Should my driver grip be different than my iron grip?

[Golf Novice]

My instructor has me taking a strong grip in my lessons, where I use a 6 iron.  He advocates basically "lining up" the forearms to where from the front or back view, you can't see the other are (if you were someone watching me from in front or behind).  This has worked well for me with the irons, but with the driver, it seems to work better if my right arm is a little more neutral than that or more over the top of the club than this, which is essentially on the side of the grip with the irons.  Doing so makes this "lining up the forearms" not possible, to where my right forearm is a little further away from my body than the left if I'm looking straight down while holding the club.

Does anyone else do this.  It seems to help me some with consistency off the tee.  Should my right hand me more on the side of the club like it is with my irons, thus creating this "lining up" effect.  Or should my right foremarm when looking straight down be a little further away from the body than the left (by being a little more on top of the grip instead of on the side/under like it is with the irons.

Any help would be appreciated.

[Gerald]

The descriptions makes it hard to understand, personally I prefer a neutral to even a slight weak grip in my irons and a stronger grip in my driver.

But there are so many options and maybe your pro has a purpose to teach this to you in this way, a reason we don't know ..... I would suggest to listen to your pro !

[bunkerputt]

I would strive to keep the grip the same, change your stance and ball position.  If you are finding an inability to release with some clubs, check the swingweight of your clubs for consistency.  I've never heard of advocating a grip change on a per-club basis.  But like Gerald said, maybe your instructor sees something we don't.

[ochmude]

My grip for my driver/woods is a bit different than my grip for my irons.  Then again, I haven't broken 100 yet this season, so that should probably be more of an indication of what NOT to do.

[NI4NI]

You should talk it over with your instructor.  Perhaps he saw something with your driver grip, and this is a corrective action.  Asking those who aren't there won't be of much help to you (despite best intentions).

[wmiller]

Originally Posted by Gerald

The descriptions makes it hard to understand, personally I prefer a neutral to even a slight weak grip in my irons and a stronger grip in my driver.

I do something similar. With my irons, I play what most consider a very weak grip, with both 'Vs' pointed straight up my sternum. With my driver, I clock both hands to about 1 o'clock.

The above is for my normal draw. I have a tendency to change everything when I'm making up a shot from trouble...

[Paradox]

My driver is just a slightly stronger grip than with my irons.  Although lately my grip overall has weakened just a hair.

[Joe Mama]

I use a neutral grip for my irons and hybrids and a strong grip for my driver and woods.

[dak4n6]

I use one grip for everything, and would not advocate using different grips.

[cutshot878]

For about 33 years, I used the same grip for every club on every shot. Primarily a neutral grip. Interlocking because I have small hands. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. So recently, I thought I should experiment a little bit with grip. I got tired of changing my swing arc and ball position and stance (open or closed) and it seems a lot easier to just adjust my grip. I use a pretty strong grip for short irons. At about the 5 iron I weaken my left hand grip somewhat. Otherwise, I can hit some pretty nasty hooks. The longer the club, the more the error in your swing starts to show up. My natural ball flight is a draw. If I was a slicer then I would be doing the opposite---strengthening my grip for the longer irons and woods. It's pretty hard (if not impossible) to hit a fade or slice with a strong left hand (if you can see 3-4 knuckles, left hand turned very clockwise) grip. In the same way that it's nearly impossible to hit a draw with a very weak (holding the club more in the pad, less in the fingers) grip---that doesn't let you release the club fully. I think if you're a golfer who consistently breaks 80 (something like 1% of the golfing population) and you've been swinging the golf club since you were ten years old, then I think you probably have the "feel" and skill to confidently make grip adjustments on a per club or per shot basis. It's actually a lot of fun. Something new. I wish I had known about it a long time ago. For example, hitting a low draw out of the woods would have been a lot easier than trying to violently flip my right wrist to close the clubface---something that is often difficult to time properly.

[Beachcomber]

Watch this video.  The grip is the same for both the driver and iron.

[cutshot878]

Still using the weak left hand grip (neutral right hand) on the 3 wood and driver. Hitting some of the longest (280 when I nut it) drives of my life. No early release with the right hand being kind of blocked and overpowered by the left one. Using a strong left hand grip for the irons unless I need to hit a fade. Of course some of this grip manipulation might just be an indication that my swing is way too outside-to-in with an OTT move on the downswing.  This kind of move is not a problem with the woods but is death and shank city with the irons at times. I'm trying to get it back to an inside, to square, to in, swing. This will take time. Many water bottles or headcovers will have to be placed about 6 inches behind the ball. And I can't aggressively clear my hips now---or the flight is super low and thin. The flat swing feels weird after swinging upright for the past 6 months.  On the downswing I literally have to try to keep my lower body still and this just seems the complete opposite of what you're supposed to do---just bump, rotate and clear your left hip and the arms are along for the ride passively and inert. Back to the drawing board. Again.  It's only a matter of time before I take up bowhunting. This sport is driving me insane. I find myself hitting my shag bag in obscure fields and on soccer fields. This can't be healthy.

[onephenom]

I use a slightly weak grip on any club that is front of center, and a slightly strong grip and anything behind (neutral if its ever right in the middle). Its the easiest way to deliver the club with the flat front wrist, which is an important component in a good swing.

[HotFreeze]

After doing research on the "D plane" I started to wonder if I should do this myself. According to the "D Plane" theory, to hit straight shots, with irons your club needs to be a bit closed to the target line, and with the driver the club needs to be a bit open. I would think that the different grips would help with this.

[iacas]

After doing research on the "D plane" I started to wonder if I should do this myself. According to the "D Plane" theory, to hit straight shots, with irons your club needs to be a bit closed to the target line, and with the driver the club needs to be a bit open. I would think that the different grips would help with this.

Let's take the D-Plane out of it - some players have slightly weaker or stronger grips for their irons and driver. If it works for you, cool. Ball position is a bit change in that, and desired ball flight.

It's not really a D-Plane thing. For example, if you're the RARE person whose horizontal swing plane (HSP) or "swing direction" is 0° (i.e. right at the target), then with irons you're hitting OUT a bit, so the only straight shot is a straight push (clubface points right of target line). The ball that finishes at the target would be a little draw (clubface right but not as much as the path). The opposite for the driver: if you hit up, you're swinging left slightly.

Unfortunately, that of course assumes you're swinging 0° (HSP).