How to Grip a Golf Club, Commonalities of a Functional Golf Grip

[Scipio]

Wanted to be another to chime in to say thanks for taking the time to make these videos and post the edited pictures.  Very helpful to show that I have had a super palmy grip for all of the years I have been playing.  Spent some time this week hitting practice balls in the yard, and although it feels incredibly awkward to get set up, the swing itself feels good, and my shots are going much straighter.  I think this will help me at least be more consistent, which is all I can really ask for right now.

I do have a question, or maybe its just something I need to keep working on.  I am having a really hard time "starting" my grip in the right spot in my fingers.  It seems that by the time I settle the grip in my lead hand, then wrap my fingers, then sort of stretch and wrap my heel pad over it, the face of the club has gone all cattywampus on me.  Its like I am rolling the club up in my hand and then I have to undo and start over.  

Thoughts?  Or is it just a matter of doing it more to make it routine?

[iacas]

Hold it tighter in your right hand and learn when/where to apply forces.

[Scipio]

On 7/1/2022 at 10:19 PM, iacas said:

Hold it tighter in your right hand and learn when/where to apply forces.

Thanks for this tip.  Have been practicing it, and it still is a little funky, but getting better.  Is definitely hard to not slide back into a palmy grip, even after gripping it correctly, the club just wants to slide back to where Im used to it.  

Will keep at it and see if I can keep it consistent.  My shots when I get it in my fingers are dramatically better already.  

Any thoughts on using something like the SKLZ Grip Trainer?

[Shindig]

16 minutes ago, Scipio said:

Thanks for this tip.  Have been practicing it, and it still is a little funky, but getting better.  Is definitely hard to not slide back into a palmy grip, even after gripping it correctly, the club just wants to slide back to where Im used to it.  

That's the thing about any change, and it's something to be conscious of.  For what it's worth, this is something you can practice at home, too.  Put a ball down on the carpet, grab your 8-iron, grip it, check your grip, and set up to address as if you were going to hit.  Please do not hit at home unless you have a setup to do so (such as a mat with a net).

A recent lesson had me changing my setup.  It's something I'm still thinking about every time I set up to a shot -- and I hit several dozen at home most days, plus when I play.  From past experience, it will become natural at some point but, like the grip, it will slip and be something I have to be cognizant of.

It sounds like you're making progress, which is great.

[Scipio]

3 hours ago, Shindig said:

That's the thing about any change, and it's something to be conscious of.  For what it's worth, this is something you can practice at home, too.  Put a ball down on the carpet, grab your 8-iron, grip it, check your grip, and set up to address as if you were going to hit.  Please do not hit at home unless you have a setup to do so (such as a mat with a net).

A recent lesson had me changing my setup.  It's something I'm still thinking about every time I set up to a shot -- and I hit several dozen at home most days, plus when I play.  From past experience, it will become natural at some point but, like the grip, it will slip and be something I have to be cognizant of.

It sounds like you're making progress, which is great.

Its definitely a work in progress, but its nice to see the actual progress part.

I am trying to practice without a glove, but it turns out the grips I have are apparently made of 80 grit sandpaper or something, and I managed to get a couple of whopper blisters last night.  So the glove will go back on for a while, and then I need to think about if I want to spend the money on new grips, or if I should just take that money and put it towards some new-to-me clubs since my current set is kinda dated...  

[Shindig]

24 minutes ago, Scipio said:

Its definitely a work in progress, but its nice to see the actual progress part.

I am trying to practice without a glove, but it turns out the grips I have are apparently made of 80 grit sandpaper or something, and I managed to get a couple of whopper blisters last night.  So the glove will go back on for a while, and then I need to think about if I want to spend the money on new grips, or if I should just take that money and put it towards some new-to-me clubs since my current set is kinda dated...  

What kind of grips do you use?  And what sort of condition are they in?

I can think of at least two professionals who do not wear a glove when they swing.  

We can also (probably not in this thread) discuss the "new clubs?" question, including figuring out if your current set is helping or hindering your progress.  

[Scipio]

7 minutes ago, Shindig said:

What kind of grips do you use?  And what sort of condition are they in?

I can think of at least two professionals who do not wear a glove when they swing.  

We can also (probably not in this thread) discuss the "new clubs?" question, including figuring out if your current set is helping or hindering your progress.  

Grips are the originals that came on the clubs, which are King Cobra Oversize IIs.  So they should probably be swapped out just for age reasons (and the rubber is starting to leave some good black marks on my glove/hands anyway).  They are not the wrap style grip, but I think are a Cobra-branded version of a Lamkin Crossline.  

