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

[Fromthecoast]

This will be a big help for me. My swing has really fallen apart lately and I will use this to get back on track. Should get me started with the right foundation.

[mvmac]

One question though and I realize this is asking a lot. Is there a way you can do the same photos from a left handed players perspective?

Sure!

Lead hand

Big NO in the left pic, grip in the palm. Right pic, heel pad on top, grip in the fingers, it will automatically feel more secure.

General idea of how it should look

Anatomical snuffbox. If you shot a nail directly through the top of the wrist (in that little indentation underneath your thumb - the anatomical snuffbox) the nail should come out directly through the bottom of your wrist and into the center of the grip.

Most poor grips would have the nail come out the bottom of the wrist and miss the grip on the right side. This would indicate the wrist joint not sitting on top of the grip.

This is an important aspect of the grip because the incorrect position would assist in early club head throw away on the downswing, basically the wrist joint can't support the downward force of the club.

Two sides of the spectrum here. Too weak in the left pic, note the right hand isn't turned enough and the "nail" would be coming out of the right side of the grip. In the right pic, grip is too strong, right hand is rotated too much, lots of cup (dorsi flexion) in the lead wrist.

This next bit is more of a variation than a commonality, but I think it's beneficial and probably something new even for experienced golfers. Left pic, short lead thumb, right pic, long lead thumb. Make it easy on yourself and go with the long lead thumb. Greatly assists in the mobility of the wrist hinge on the backswing and downswing.

Trail Hand

The placement of the trigger finger pressure point (first pad of your index finger just above the knuckle) is important. Too far under can cause the club face to appear too "closed", face aiming towards the sky at the top of the backswing. Too far on top can cause the face to rotate too far underplane on the takeaway.

Left pic, pressure point is "on top". Right pic is ideal, pressure point on the side or aft side of the grip.

Left pic, pressure point is "under", ideal on the right.

Another common mistake in the left pic, right thumb is running down the middle of the grip. A more functional position on the right, just the upper right "tip" of the thumb is in contact with the grip. Left pic position can contribute more to "casting" or losing leverage at too fast a rate.

The curvature of the rear hand fits into the base of the lead thumb.

Other than looking at your hand position, how do you know if your grip is in the palm of the lead hand? Take a look at some of these clues.

Left pic, the "V" of the rear hand is pointing at my sternum, should be aimed more towards my rear shoulder. In the right pic I haven't "loaded" my wrists enough, shaft angle is also too shallow. The shaft would be pointing outside the ball.

Since there is a lack of structure to the grip, the shaft "collapses" and gets close to my rear shoulder at the top of the backswing. From there I will have to uncock my wrist angles rapidly to get the club back down to the ball.

Golfers will also have a pattern of the location of the wear spot on their glove, under the heel pad, into the palm like the example below. The thumb can also get "shredded" pretty quickly due to the lack of stability in the hand.

[chris3putt]

Mike, this is great stuff!

I'll be turning up to the first tee with a sharpie mark on the snuffbox and right index finger from now on..........

[ditchparrot19]

I'm starting a new thread here in the hope that the grip tip that mvmac posted recently (linked below) will help some other people as much as it helped me.

http://thesandtrap.com/t/75436/how-to-grip-a-golf-club-commonalities-of-a-functional-golf-grip

I shot a 76 on my home course this morning -- my lowest score by four strokes since I resumed playing golf two years ago. I attribute the round directly -- DIRECTLY! -- to that tip. For me, the key part was the photo of the green dot on the pad of the right index finger and the text saying that dot should be placed on the side of the grip.

I just read it last night and I went to bed knowing I needed to employ that today, come hell or high water. Even if I hit a bunch of lousy shots, I was going to stick with it. I was certain that it eventually was going to be a big benefit for me, but I didn't know it'd pay off this quickly.

Due to a misplaced cellphone, I was late getting to the course and didn't hit a single range ball. But once I placed my right hand on the club in the manner specified for my initial tee shot, it felt perfect.

I've used a lot of different grips over the years, but never before today had I had my right index finger in that position. The dot has always been much farther toward the bottom of the grip.

The deal today wasn't that I hit a bunch of brilliant shots that were far beyond the ordinary for me. Rather, I just never hit a truly hideous one. My hands felt like they'd always be in a good position at impact, and they were. I was never remotely close to making a double bogey, and I'd just made six of them in a round three days earlier.

I know that all my rounds aren't going to be as good as this one, but I'm certain that the average number of horrible shots I hit during a round is headed downward.

Many thanks, mvmac!

[scorpion12]

Mike, thanks so much for doing this!

After reading your series on grip I played 9 holes. I adjusted my grip to what you depicted as proper and it felt natural. I was surprised at how quickly it just felt right compared to how I was gripping my clubs before.

I shot a 56 on that round of 9 but it wasn't because my drives were slicing. I had a nice little draw going for me instead of a slice. I'm only averaging 190-200 yards off the tee with my driver but I'll take it if my drives go straight.

