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

[1chaos52]

Got an email with a link to this thread yesterday, and I have to say the timing was perfect.

I have been swinging the club better than I ever have this year and had one of the best rounds of my life fairly recently. I played yesterday and had one of the worst rounds of my life. It was so bad that the guy I played with called me late last night to compliment me on my composure during the round as there was very little swearing and no club pounding or throwing, I just got to the point where I knew I would not be able to correct the problem on the course and just laughed at every shot.

Pretty much every full shot was a snap hook and I would look at the club after and see that it had turned in my hand.

I went to the range this morning after reading this last night and focused on keeping a correct grip. I hit the ball well again and most shots were straight or a slight draw. The feel of the club in my hand was so much better than yesterday and I can now tell that the issue was that the club was in my palm and not in my fingers. I have issues with arthritis and nerve problems in my hands so I sometimes tend to get lazy with my grip and think I had engrained that into my setup yesterday.

On a separate note, having those issues with my hands I played my first round yesterday with the Pure midsize wrap grips, and for the first time in many years my hands did not hurt when I was done with the round, and did not hurt after my range session today either.

Thank you very much for this reminder and very clear set of instructions on the proper grip. It has helped me a lot.

[fmlutz]

Great post on the grip. I too shot a great round a few days ago simply by focusing on a correct grip. I have a tendency to let the club rest too much in my left palm. I always thought that it felt stronger to me, but I never had much consistency with it. I would call my old grip a "fake strong grip". It looked fine on video and in pics, but it was way too much in my palm. Once I got the grip more in my fingers it felt horrible, but I stuck with it. Only a few bad shots, but most were more solid and I could control distance and trajectory better. The thing I really noticed was how much better I could release the club. I felt with my old grip I had to hold everything off because I would grip it closed. Thanks for the great tip!

[mvmac]

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?

Yep that's fine.

Thank you very much for this reminder and very clear set of instructions on the proper grip. It has helped me a lot.

Great post on the grip. I too shot a great round a few days ago simply by focusing on a correct grip. I have a tendency to let the club rest too much in my left palm. I always thought that it felt stronger to me, but I never had much consistency with it. I would call my old grip a "fake strong grip". It looked fine on video and in pics, but it was way too much in my palm. Once I got the grip more in my fingers it felt horrible, but I stuck with it. Only a few bad shots, but most were more solid and I could control distance and trajectory better. The thing I really noticed was how much better I could release the club. I felt with my old grip I had to hold everything off because I would grip it closed. Thanks for the great tip!

Thanks for taking the time to post guys, happy to help.

[jbishop15]

This post has been a game changer for me. Made the swing changes I'm going through much easier and was a huge factor in me shooting my best round ever yesterday. My only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. That sounded super infomercially, but the results are awesome.

[Grins]

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you Mike for this thread! I went through the setup slowly before my round this morning. Fortunately I was doing most of this very closely to what you recommended.

Three things stood out:

1) The "anatomical snuff box" as an alingment tool for my lead hand

2) The "long lead thumb": I was keeping the spaces between both thumbs & index fingers tight - I think from a Martin Hall lesson on TGC (I remember him putting a golf tee between the thumb & index finger of each hand & making them line up). The long left thumb felt better & definitely allowed me to hinge my wrists more naturally & freely.

3) The picture of the green dot drawn on your right index finger really caught my attention! I drew a dot on my finger too just before I left the house.

Prior to this, I had my hands in a "pretty close" position from a casual glance, but keeping that dot on the side of the grip & lining up the "snuff box" & left thumb just made my hands feel really strong with a very strong but natural hinge. The whole round, my shots went straighter and farther than I can ever remember. It just seemed like I was getting effortless power! I shot a personal best 93, and it should've been lower, but I was hitting everything much longer & missed 2 par threes long & ended up having to punch out from under pine trees.

I have to believe that most of this was due to tweaking my grip, since I didn't really change anything else. I just am having a hard time believing the huge effect a few tweaks made to my grip had on my swing accuracy & distance! I didn't really think about the grip once I set it up & made my practice swing, but it kinda felt like I was pointing that green dot at the target & hitting the ball with the dot (at least that was the image that ran across my mind at one point).

Again, a HUGE shout-out to TST and Mike for this great thread!

