It’s About the Grip

Golf instructors are obsessed with the grip. And with good reason. The grip is a basic building block to a golf swing, and much like when you are building a house, the foundation needs to be correct and strong, or whatever you put on top of it will ultimately crumble.

The most common challenge golfers face with the grip Is a desire to put their hands (and more importantly their wrists) at different angles. While that may feel comfortable in the address position, in the middle of the swing, when your wrists begin to hinge, they will hinge in two different directions simultaneously. You can imagine how the shaft of the club and clubface will react! Yikes – there’s almost no chance of getting the face back to impact square with any consistency.

To grip the club correctly, start with the idea that you put your hands on the club from above the club. As a right-handed player, focus on putting your left hand on the club first. You should almost have the sensation that your left palm is facing your feet when you grip the club. Before you even think about putting the right hand on, make sure you can see the second (middle) knuckle of your left hand as you are looking down from the address position. Once this is confirmed, add the right hand – again, from above the shaft. Too often, I see students come at the shaft from underneath, then try to twist their hands into place, with very little emphasis on keeping the clubface square.

Ultimately, your hands should act as a unit – two hands with one brain!