When you're ready, bring the club back and above your head while rotating your torso so your weight shifts from your front foot to your back foot. Self-Evaluation. Rather than concerning yourself with how other players are holding onto the club, you will be better off finding your own way through experimentation. The amount that you choke down on the grip of the club is a matter of personal preference, but you will probably want to come down at least an inch or two from the top. How do you grip a golf club? That two-inch difference can mean big changes in both the distance of your shot and the trajectory that it takes. The player should hold the golf club only tight enough to sufficiently control its movement. However, you need to have a clear plan in place when you adjust your grip position so you can be sure to achieve the desired results. If you are willing to put in the work that is needed to create a nice grip, you should be rewarded with improved performance and a boost of confidence for your game as a whole. Not just if the golf club is too big or too small, ideally the clubs are custom fit to you. Golf Tip from Paige Spiranac: Adjusting Thumb Position on Your Grip. You don't need to concern yourself with things like distance and trajectory, as your sole focus is going to be on your ability to make clean contact and feel the shot. To re-grip golf clubs, start by cutting down the length of the old grip with a utility knife so you can peel it off. It’s been one of the greatest changes I’ve made with my clubs. In general, for a standard shot, players should be leaving about half an inch of the grip visible above the left hand. Grip the club with your left hand, placing the grip in your fingers. Hold club at a 45-degree angle to feel wrist hinging and proper grip pressure. The grip is the only connection point between the player and the golf club. (Please see How to Grip with Your Left Hand) The position of your left thumb can determine the clubface angle at the top of the golf swing. As you come down, your swing will get gradually slower and the shots will get gradually shorter and lower. The grip is an individual thing, and different positions will feel right for different players. If you happen to play left handed, please take a moment to reverse the directions as necessary. Although each player has their own unique way of holding a club, it is widely acknowledged a neutral grip is the one most likely to give the most success to golfers across the board. How Tightly Should I Grip The Golf Club Throughout The Swing? A good grip is the foundation for a good golf game. If you find that you frequently make poor contact with the ball when using the whole club, coming down an inch or two off the end of the grip might actually lead to improved performance overall. While this is the expected outcome, you need to be sure to watch the shots as they fly to determine if your own personal results are matching with what is expected. The idea here is to get your body into a comfortable position prior to starting the swing, and that is only going to happen when you stand at a distance that makes it easy to reach the ball. The best grip enables the golfer better position and control over the clubface. This is important because gripping off the end of the club can result in worn out gloves and sore palms. To work through the process of finding the right hand position, follow the simple steps below –. I have been to the range many times; reading your article here, I do realize that a proper grip could certainly improve my swing and increase my distance. It should be obvious from that previous paragraph that the location of your hands on the grip is a big deal. As you gain experience with moving your hands up and down the club, you will find that this is one of the most-powerful tools you have as a golfer for controlling your shots. How Tight To Grip A Golf Club, What Should I Focus On? Place the club face behind the ball, keeping it square to your intended target. Equipment Spotlight: Premium brand Thomas Golf - Custom golf clubs with Shot Accuracy Technology, Drivers | Woods | Hybrids | Irons + Wedges | Putters | Chippers | Accessories | Clearance, #1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,PW,GW,SW,LWRight Handed / Left Handed, Only $109 eachIncludes Free Pro-Fitting Service, My Account | Sitemap | Support This Site | Suggest A Tip, Golf Info Guide copyright 1998-2020, Privacy Policy, How Can I Ensure I Create Enough Shoulder Rotation In My Golf Back Swing Video - by Peter Finch, Consistent Golf Starts With Proper Alignment For Every Shot Video - by Pete Styles, Pitching Wedge A Handy Tool For Many Shots, Golf Video - by Pete Styles, How To Complete A Long And Slow Takeaway During The Golf Swing Video - by Peter Finch, Click Here for a Free Professional Fitting for Custom Clubs. So if I’m pitching or chipping the ball out there, less than a full swing, I would often encourage you to go down onto the grip. Hands, wrists, arms, and shoulders should all remain relaxed and fluid throughout the golf swing. If that’s the case, really, this bit of the golf club should get removed because you don’t need the extra length or the extra weight. Indeed, you can either position it so that it extends onto the grip or you can leave it somewhat recessed. This includes how far up or down the hands should be placed on the handle. You’ll grip a club anywhere between 70 and 100 times per round, and there’s no reason why you shouldn’t get it right every time. Apply ¾” grip tape in a spiral pattern from the top of the shaft to the point where the grip will end. It's a timeless fundamental to master. This is usually due to the improved