Why does my grip gravitate toward strong?

[soloredd]

I need some help with my grip. For some reason, my left hand wants to get stronger and stronger, usually gradually over a week or so. I'll have a great round or range session with my neutral grip, go back a couple days later and start fighting a closed club face due to my left hand moving clock-wise. It's completely befuddling to me and I've battled this pretty much all year. I cannot tell if maybe my alignment is leading me to do this (closing my stance more and more, thus compensating with the grip to keep my club face square at address) or something else.

I have constantly struggled with alignment and going to the alignment sticks about 3 months ago has helped. I need to get to the point where I grip the club naturally and without thinking; right now, I'm thinking about my grip every single time I swing the club and it's screwing my head up.

[bullseye]

I use an interlocking grip and make sure the web of my little finger on my right hand is snug against the web of my index finger of my left hand,that way I can't have one weak and one strong. Works for me

[shankalots]

I think this is why a pre-shot routine is so important. If a shifting grip is the problem maybe go to the range and before every shot take a second just to focus on your grip, ingraine this into your pre-shot routine and maybe this issue will be fixed.

[luckyluke699]

agreed, plenty of practise range time needed for this one!

[Fatphil]

I need some help with my grip. For some reason, my left hand wants to get stronger and stronger, usually gradually over a week or so. I'll have a great round or range session with my neutral grip, go back a couple days later and start fighting a closed club face due to my left hand moving clock-wise. It's completely befuddling to me and I've battled this pretty much all year.

Wow, don't see many "befuddling's" anymore. I don't sweat the strong or weak grip, my main concern is that the hands don't conflict with each other ie strong left hand with the right hand weak..or worse yet is half way into the backswing as my left hand rotates clockwise onto plane the tension in my arms and shoulders forces my right hand to rotate in the same direction rather than relax and rotate counterclockwise underneath the shaft, besides forcing the club across the line it tends to un-hinge my wrists and lose lag.

[soloredd]

Thanks for the replies.

Spent a good amount of time at the range the past 3 days and think I've corrected it (again). My left hand grip technique was basically becoming piss-poor so I was having to compensate in other ways. For example, I've noticed my gloves have worn down quicker and in different spots lately than when my swing was grooving. I've fixed that issue and am finding I am no longer thinking about my grip during the swing, which is a relief.

[Play Par Golf]

Here is a drill I like to do to check my left hand grip ever so often.....it works to keep it in the right position.

Take hold of the golf club with your left hand so that the top of the club rests on the pad of your hand below your pinkie finger......then wrap your fingers around the club like you normally would (key is to hold the club in your fingers). Once you have your grip, hold it up in the air perpendicular to your waist and release all your fingers except your index finger......you should be able to hold the club with it resting on the pad of your hand (not in the fingers or in the middle of your palm).

Another check I use is when you are addressing the ball, only two to three knuckles on your left hand should be visible.....in your case, more than 3 are likely visible, so just adjust accordingly. You can even do this before every swing if you want.

Hope that helps.

Sean

[Dr. Griefo]

Not sure if this will be helpful or not but I was having the same problem until I was fitted for clubs last month. The guy fitting me pointed this out and said something to the effect that I was strenghthening the grip to compensate for the improper lie of the club face when addressing the ball. I have no idea if he was full of it or not but crazy things were happening that I couldn't explain (i.e. shifting my grip on the back swing, massive hooks, etc). I use a neutral grip now (with the fitted clubs) except when drawing or fading and my handicap has dropped by 2 (to a 14...actually it's a 14.4 right now so by 1.6) since getting the proper fitting clubs (I need to update the clubs I use).

[soloredd]

Not sure if this will be helpful or not but I was having the same problem until I was fitted for clubs last month. The guy fitting me pointed this out and said something to the effect that I was strenghthening the grip to compensate for the improper lie of the club face when addressing the ball. I have no idea if he was full of it or not but crazy things were happening that I couldn't explain (i.e. shifting my grip on the back swing, massive hooks, etc). I use a neutral grip now (with the fitted clubs) except when drawing or fading and my handicap has dropped by 2 (to a 14...actually it's a 14.4 right now so by 1.6) since getting the proper fitting clubs (I need to update the clubs I use).

Thanks for the help but my irons and wedges are new this year and were fitted for me. I'm beginning to assume that my grip was just terrible to begin with and it eventually caught up with me.We'll see what happens in the next week or two because inevitably I'll get it right then revert back to the bad.

[Dr. Griefo]

Thanks for the help but my irons and wedges are new this year and were fitted for me. I'm beginning to assume that my grip was just terrible to begin with and it eventually caught up with me.We'll see what happens in the next week or two because inevitably I'll get it right then revert back to the bad.

Hope it turns around, bad habits seem so easy to keep and good ones easy to lose.

[ohiolefty]

Why don't you just adjust to the strong grip that is obviously natural to you?!?!? And, a strong grip isn't necessarily the reason for your closed club face. Tons of pros and low cappers play with strong grips and manage not to play with a closed face. I'd go see a pro and consult them rather than try to self-diagnose. If a pro tells you your grip is too strong, then it may be.