How to Grip a Golf Club: Complete Guide for Beginners

Written By: colton draper

How to Grip a Golf Club: A Complete Guide for Beginners

If you ever want to be a good golfer or even a passable one, you need to begin at the beginning with a good grip. Your hands are the only physical connection you have between your body and the club. A good grip means that you are giving yourself the best chance to hit the ball the way you want, no matter the quality of the club you are holding in your hand. If you have a faulty grip, the best, most expensive clubs won’t save you. Given this important fact, it is crucial that you take the time to learn the most basic of golf fundamentals: how to grip a club. After reading this you will have a good idea of why your grip matters, the three main types of golf grips, common golf grip mistakes (and how you can fix them), and some practice drills to help you develop a grip that you will be able to rely on time and time again.

Why Your Golf Grip Matters

As mentioned before, the grip is the only contact your body has with the golf club. It also determines how your body sets up and moves throughout the swing. There are many other key benefits that come with having a correct grip.

A good grip helps you better control the flight of the ball. Think of your grip as acting as a ‘steering wheel” for your club face. If your grip is off even a little, it can have a disastrous effect on your swing and could lead to a slice or a hook.

A routine grip can have a major effect on how far you can hit the ball. A proper grip is one that is in the fingers rather than the palm. Clubs that are gripped in the fingers allow you to get the wrist hinge you need to generate the club head speed essential to getting the maximum distance out of each swing of the club. Ultimately a golf swing is transferring energy from your body through the club to the ball and a good grip is crucial to making sure you can do that as efficiently as possible.

Properly gripping the club allows you to achieve the consistency that all good golfers have. The dream of every golfer is to have a repeatable swing that they can rely on whenever they step on to the course. The game is hard enough and it becomes much harder if you don’t have the consistent starting point that a good grip gives you.

Another overlooked benefit of a good grip is that it can prevent injuries. A good grip is often compared to holding a small bird or a tube of toothpaste. A faulty grip can lead to excessive tension in the hands, wrists, and forearms. A good, tension-free grip can go a long way towards preventing long-term strain or injury.

The Three Main Golf Grip Types

There are 3 main types of golf grips: the overlap grip, the interlock grip, and the baseball or ten-finger grip. Each grip has pros and cons and an ideal type of golfer who should use each one.

The overlap grip is also called the Vardon grip. If you are a right-handed golfer, you begin by placing the left hand on the club first. The club should fit into the fingers, not the palm of your left hand and then your hand should fold over so your left thumb rests on the shaft of the club or just off to the right in a way that the “V” formed by your left thumb and index finger points towards your right shoulder. You then place your right hand below your left hand and place the trail-hand pinky (your right pinky if you are right-handed) in the groove between the left hand index and middle fingers. The palm of your right hand should close over the thumb of your left hand and fit into the crease in the center of the palm of your right hand. It is estimated that 40 % of pro golfers, including Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau, use the overlap grip. The benefits of the overlap grip is that it decreases grip pressure. It also allows for a more natural rotation of hands and forearms without getting your wrists involved as much as they would in other grips. The freedom it provides in the hands makes it appealing to pro golfers. The downside of the overlap grip is that, especially in beginners, it often can make the club feel less secure or disconnected than other grips. This lack of connection can lead to a slower golf swing with less power. A club that feels weak or disconnected can lead to a loss of club control and an inconsistent clubface can make it hard for beginning golfers to build and maintain consistency. The overlap grip is good for golfers with larger hands, longer fingers, or golfers who are looking for more controlled wrist action and less tension. It is also good for more experienced players and those with finger pain.

