Knowing how to grip a golf club is the most essential factor of the golf swing. So many problem spots and defects can be traced back to the way you hold the club. Is it too hard? Maybe it’s the contrary. So, what is a suitable way to grip the golf club?
For example, players with a firm grip, which tends to inspire a hooky flight, often end up making improvements elsewhere in the swing than means they hit the ball exact – in which case Davies wouldn’t suggest making any tweaks.
Despite this, it sometimes assists to go back to basics – something even the pros will do from time to time to assure bad habits aren’t creeping in.
Here, Paul Woodhouse and Peter Smith show how to grip a golf club in 5 easy steps-
1. Cradle Your Fingers To Avoid A ‘Palmy Grip’
Let’s begin with the position of the club in your leading hand. Where the golf grip remains right in the middle of the hand, it’s recognised as a ‘palmy grip’ – and, according to Davies, it’s one of the biggest mistakes he observers amongst learners.
“A palmy grip can make issues squaring up the clubface because it makes it more difficult for your wrists to act,” he explains. “It can also cause the backswing to have a collapsed lead arm and a limp wrist position.”.”
As a consequence, you’re going to try to hit the ball consistently out of the middle, plus you’re likely to lose a lot of energy. “Look to join the grip much more in the fingers, so within the middle joint of the pointer finger to the bottom joint of the little finger. Attempt cradling your fingers and let the club lie in the cradle (pictured). Eventually, you want the thumb to be lying ever so lightly to the trace side of the grip.
2. Check the ‘V’
If you’re speaking about a certain golf grip – neutral one, as exposed to hard or weak – the ‘V’ formed by the thumb and finger on your trail hand should point somewhere amidst your chin and top shoulder.
This is where you learn a lot about how many knuckles you should recognise, but it’s not an accurate art, as Davies explains. “The ideal number of knuckles you should see on the lead hand is two to three, but it depends on the size of your hands. That’s why it’s more important to see where that ‘V’ is pointing.”
If you have a tight grip, the ‘V’ will point more towards your trail shoulder and you’ll notice more knuckles on your leading hand. Golfers with this grip will usually hook the ball. With a soft grip, the ‘V’ points towards the lead side of the body and you’ll notice fewer knuckles on your leading hand. Such a grip will inspire more of a slice.
3. Check The Placement Of The Trail Hand
Many people get the middle of gravity in the trail hand too high, which means it doesn’t adjust with the shaft. When you try and give pressure above the shaft, you’re not getting any energy, plus you lose control and durability of the club head through impact.
4. Mind The Gaps
Despite whether you’re utilising an interlocking, overlapping or baseball grip, you don’t desire gaps appearing between the little finger on your trail hand and your front finger on your leading hand.
“Pockets of holes create a movement of the club, mostly between transition and impact,” says Davies. “It makes the clubhead twist a bit and gives you a lack of control of the clubhead through the ball.”
5. Apply The Right Pressure
If you’re speaking about a measure where ten is very tight, Davies suggests gripping the club at a five or six. “It’s like holding a child’s hand when you cross the road,” he explains. “You don’t want them to slip out of your hand, but you don’t want to hurt them.”
Davies says to remember, ‘firm hands, loose wrists’. “Your hands are gripping the club and you’re swinging between 70 and 90mph. You don’t desire the club to be moving around. At the same time, you don’t want undesired tension that goes into your arms and stops your arms moving correctly.”
It’s also necessary to keep the pressure compatible. “If you swing the golf club thinking five or six, you’re not looking for it to increase or decrease. A decrease is just as bad as increasing.”
At FGX, we have a skilled team that produces innovative Golf products from the feeling and experience of PGA Professional coach Paul Woodhouse and solo figure golfer and businessman Peter Smith.
Don’t delay to reach out to us, if you want any assistance.