Thanks for making a lefty version of the photos. It'll help show me what is right.

[Moppy]

I have been "hooding the club" because everything was going right. Straight, but right. I just realized that when I set it up hooded, and stop my swing at the bottom, it is then square and ball go straight. The club is slipping, rotating, in my hands. Is that what this means:

" the incorrect position would assist in early club head throw away on the downswing, "

[mvmac]

Mike, this is great stuff!

I'll be turning up to the first tee with a sharpie mark on the snuffbox and right index finger from now on..........

Many thanks, mvmac!

Mike, thanks so much for doing this!

Thanks for making a lefty version of the photos. It'll help show me what is right.

My pleasure, thanks for checking out the thread, glad it's helped.

I have been "hooding the club" because everything was going right. Straight, but right. I just realized that when I set it up hooded, and stop my swing at the bottom, it is then square and ball go straight. The club is slipping, rotating, in my hands. Is that what this means:

"the incorrect position would assist in early club head throw away on the downswing,"

No, club head throw away would be casting or flipping. If the club is slipping then the grip may be too palmy.

[Moppy]

My pleasure, thanks for checking out the thread, glad it's helped.

No, club head throw away would be casting or flipping. If the club is slipping then the grip may be too palmy.

Thank you. I adjusted my grip to be less "palmy" per your instructions above and made some practice swings in the back yard this morning, and I managed to maintain the clubface direction through the entire swing. I am headed to the range this evening, but I think you have made a serious improvement in my game.

Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I have a lesson tomorrow, and I am betting that we can work on something else besides my grip now, I booked the lesson because I couldn't hit it straight without "hooding" the club, as the pro called it.

[scorpion12]

@mvmac what would this grip be called? Interlocking, overlapping, or Vardon? Or some variation between?

[mvmac]

@mvmac what would this grip be called? Interlocking, overlapping, or Vardon? Or some variation between?

I use the Vardon style of overlapping the pinky but it's more of a preference than a commonality. As I said in the video you can do whatever you want in regards to interlocking/overlapping/baseball grip. The "imperatives" and what this thread is mostly focused on is where the grip lies in the hand. You see great players with slightly strong or weak grips, overlap or interlock but you rarely see a great player with a palmy grip, pad pressure point on top and the rear thumb running down the center of the grip.

[Deryck Griffith]

Very informative, thanks for sharing.

[Moppy]

That picture of the glove looks very familiar.  This thread in combination with a lesson has helped me hit it better than I ever had. Finally easily carrying the 200 yard marker at the range directly over the top of it. OK, sometimes, but that is a big improvement on "never."

[sharkhark]

Love this. I have always felt my grip was ok but not quite 100%. When taking lessons they always glossed over my request to ensure grip was perfect saying it looked fine. I'll try your suggestions tonight.

[IrishMaggie]

Excellent post.

[newtogolf]

Grip I was shown yesterday by our club pro is very close if not identical to what you posted.  It feels totally foreign to me to which he commented if the grip feels natural you're probably not gripping the club right.  Thanks for creating this thread as it will be a great reminder of how the grip should look.

[sharkhark]

i am not going to say i "found it" from trying this tonite. we all know if you think you got this game you are in for a rude awakening soon. then u wont be able to hit a single shot. plus it is often we get a band aid or just a feeling that works.

so all i will say is that i tried getting it out of my palm tonite. i didnt realize until i went to course and put down a club that i wasnt entirely in palm but i was not fully in the fingers of the left hand (im a righty) either.

so i did that...plus the long left thumb advice and holy bejesus.

i hit the ball straighter, lost my little hook thing that the ball does at the end. i could land as ball went higher and longer and with almost a slight fade (im a hooker).

im used to landing ball and then it goes sideways to the left either a little or allot. this allowed me to land softly.

my drives went straighter and longer. i had issues with aiming right and when no draw happened and iron and driver shots went powering straight...i turned my quick 9 after work into a practice because i had to adjust to aiming more at target...or gulp...left of target (us hookers will know how scary that is).

it is just 9 holes....who knows long term...but i dont think a better foundational grip than my old one can be bad. it can only be good.

i want to thank the op a ton. i will post in future after a few more rounds of 18 rather than this quick implementation.

i didnt have range time until after so i need practice. it felt weird at first...all good changes must feel this way...as anything feeling normal is just old habits...but op i thank you.

ps...i am a 9 handicap...good golfer...i did manage to par 6 out of the 9...holes...and only bogeyed the others due to hitting powerful straight shots...not my hooky ones...so that is pretty damn good.

will update in next week or so.

[mvmac]

Thanks guys, glad the thread has been able to help. Please share it with friends, on your Facebook page, Twitter, whatever, would be much appreciated.

[CarlSpackler]

Thanks guys, glad the thread has been able to help. Please share it with friends, on your Facebook page, Twitter, whatever, would be much appreciated.

I shared it on my Dayton Golf FB group.

Here is a pic of the callous on my right hand. It's just below where you painted the dot in a previous pic. I'm guessing this is good?