The interlock grip, if you are a right-handed golfer,is formed by placing the left hand on the club first. The club should fit into the fingers, not the palm of your left hand and then your hand should fold over so your left thumb rests on the shaft of the club or just off to the right in a way that the “V” formed by your left thumb and index finger points towards your right shoulder. You then place your right hand so that the pinky finger of your right hand locks between the index finger and middle finger of your left hand. The palm of your right hand should close over the thumb of your left hand and fit into the crease in the center of the palm of your right hand. It is estimated that 50% of pro golfers, including Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy, and Tiger Woods, use the interlock grip. There are some benefits to the overlap grip. It can help to increase swing speed, it gives you plenty of control over the club head, and it is easier, especially for beginners, to feel a connected unit between their hands and the club. The downside of the interlock grip includes it can cause the golfer to swing the clubhead too hard. It can also produce a swing that gets the wrists involved too much. The interlock grip is good for golfers who have small hands and feel like they need more control of the club. It is also good for golfers who slice that ball. It is a good grip for golfers who are working on getting more clubhead speed and power and is a good grip to use if you are struggling with distance and accuracy off the tee box. Finally, the interlock grip is good for beginning golfers and junior players.

The baseball or ten-finger grip is formed by placing the club in the fingers of your left hand. The pinky, ring, and middle fingers should be able to hold the club securely. You should then place your right hand directly below your left hand and ensure that the little finger of your right hand fits snugly against the index finger of your left hand (there should be no gap between the two hands). The left thumb should be wrapped around the shaft of the club and covered by the palm on the right hand. The baseball grip is not very common among pros as they are often taught at a young age to use the overlap or interlock grip, A couple notable exceptions are Moe Norman, a Canadian golfer who was renowned for his accuracy and Michael Thorbjornsen, who recently led the PGA Tour in both total driving and greens in regulation. The baseball grip does have some benefits. It is an easy grip for beginners. It is a neutral, natural grip that gives a beginning golfer one less thing to worry about as they begin to learn the game. It can also lead to greater impact power. With all 10 fingers holding the club it means all ten fingers can transfer power from the club at the point of impact. This combined with the increased wrist flexibility that this grip provides creates the potential for some long drives. The grip does have some drawbacks. Because it is a neutral grip, your hands are not really connected and that means they can move independently of each other. It takes a lot of strength to keep your hands working together in this swing. It also allows for a lot of freedom in the wrists. Wrist freedom can lead to a lot more clubhead speed, but can also lead to a loss of control. Relying on your wrists too much can lead to bad habits. It might be a good swing for a beginning or casual golfer, but a more serious golfer might want to switch to the overlap or interlock grips mentioned earlier.

Common Golf Grip Mistakes (and How to Fix Them)

A grip is a basic fundamental that can go wrong. Four common grip mistakes

Are: gripping the club too tight, a strong or weak grip position, misaligned hands, and re-gripping mid-swing. Let’s look at what these mistakes are and how they can be fixed.

The first common golf grip mistake is gripping the club too tightly aka “the death grip” When a golfer holds the club too tightly it creates tension. This makes it hard or impossible to have the smooth, fast swing and it also restricts proper wrist hinge. One common way to avoid the “death grip” is to use “small bird” pressure. This means that you want to grip the club firmly enough to maintain control but lightly enough that you would not hurt a small bird. Another way to think of this is to grip the club like you would a toothpaste tube but not so hard that you would squeeze the toothpaste out.

Another common grip position is having a too strong grip position or a too weak grip position. For a right-handed golfer, a too weak position means that your left hand is positioned too far to the left which often results in slices and a loss of power. If you are slicing the ball, look down at your left hand. Can you see your knuckles? If you can only see one knuckle or can’t see any, your left hand grip is too weak. You need to be able to see two or three knuckles when you are addressing the ball. The Vs between your thumb and forefingers on both hands should point towards your right shoulder. If they point at your chin or left shoulder, you are probably going to slice the ball.

Your grip can also be too strong. A grip that is too strong means you have too many knuckles visible and your hands are turned too far to the right. This too strong grip causes the clubface to close too much and leads to low shots, pulls, or hooks to the left. If you are hitting a lot of these shots and want to fix it, you should rotate both hands towards a neutral position to ensure that you only see two knuckles on your lead hand at address, rather than 3 or 4 knuckles. The V shape on both hands should point between your chin and right shoulder.

A misaligned grip means that your hands are not working together. A misaligned grip will often result in inconsistent shots and poor clubface control because your right hand may be too far on top, which causes hooks, or the weak hand may show too few knuckles, which can cause a slice. Misaligned hands can be fixed by adopting a neutral grip at address. This means that your left hand should show 2 or three knuckles when you are addressing the ball and that the V shapes formed by the thumbs and forefingers of both hands are pointing towards your right shoulder. You should also make sure that the club rests in the fingers rather than the palms and that your right hand pad is covering your left thumb.