contact that they make at the bottom of the swing. As you would probably guess, hitting the ball higher can be accomplished by moving the ball up closer to your left foot while keeping the rest of your swing the same. So you are not gripping down because the golf club is too big. Now that you have your standard grip position decided, the next step in the process is to get comfortable with the idea of changing your grip during a round in order to hit different types of shots. The positioning of your hands on the grip will say a lot about the kinds of shots you can hit, so this is certainly a point that is worth your time and attention. If you choke your hands down the grip of your putter, you are going to throw off the feel of the putter – and you will likely struggle with distance control as a result. If you want to hit the ball higher or lower than normal, that kind of change can usually be made by sliding your hands up or down the grip. Follow my six steps to create your own grip. Why? Beginner Golf Grip: How To Start Golf with the Correct Grip? In fact, you don't even have to choose just one hand position – you can customize your hand position for each shot based on what you are trying to do with the golf ball. Of course, if your standard grip has you already on the end of the club, you aren't going to have the option to go longer – you will only be able to adjust down as needed. What Sort Of Grip Pressure Should I Use To Hit The Golf Ball Further? Where Should I Place The Ball For Each Golf Club? Putters are carefully designed with proper weighting that is based on using the whole club. Work your way through the rest of the bucket using various grip positions until you are settled on one that you can use for the majority of your shots. How you actually position your left thumb (top hand) on the club will lead into another set of options for your golf grip. Curl your left pinkie, ring, and middle fingers around the grip. With the clubface square, place the club at an angle through the fingers, following the line of the dots pictured in the previous image. The V shape made by the thumb and index of the left hand should point towards the right shoulder. This point was made earlier, but it bears repeating here. Does it even matter how high or low your hands are on the grip? But actually, having that ability to move your hands up and down can be quite useful for particular shots. Your grip for these shots should be halfway between the top of the grip and the bottom, and you should again be hitting shots at the original target that you selected. Maintain light grip pressure. Take some time to learn how to produce a variety of shots through grip position adjustments and you will be a better player in the end. That piece of equipment is also a key component to hitting good shots, so make sure you don't overlook its condition or design. The right hand sits on the grip with the left thumb covered by the base of the right thumb. Where Should The Grip End Of The Golf Putter Point During My Followed Through, What Is The Pen Holder Golf Putting Grip And Should I Consider Using It, Strong Golf Grip, What Does A Strong Left Hand Grip Mean, How Firmly Should You Hold A Golf Club Golf Tip, Where And Why Should The Club Be Pointed At The Top Of The Golf Swing Golf Tip, Beginner Golf Tip - The Golf Grip On The Club. Then, once the old grip is off, remove any tape that's leftover on the shaft. The grip is one of the single most-important aspects of your golf technique. However, that isn't going to be true for every single golfer. • To get the distance of a 9-iron with the height of a 7, grip down on the handle of the 7 until your right index finger (for right-handers) touches the shaft itself and make your regular swing. Mostly because you want to make sure you are making clean contact, but also because you will be standing a little bit closer to the ball than you would while making a full swing. At this point, you should go ahead and attempt to dial in your hand position to a precise spot on the grip. The Shoulder Turn When Taking The Golf Club Back Far Enough, Check Points When Taking The Golf Club Back Far Enough, Ensure Width And Length When Taking The Golf Club Back Far Enough, Are You Taking The Golf Club Back Far Enough, How Far Should An Ideal Golf Backswing Be. Again, you should take careful not of the ball flights that result from these swings. You have reached the maximum number of submissions for today. Determining where you are going to place your hands on the grip at address is one of the key components to building a great overall grip. Then, hold your golf club with a relaxed grip and place the club face next to the ball. Every level of golfer can benefit from learning how to make these kinds of adjustments. For example when playing a low punch shot, as well as adapting their ball position, weight distribution and swing, many golfers grip the handle closer towards the shaft. However, it is best to have one hand position that is your 'go-to', and you can make adjustments off of that point as needed. The grip is deliberately longer than most people actually need it to be. Beginner Golf Tip: Which Club Should You Use to Chip? The only exception to this rule is some of the new counter-balanced putters which are designed intentionally to be used with a choked down grip. Gripping too far down can narrow your swing arc causing you to lose distance. When top professionals look to play different shots, how far they grip the club up the handle can often change. This should ensure the handle is held with the thick end of the grip (the butt) not interfering with the swing. 