Ever notice how some days your shots feel pure while other days it’s like you’re swinging a garden hose? The culprit might be hiding in plain sight—your grip.
I’ve seen it countless times on the lesson tee. A golfer struggling with consistency, fighting a slice or hook or just not getting the distance they should. We tinker with stance, swing path and tempo but sometimes the real issue is literally in their hands.
The foundation of everything
Your grip is the only physical connection you have to the golf club. Think about that for a second.
Every intention, movement and ounce of power you generate must transfer through those fingers wrapped around a rubber or leather handle.
Get the grip wrong and you’re fighting an uphill battle before you even start your backswing.
Finding your perfect pressure
“How tight should I hold the club?”
This might be the most common grip question I hear.
Here’s a simple way to think about it and an analogy you’ve heard before: Imagine you’re holding a tube of toothpaste with the cap off. You want to hold it firmly enough that it doesn’t fly out of your hands but not so tight that toothpaste squeezes out.
That’s your ideal grip pressure.
Too tight creates tension that restricts your wrist hinge and kills clubhead speed. Too loose and the club might literally leave your hands (I’ve seen it happen, and it’s never pretty).
The three grip styles
There are three main grip styles in golf: the overlapping (Vardon), interlocking and 10-finger (baseball) grip.
In the overlapping grip, the pinky of your trailing hand sits between the index and middle finger of your lead hand. It creates a unified feeling between both hands.
The interlocking grip has the pinky of your trailing hand interlocked with the index finger of your lead hand. This can be great for players with smaller hands.
The 10-finger grip, where all your fingers are on the club without overlapping or interlocking, offers maximum control and is often recommended for beginners, seniors or those lacking hand strength.
None is inherently better than the others. The best grip is the one that feels natural and produces consistent results for you.
The secret in your palm
Here’s something many amateurs get wrong: where the club sits in your lead hand. The handle should run diagonally across your palm, from the base of your pinky to just above the middle of your index finger.
Look at your lead hand when gripping the club. You should be able to see two, maybe three knuckles. If you see four knuckles, your grip is likely too strong. If you only see one, it’s probably too weak.
A grip that’s too strong often leads to hooks; too weak typically produces slices. Finding that sweet spot in the middle is key to squaring the clubface at impact.
The alignment check
Here’s a quick check I use with my students: Take your normal grip, then look down. The “Vs” formed between your thumb and index finger of both hands should point somewhere between your trailing shoulder and your chin.
If those Vs are pointing outside your trailing shoulder, your grip is likely too strong. If they’re pointing toward your lead shoulder, it’s probably too weak.
The grip isn’t set in stone
Remember, your grip can evolve. As your swing develops, you might find that subtle adjustments to your grip help you control ball flight better.
I’ve worked with players who needed a slightly stronger grip to combat a persistent slice and others who needed to weaken their grip to stop hooking the ball. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
The next time you’re at the range, spend five minutes just working on your grip. Get comfortable with it. Take some slow-motion swings, focusing on how it feels. You might be surprised how such a small change can transform your entire game.
After all, in golf as in life, sometimes the biggest improvements come from the smallest adjustments.
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