[Shindig]

37 minutes ago, Scipio said:

Grips are the originals that came on the clubs, which are King Cobra Oversize IIs.  So they should probably be swapped out just for age reasons (and the rubber is starting to leave some good black marks on my glove/hands anyway).  They are not the wrap style grip, but I think are a Cobra-branded version of a Lamkin Crossline.  

Yeah, if you're keeping those irons, you'll want to swap out the grips.  A lot of us here like a brand "PURE Grips."  

I would swap out the irons, though;  despite being oversize, they aren't particularly forgiving, and iron technology has changed quite a bit in the 23 years since those came out, and you're going to use them for the most important shots of the round (approach shots).  Given your handicap, I'd suggest looking into modern forgiving irons, but that's getting off-topic from this thread.

If you're going to stick with those irons for a bit, it's probably worth spending ~$20 to regrip the one you use the most at the range, so at least the grip isn't working against you. 

[RFKFREAK]

On 1/6/2022 at 4:03 PM, iacas said:

I waffled on using the word "downcock" in the video (the text), but since I'm clearly demonstrating it, I felt it was okay. Plus, it's at setup, not late transition.

 

I've been trying to do it on the ground but still feel unsure about it.  I'm going to try and do it in the air and see how that feels vs. using this method while on the ground.

[Scipio]

On 7/14/2022 at 2:37 PM, Shindig said:

Yeah, if you're keeping those irons, you'll want to swap out the grips.  A lot of us here like a brand "PURE Grips."  

I would swap out the irons, though;  despite being oversize, they aren't particularly forgiving, and iron technology has changed quite a bit in the 23 years since those came out, and you're going to use them for the most important shots of the round (approach shots).  Given your handicap, I'd suggest looking into modern forgiving irons, but that's getting off-topic from this thread.

If you're going to stick with those irons for a bit, it's probably worth spending ~$20 to regrip the one you use the most at the range, so at least the grip isn't working against you. 

I saw some of the posts on the PURE grips, and was going to buy on their 4th of July sale, but again wasnt sure if that was a good spend at the time or not.  I would like to just find the little nozzle that goes on an air compressor, and I see there is a plan for a 3D printed one, but I dont have a 3D printer, so perhaps Ill find one somewhere.  But I digress slightly.  

(I did start a post about clubs when I first joined, but the response there was to practice more first before worrying about an upgrade.)

I also found some webpages talking about Ben Hogan's 5 fundamentals, and want to do some reading there about the grip and how potentially to grab the club with his instructions.  I think its another way of getting to the same point, but perhaps one will "click" with my brain and muscles a little better.

[iacas]

5 hours ago, Scipio said:

I also found some webpages talking about Ben Hogan's 5 fundamentals, and want to do some reading there about the grip and how potentially to grab the club with his instructions.  I think its another way of getting to the same point, but perhaps one will "click" with my brain and muscles a little better.

Don't do that. Hogan had a weak slightly palmy grip. He never wanted to see a ball going left much, ever.

[Scipio]

On 7/15/2022 at 8:21 PM, iacas said:

Don't do that. Hogan had a weak slightly palmy grip. He never wanted to see a ball going left much, ever.

Hmmm good to know.  I'll keep watching the video posted here and get it to feel a little more natural.  

[iacas]

 

[iacas]

Golf Digest (@golfdigest) • Instagram photos and videos

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[iacas]

Falling for this golf myth is costing you distance — but it's easy to fix

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In today's Play Smart, we're talking about the famous 'advice' to grip the club softly, and why that might be costing you swing speed.

[iacas]

[saevel25]

My issue with gripping the club in the air, 100% of the time I grip the club way closed. I just can't get it oriented correctly if I am not referenced with my target line and the ball. I get the advice, but it has never worked well for me. 

[iacas]

8 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

My issue with gripping the club in the air, 100% of the time I grip the club way closed. I just can't get it oriented correctly if I am not referenced with my target line and the ball. I get the advice, but it has never worked well for me. 

You grip it slightly more under. That's it. I think it's a total excuse to say "it has never worked for me." Do it differently, and make yourself do it. I could show you how to grip it in the air incredibly weakly in five seconds.

Instead of attaching your left hand to the side, you attach it more underneath. That's it. Not 3:00, closer to 4:30 or 5:00.

(Which, now that I think about it, is probably more like 7:30 or 7:00 instead of 9:00 from your perspective.)