[RandallT]

I also agree with the supportive posts here- just a great thread. I'm still working on 4 or 5 basic things from Evolvr lessons, one of which was grip. This really nailed home for me what my instructor was telling me about having the wrist muscle rest on the top of the club. What do you all think of Adam Scott's method of holding the club to his side and getting his left hand right? I tried it today, and it seems to put my hand in the correct position that this thread advocates.

[mpb1472]

I also agree with the supportive posts here- just a great thread. I'm still working on 4 or 5 basic things from Evolvr lessons, one of which was grip. This really nailed home for me what my instructor was telling me about having the wrist muscle rest on the top of the club.

What do you all think of Adam Scott's method of holding the club to his side and getting his left hand right? I tried it today, and it seems to put my hand in the correct position that this thread advocates.

I see him do it and wonder why he does it that way. I think its getting the club under the heel pad and in a strong position. I've done it but not sure I do it just like he does or its effectiveness.

[Jakester23]

Mike Ive been working on this a lot at home. Am I right in feeling like I have the club in right spot (in my fingers not palms) if I could make a swing with my thumbs off the club?

[mvmac]

Mike Ive been working on this a lot at home. Am I right in feeling like I have the club in right spot (in my fingers not palms) if I could make a swing with my thumbs off the club?

With the right thumb off, sure absolutely.

[Jakester23]

With the right thumb off, sure absolutely.

Ok thanks. I don't want to be working on something wrong.  I definitely feel like its easier to hinge the club with the grip more in my fingers.

[saevel25]

@mvmac p?

[mvmac]

@mvmac How is this grip?

Looks pretty good. If I was being picky I would be sure that the bottom of the thumb isn't on top of the grip. Just the upper right tip of the thumb should be in contact with the grip.

[saevel25]

Looks pretty good. If I was being picky I would be sure that the bottom of the thumb isn't on top of the grip. Just the upper right tip of the thumb should be in contact with the grip.

Yea, that is much better than what I use to do. I use to be, thumb down the center of the shaft grip. I even catch myself while now when I am gripping the club during a round. it's just a strange sensation because I am use to feeling the pressure on that thumb. I will say this, when I switched away to that, I flip a lot less, and things just "naturally" happen with the hands through impact. Though I never been a fan of the term or use of "Release", so that's a plus.

[xilez]

On my trail hand, do my thumb and index finger come in contact with each other? I have been working on shifting my thumb away from the center of the grip, but I am not sure if the awkward feeling is due to being unfamiliar or whether or not my thumb and index finger touch.

[mvmac]

On my trail hand, do my thumb and index finger come in contact with each other? I have been working on shifting my thumb away from the center of the grip, but I am not sure if the awkward feeling is due to being unfamiliar or whether or not my thumb and index finger touch.

Mine don't touch. I don't think it's a big deal if they do come into contact with each other, you just don't want them "pinching" together.

Good view of Adam Scott

[meenman]

Thank you @mvmac !

My only swing thought of the day and only one thin and 2 fat shots - both after beer #7.

If i wasnt directionally challenged, it wouldve been my best round of the year.

[Rob Thompson]

@mvmac I watched this video earlier in the week and worked on it without swinging throughout the remainder of the week.

Today was the first day I got out to practice.  Man did this grip feel great.

I have to admit also that I am big fan of your swing.  I especially like the latest you posted to instagram.  I really like the tempo and transition in the swing.  I used both the grip and swing thought today and striped it great.  I had been using as swing thought "smooth", and with your swing video it really allowed me to visualize the tempo and transition I was looking for.  My only issue today was that the second I tried to record my swing the batteries died in the camera.

Thank you for the instruction on the grip and the inspiration on the swing.

[mvmac]

@mvmac I watched this video earlier in the week and worked on it without swinging throughout the remainder of the week.

Today was the first day I got out to practice.  Man did this grip feel great.

I have to admit also that I am big fan of your swing.  I especially like the latest you posted to instagram.  I really like the tempo and transition in the swing.  I used both the grip and swing thought today and striped it great.  I had been using as swing thought "smooth", and with your swing video it really allowed me to visualize the tempo and transition I was looking for.  My only issue today was that the second I tried to record my swing the batteries died in the camera.

Thank you for the instruction on the grip and the inspiration on the swing.

Thanks Rob, appreciate it, see you in a few weeks in Erie.