A final problem that is made during your grip is regripping or adjusting your grip pressure or position mid-swing. This can cause many problems such as massive hooks, closed clubfaces, or a swing with a hitch (think the old Charles Barkley swing). The problem usually comes from starting with a grip that is too loose or too weak and compensating by re-gripping during the backswing or at the top of the swing. One fix that may work is to grip the club at about 50-60% at address and then go to full grip pressure at the start of your swing.

How to Check if Your Grip is Correct

A good check list to see if your grip is correct is to make sure you see 2 to three knuckles on your left hand (for right handed golfers). The V-shape created by your thumb and index fingers on both hands should be pointing between your chin and right shoulder. Another check is finger placement. The club should be in the fingers of your right hand, not your palm. This will ensure you have maximum control and mobility. You also need to make sure you are not gripping the club too tightly. Remember what we said earlier, imagine grabbing a toothpaste tube without squeezing the toothpaste out.

When to Re-Grip Your Golf Clubs

How do you know when to re-grip your golf clubs? It is recommended that your clubs should be re-gripped every 12-18 months or every 40 rounds, whichever comes first. Avid golfers who play weekly should get grips replaced once a year.

If you don’t play that much or have no idea how many rounds you have played with the grips you have, there are other ways to check. One way to check is to look at the grips. If you see cracks, splits, or shiny patches, the grips are probably too worn and need to be changed. Another way to check to see if your grips need replacing is if they feel too slick. If your hands slides a little at the top or on impact you may overcompensate by gripping the club a little tighter. That can lead to all the problems that were mentioned earlier. To avoid that, you should get your clubs regripped. Some golfers do it themselves, but if you don’t want to do that you can get them regripped at a pro shop or golf retailer for about $8-$15 per club.

Practice Drills to Improve Your Grip

Fundamentals must be practiced in order to stick and be repeatable under pressure. Here are some drills you can use to practice the important fundamentals of having a good golf grip.

A golf alignment stick is a long, thin, portable rod usually made of fiberglass that golfers use as a training aid to help with aiming their golf shots, positioning their bodies correctly, and checking their swing path. To use one to improve your grip attach it to your club shaft, letting it extend 10-12 inches past the butt end of the club. If you are a right-handed golfer, ensure the stick rests against your left side at address and maintain this position through the swing to prevent “flipping” or “scooping” and to encourage quiet, hand action.

One way to improve your “feel” and awareness is to hit the ball with your eyes closed. It can also help improve your swing path. To practice this drill, begin by swinging without a ball. This will make you aware of your rhythm and balance. Then progress to half swings or putting to build your confidence. You can follow this method to drill hitting the ball with your eyes closed. Set up the ball normally with your eyes open. Once you have settled in, close your eyes before you start your back swing. Focus on how your feet, legs, and hands feel. If this is too difficult, you can close your left eye to help maintain a stable head position. You could also alternate hitting shots, one with your eyes closed to capture how the swing and grip should “feel” and then one with your eyes open.

A third way to improve your grip is by hitting balls with one hand. This is a good way to improve grip strength, increase your club head control, and develop more consistent ball striking. It can promote better wrist hinge, encourage a stronger grip with your left hand, and it can stop you from over relying on hand manipulation to hit a shot and instead build the habit of letting the club head do the work. For your left hand (if you are a right-handed golfer) grip the club with the left hand, take a ¾ backswing, and focus on allowing the shoulder to turn while keeping the arm straight. For the right hand, take the same ¾ swing , focusing on controlling the swing with the arm and turning the body through the shot. These one-handed drills work best if you start small by using wedges or 8-iron and hit small, 30-yard shots before you increase your speed. Hit about 10-15 balls with each hand before taking a full two-handed swing. Focus on clean, consistent contact rather than distance.

Conclusion

There are a lot of moving parts to a golf swing but remember, it all begins with a good grip. Focusing on something as basic as the grip isn’t exciting or sexy, but a good, reliable grip will pay dividends every time you swing a club.