3 EASY STEPS : Gripping and holding your golf club! So, if you can hit a seven iron 150 yards normally, pick a target that is somewhere around 140-150 yards away. Of course, shorter and lower shots are not always a bad thing, as there is certainly a time and place on the course for using control to position your ball successfully. If I place my left hand half and ease down from the … But first, let me tell you why the golf grip … Even if you think you already have your hands in a comfortable position, it would still be worth your time to go through this exercise just to confirm. Golf Drill Tip: Irons flying too high - Hands too far back, Golf Drill Tip: Irons flying too low - Ball too far back, Golf Tip Drill: Irons flying too low - Hands too far forward, Golf Drill Tips: Irons flying too high - Ball too far forward, Golf Driving Distance, How Do The Pros Drive So Far, Myth Five You Have To Swing Soft To Hit The Golf Ball Far, What Are The Effects Of How Far You Stand From The Golf Ball, How To Get More Club Head Speed? If you are using a 45'' driver, and your hands are right down on the end of the grip, you will be using all 45'' of the club for that shot. Did your results match up with what you expected? Thin Golf Shot Drill 4: Club over shoulders handle and club face to ball, Golf Club Choice, Pick A Go To Club For Specialty Shots, Grounding The Club Or Hovering The Golf Club. Perfect Golf Grip, What Is The Best Grip For A Fairway Wood, Best Putting Grip, What Are The Key Features Of A Good Putting Grip, The Better Way To Grip Your Club + Improved Accuracy, Golf, Swing Golf Plane Drill 2 Grip halfway down shaft point butt of club at ball, Grip the Club - Lesson by PGA Pros Pete Styles & Matt Fryer. The first option – the long left thumb grip – sees the thumb extending far down the club’s grip. When looking down on the left hand, players should be able to see two and a half knuckles. The golf grip is the only physical connection between you and the golf club, so the grip can ultimately determine the outcome of your swing. In simplest terms, you should have your ‘lead’ hand on the top of the golf club and your trail hand just underneath it. I never really like to see the left hand falling off the back end of the club here, if that’s happening, you’ve got less control than you should have and all of the hands should be on all of the grip rarely with the white line at the end there completely unbroken. The hand you put higher on the golf club is called your "lead … American golfer Ben Hogan once said, "Good golf begins with a good grip," and yet the golf grip is one of the most important but overlooked fundamental parts of the golf swing. If you would really like to get to the bottom of this issue and determine exactly what hand position on the grip is going to work best for you, the best thing to do is set aside a range session for specifically this point. Roll your left pointer finger and thumb over … The target that you select should be within reasonable range for the seven iron, based on your usual distances. And so if your thumb is straight down, just move it off to the side and you should be good to go. Gripping a club down in this way increases the amount of control a player has over the shot but decreases the possible distance achievable. For as long as golf has been a sport, the grip has always been considered a fundamental of the swing. Grips are relatively inexpensive to replace, so consider putting a new set on after every season or two. On the other end of the scale, if a player really wished to hit the ball a long way with a driver, for example, they could hold the handle at the very end of the grip. It helps the golfer to hit the ball correctly and increase precision or maximize his/her distance on the game. Since the game began, golfers have discussed and debated how to properly grip a golf club. Why the Proper Golf Grip Doesn’t Exist. Someone more knowledgeable than me will have a more informed opinion. Whether it’s an instructional video on Youtube or an article written in a magazine on how to grip a golf club, instructors continue to talk about what they believe is the proper golf grip. You could place your hands all the way at the end of the grip, you could choke up close the steel (or graphite), or you could land somewhere in the middle. However, it is easy to change your grip position before the swing even starts, as you will have all the time you need to get set. Ball position matters as well. All of the instruction below is based on a right handed golfer. Before we start to discuss the placement of your hands on the grip, we should first talk a bit about why this is an important point. If I then place my right hand on, I’ve still got 2 inches spare at the bottom, and I’ve got relatively big hands. That would be a full shot grip. Whether you are experimenting with how far up you want to put your hands, or if you are trying stronger and weaker grips, the range is the perfect testing ground. To start, take the seven iron from your bag and pick out a target for your shots. Using the whole length of the club will lead to the maximum swing speed that you are capable of producing, and it should lead to the highest possible shot as well. Before we're going to dive in and talk about the technical aspect of your golf grip, let us start first by evaluating yourself. Simplify draws and fades. The grip is always going to be a matter of feel and personal preference, but the content above should have given you some help in determining exactly where to place your hands on the club. A shorter club is generally going to produce a shorter flying shot, as there will be less swing speed at the bottom to apply to the back of the ball. You don't want to have to