The golf grip is much more important than most amateur golfers think. Without a sound grip you will never be able to advance your game. Maybe you are at that point, where no matter what you try you can not seem to improve your golf swing. The good news is it can be the easiest fix you will ever experience in golf.
If you can do any one thing to improve your golf game it would be ensuring your grip is correct. Even with excellent golf swing form your game will suffer from an improper grip.
If there is only one thing you learn from me, it would be to perfect your golf grip!
The most traditional and widely used grip in golf is called the interlocking golf grip. If you are right handed you should start by gripping the club in your left hand naturally with the shaft resting in your fingers and your thumb running down the right hand side of the grip (see image below). If you can envision your left hand being perpendicular to the ground, as if you were shaking hands left handed, you would turn it over slightly farther so your left thumb is running down the right side of the grip and the shaft sits closer to your palm in your pinkie finger than your index finger.
It should feel natural and comfortable on the club. To properly grip the club with your right hand you should interlock your pinkie finger on your right hand with your index finger on your left. The club should sit comfortably across your fingers (do not place the club in you palm) with your thumb running down the middle right hand side of the shaft.
The most important part of the grip is to stay loose! I can’t stress this enough. I know this sounds backwards to most amateur golfers, but come on has your game really improved by trying to grip the club tighter? By loosening your grip you will experience more solid contact, more distance, and more accurate shots. You will be amazed what loosening a grip can do improve your golf shots and lower your scores.
I suggest you grip the club only enough so it will not twist in your hands, and if you have the proper grip setup you’ll find that you can let yourself grip it fairly loosely. A loose grip will reduce the tension in your wrists and arms, which results in a freer, more natural and less inhibited swing.
There is also a variation on the popular grip where the pinkie finger does not interlock with the index finger but overlaps it instead. Thus it is called the overlap grip.
The last grip is referred to as the baseball grip. None of your fingers interlock or overlap. Some people claim this grip feels more natural. For this grip, think like you are holding a baseball bat but maintain the shaft in your fingers and the thumbs in the correct position, with the left hand thumb running down the right side of the grip and the right thumb running down the middle left hand side of the grip.
Personally, I prefer the interlocking grip because I think it naturally puts your wrists in a better position during the swing and allows a looser grip pressure. I suggest you try each one for yourself and see which gives you the best results.
Did I mention that the most important part of the grip is to stay loose! If I did not, the most important part of the grip is to stay loose!
Find the proper grip for you and enjoy the experience of improved golf shots and lower golf scores.
Leave a comment below and share with us which grip you like to use.
Related posts:
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Thank you for the tips. I’m going to give the ‘loose’ grip a try when I’m practicing next.
{ 1 trackback }