How to Properly Hold and Grip a Golf Club
Thanks for reading another SwingEasy article where we do our best to write simple to follow golf tips for the everyday golfer!
This article covers everything you need to know about griping a golf club.
If you have suggestions of what topics to cover, we’d love to hear from you - contact us!
Take a look at our Grip Buying Guide for 2022 and our Best Putter Grips of 2022!
Improving the Golf Grip: Four Tips to Change Your Game (With Pictures)
The golf grip is everything. Holding a golf club correctly is a great way to improve your game.
You’ll be far more consistent by keeping the club face square as the club goes back and around your body while also maintaining consistency at impact.
You’ll see significant progress in ball striking, making it feel like the ball never touched the club’s face as you follow through with the proper golf club grip.
The same must be applied to all aspects of your game. You must have the proper golf club grip, whether hitting a big drive off the tee or putting a 40-footer.
Pre-Swing Setup
The pre-swing setup is key. And your grip is the first of many movements to get ready to make a swing. And if you start on the wrong foot (hand?), climbing a mountain is hard. Maybe even harder is trying to hit a solid golf shot.
Consider this a must. Have someone take pictures as you change and adjust your grip towards the correct alignment. Take a modeled photo of the right grip (see below) and leverage this to focus on one angle of your grip. This grip just happens to be that of Tiger Woods.
His grip includes the “v” pointing towards his back shoulder. He can see two knuckles on his glove hand. His right thumb is slightly over the grip, which results in a perfect “v”. That, folks is how precise you need to be with your grip. It’s something players at any level can and should master.
Here’s another great example of the correct mechanics. Okay let’s take it step by step…
Self Assess
Evaluation of your grip is the first step to knowing how close you are to mastering the first critical component of your game. We’ll cover the overlapping grip in a separate article to keep things simple.
Keep in mind your grip can shift depending on several elements. Grip size, length of the club, and club type can all impact the result of your grip.
To obtain consistency, recommendation #1 is to have your equipment be consistent, most importantly for your grips. A larger grip on your driver can easily cause your hands to stay more open, resulting in far less pressure in the same place from backswing to follow through.
Evaluate your grip size. The size (number) should be shown on the butt of your grip. If it’s worn, compare it to another grip or visit your local golf shop, which can tell you. P.S. - that’s a sign to consider getting new grips.
Typically the grip size is matched to the diameter, specifically the outer of the club shaft.
Then you have your choice of material. Velvet, Composite, Wrap, Cord, and Hybrid (Cord + Rubber).
And the average golfer wants something that will be comfortable and allow for consistency. So what’s the right choice?
To give you one more point. Consider the number of times you’ll grip a golf club. Far more than marking a ball on the green. Far more than the tees you’ll use. And you’ll want better results each time you play golf.
The golf grip and stance must be part of the first items with which you gain consistency and rhythm.
Grip Size (With Picture)
This graphic provides a great overview at a no-cost option (dependent upon using a club you have) that can help you assess if the grip size will cause unwarranted issues to start before you even swing.
(Image credit Westridge Golf Centre)
This is also incredibly important related to the golf driver grip. You want to make sure your grips are consistent across all of your clubs, but more importantly, feels right when you’re gripping your woods.
The driver grip has to feel comfortable, as many think they need to adjust their swing due to the type of club. In fact, the grip size can be one of the leading causes for why you have more inconsistent driver hits versus your irons. Always keep in mind how important the golf grip on a driver is when you go to look for new grips. That’s why you need to read our next section to determine if you have the right size grips or if your grips are too large.
Make sure toTake a look at our Grip Buying Guide for 2022, which includes our top reccomendation for best grip for drivers.
How do I know my golf grips are too large?
In the third image, the golfer uses too large grips for their hands. Ideally, when you hold a golf club, your middle finger (also your longest) should just about touch the inside of your palm. If there is too much space, that is a sign your grip is too large.
Hand Positioning
Now that you’ve got the grip size down, it’s time to evaluate your hand position. Here's another helpful guide from our friends at tripsavvy.
Grab your 7 iron and pretend to address a ball. When you take your stance, notice your dominant hand’s “v” shape. The “v” shape should point to your right shoulder (if you’re a righty). That is critical element #1. Then the placement of the thumb, followed by the two knuckles. If your thumb isn’t tracking down the center of the shaft, your knuckles most likely won’t be either.
Then apply the final step. Your right thumb should then follow on top of your left thumb, followed by your remaining fingers wrapping under the club to bump up against the top of your left index finger.
Golf Tempo & Grip Training Tool
SKLZ Golf Tempo & Grip Trainer
Improve your golf swing tempo, timing, and grip position with SKLZ Tempo & Grip Trainer. The versatile Tempo and Grip Trainer includes removable weights to stimulate both woods and irons.
Pros
- Easy to remove and change weights
- Can simulate driver, woods and irons
Cons
- Grip does not fit all hand sizes
- Only available for right handers
Grip Pressure
Your hand pressure on the golf club should be a six on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the strongest you can grip (envision at your own risk). Don’t hold the club too tight.
But in reality, test this trick out with a friend, your spouse, or whoever will hold the other end of the club while you grip it. The person holding the clubface should be able to pull without the club coming out of your hands, but not forcefully affecting balance in your feet through your shoulders.
Chris Ryan provides a great overview of this in his video below.
Conclusion
Your grip can play one of the most pivotal roles in your game. And any minor change can feel like your swing is going from OK to worse. But this is where a picture (find a mirror) will help you acknowledge how close (or there) your grip is to the proper form.
When assessing golf grips, grip size will always be a must to ensure you can grip the club properly. Consider printing the picture mentioned above if you’re concerned with the size of your current grips. It can never hurt to go visit your local shop to have them assess for you.
Buying grips online can be the right move for all levels and stages of players. The majority of golfers use a standard grip size. Then it comes down to the feel of the material, which many go with the velvet material.
Consider our review on golf grip materials and what the right one might be for you. Here’s to gripping it and ripping it with the right grip time after time!
Written At: Updated At: 2023-07-23T20:11:02+00:00