strain or swing extra hard to reach your target, so make sure it is on the short side of your range. For a consistent game, making sure you have the correct hold on the club is essential. After just 15 shots, you probably have a fair number of practice balls remaining to finish out the bucket. So we generally find if we are hitting long shots, full shots, tee shots and the like, we hold at the top; half an inch down with the back of the left hand, right hand on the space there, leaving a bit of space at the bottom. To adjust for the significantly shorter club that you are now swing, it will be necessary to stand closer to the ball. The Trailing Hand (Lower Hand) Grip. To complete this portion of the practice session, place your hands right in the middle of the grip and hit five more shots. I have just started playing golf, and looking back at the last time I played 18 holes I’m pretty sure that I did not grip the golf club properly. Think about the shots that you just hit and the results that you achieved. Golf Drill, Ball Above Feet Compensations Tip Video - by Pete Styles, Golf Chipping Strategies Video - by Pete Styles, Senior Golfer 15 - Learn to live with your distances, Golf Video - by Pete Styles, Evaluating Your Golf Divots Video - by Pete Styles, Click Here for a Free Professional Fitting for Custom Clubs. When you need to hit a low shot – for instance, when you are playing into the wind – it is helpful to both move your hands down the club and move the ball back in your stance. Now we know the grip in the golf club is important but one area we often overlook is well, whereabouts on the grip should we grip. The clubface angle at the top where the club shaft is parallel to the ground affects the ball flight, so lots of pros check their clubface angle … For most players, the ball is going to carry a shorter distance as the hands move down closer to the club head. By dedicating a bucket of balls or two just to figuring out your hand position, you should be able to settle on the right spot for your swing pretty quick. If you need to take a few yards off the typical distance that you would get from a given club, you can choke down. As any avid golfer knows, the golf grip is key to keeping the club properly positioned in your hands. So if you got smaller hands and you are gripping at the top, you probably feel there could be up to a third or even a half of the grip that hasn’t been used. You have reached the maximum number of submissions for today. Feeling the weight of the club head is important during your chipping motion, so it would not be recommended to move more than halfway down the grip (unless dealing with a severe lie that requires that kind of adjustment). Remember above that the 1/2” of club length will not exactly the same as the 1/2" in the vertical direction (0.5" x sin 61° = 0.44"). (We respect privacy and keep all emails confidential). Photo by Kelly Lamanna Hold the club about three feet in the air, in front of your body. How to Properly Grip a Golf Club for Control and Distance. Grip The Club Lightly - Golf Tip, How To Self Correct Golf Divots Pointing Too Far Left, Signs Of Trouble When Not Hitting The Golf Ball Far, Longer Swing Golf Drills - How To Understand You've Gone Too Far, Option When to Far to Chip or Putt by Tom Stickney, Should You Consider A Strong Grip To Square Your Golf Club Face, Why Grip The Club Lighter For Golf Club Head Speed. When you grip the golf club correctly, you set yourself up to execute and get everything else right. Essentially, the position of your hands on the club is going to determine the length of the club that you are using for the shot. Backswing In Golf, Am I Taking The Club Back Far Enough? (We respect privacy and keep all emails confidential). Even moving down the grip by just an inch or two can go a long way toward improving your accuracy. Also, choking down on the grip of your driver is going to usually lead to a lower ball flight, as the club shaft will play stiffer when you don't use its full length. However, be careful not to come down too far as the club will start to feel lighter as you keep moving down the grip. That would give you a bit more control; higher up the grip gives you a bit more power. It is important to understand right from the start that there is no 'correct' position for your hands on the grip of the club. The grip should run down your fingers and palm in your … Golf instructor Jim Flick recommends choking up on the club about an inch in those windy conditions so you can take a lighter grip, making it easier for your arms and wrists to … Golf Podcast 355: Putting Tips for Lightning Fast Greens ... You may not hit your driver quite as far when it is teed lower, but the accuracy you gain will be more than worth it. It will only cost you around 20-30 minutes and a bucket of balls, which is a fair trade in exchange for an improved golf game. The grip should begin at the joint of the little finger and run through the hand until it goes through the middle of the index finger. Whether you are a high handicapper or a player who regularly shoots in the 70's, the goal is always the same – to learn more shots that you can use to get your ball around the course safely. All of the content above has focused on the full swing, but you are going to need to know how to position your hands for your short game shots as well. Grips are easy to replace. Good golf begins with a good grip. For your chip shots, you will want to come down on the club at least a little bit. Some players, for instance, will find they hit the ball a little farther by coming down an inch or so off of the end of the grip. 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