shop to gain more insight into a suitable size.
Always pick up your golf club with your weaker hand first – meaning, right hand for a left-handed golfer. Next, tilt your hand over so that you can have a better view of the top two knuckles of your left hand. Finally, point the V-like shape that your index finger and thumb have created towards the shoulder of your stronger hand.
Allow for about a half of an inch of the golf club to poke out of the top of your grip. Meanwhile, your left thumb should point down the right-hand side of the shaft. Next, firmly grip the club with your right hand, and place your right thumb on your left thumb. Ensure that your right thumb sits properly on the left side of the club.
If this ‘task’ is a bit daunting for you or you aren’t confident with your hand positioning, you need not panic. There are specially molded grip trainers that can help. They (these coaches) will instruct you where your hands and fingers ought to be positioned.
You read that correctly – get a sharpie. If you aren’t confident about your club sitting on your weaker hand, you can draw two lines on your glove at the right angles to give you relatively precise positioning. It’s meant to remind you where the club ought to be in your grip, thus giving you a little boost of confidence – one that comes with knowing that you aren’t misjudging things. Marking your golf glove isn’t illegal. So, don’t worry about it; you aren’t breaking any professional rules.
Check out the best golf gloves here!
Potion-wise, the question remains; whether it is normal to link your hands together with your fingers? The fact remains, some players do, some don’t. But having your hands clamped together is now a prevalent option amongst many golfers. The reason is, linking fingers promotes a better wrist hinge, hence, a more solid grip.
Meanwhile, the most common method of finger linking is known as “The Overlapping Grip” or “The Vardon Grip.” The method involves linking one’s hands together by placing the right pinky finger between the index and middle finger of the weak hand.
You shouldn’t grip it so firmly that your knuckles tighten so bad it turns white. After all, you’re playing golf, but similarly, you want to avoid gripping the club lightly, so much so that you end up losing control over the direction of the club face.
But if you grip the club too tight when you play, you might find yourself delivering the heel of the golf club onto the ball instead of its face. Thus, causing inconsistent strikes coupled with a loss of control with the entire club in your bag. With your golfing instinct, you’ll know if you’re holding the club too tightly because as you play the shot, you’ll feel your forearms tense up slightly. Address the ball like that, and there’s no chance you play the ball the right way.
Don’t forget, always keep your hands gripping loose but firmly – there has to be a balance between both. Relax your arms and wiggle the club a little if you wish. Sometimes, doing all of these helps shake off a bit of tension in both the wrists and arms.
The grip described in this section is a “neutral” grip. This technique makes sense and should be learned in your early playing days. Later on, when you’re more proficient with your skills, you can learn the other styles. But the “neutral” grip remains the most common way to hold a club. Once you’re able to adjust to the relative complexity of this technique, you’ll ultimately be adapting your games and gaining an overall improvement.
How much you tilt your weak hand depends on the strength of the grip. IF you can view the knuckles on your weak hand, that’s a strong grip and will close the clubface on impact. Rotate your weak hand counter-clockwise so no knuckles can be seen.
Interestingly, you can experiment with the grip effects once you’ve mastered the basics for now. Always keep things nice and simple.
There are six types of golf clubs: fairway woods, drivers, putters, hybrids, wedges, irons, and putters. But you don’t want to hold your putter the same way you grip your driver.
Start by holding the putter up to your outstretched left hand. Ensure that the hand runs through the center of your hand. Also, use a similar placement for your right hand to make it set below your weak hand.
There are many ways to hold a putter properly – far more than your typical golf swing. You’ll see a lot of variations on the course, including claw, cross-handed grips, and overlap. It doesn’t matter the variations you decide to go for; the most important thing is choosing the one that has the most comfortable grip for you.
Get the best golf putters for beginners here!
To understand how Drivers are held, start by holding the golf club at the base of its handles with your left hand and tilt your hand so you can see the knuckles of your index and middle fingers. Next, place your left hand on the club and your right hand on the club – in such a way that your right-hand overlaps both the middle and ring fingers on your left hand. Once you place your right hand on the golf club, ensure that your right thumb and your index finger create a V-shape so it lines up perfectly with the middle of your torso.
Most golfers’ right hand often sits, so the palm is close to the side of the grip, thus facing the target. Also, the palm of your right hand should always rest on top of the thumb of your left hand. Remember the “V-like” shape we highlighted earlier? Well, it forms by your thumb. Moreover, the index finger should point to your right ear.
We all are unique; in fact, most coaches will tell you that there’s no correct way to hold a club. However, a good starter grip for a right-handed newbie is to rest the grips, so it runs diagonally down your fingers into the palm of your left hand. Likewise, the palm of your right hand should always sit over the thumb of your left hand towards the base of your grip.
It’s an unwritten law – the grip of your club should always sit diagonally across your fingers into the palm of your strong hand, which in this case, would be your left hand. When you close it, you should see the knuckles on the index and middle fingers.
Your ‘lead’ hand on the top of the golf club should be on top while your trail hand rests underneath it. The grip should run down your fingers and palm in your strong hand, and the palm of your trail hand should sit on top of it.
The interlock option is preferred because most golfers feel that it helps them work together, which ultimately increases their power.
The golf grip is one of the most important things in a golf swing that will make or break you. If you use the tips in this article and find time to practice it over and over, you will become a better golfer in no time!
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