The strong and weak golf grip are equally good. However, a strong golf grip is better for a player who slices the ball, and a weak golf grip is better for a player who hooks the ball. Tailoring your grip selection to the type of ball flight you typically experience is the smartest way to choose your grip.
What happens if your golf grip is too strong?
- Shortening the lead-arm radius (a.k.a. the chicken wing)
- Raising the swing center (a.k.a. bailing out)
- Reversing their weight shift (a.k.a. backing up)
What does a weak golf grip mean?
To ensure you have a solid, neutral grip follow these simple steps:
- Hold the club by the shaft out in front of the body with the right hand (for right handed golfers). ...
- Place the grip in the left hand so it runs from the base of the little finger up through the middle of the index finger.
- From this point, wrap the left hand over the grip. ...
Should senior golfers use a strong grip?
- Feels more natural when setting up and taking the club back.
- Promotes a fluid, powerful release through the ball.
- Allows you to hit right-to-left shots (draws)
What exercises improve grip strength?
- Using a box, grip the pull-up bar with both hands, palms facing forward.
- Get into a hollow body position by drawing your shoulders back and down, bracing your core and squeezing your glutes. ...
- Aim to hold for 30 seconds and repeat for 3 to 5 sets.
Should I use a weak or strong golf grip?
Too strong isn't good either, but for most of you, a stronger grip is better than a weaker grip. There are a lot of good things that can happen with a strong grip. Practicing with a strong grip helps to train you not to flip the club at the ball.
Should I use a strong or neutral grip?
Using a strong grip reduces the tendency to push or slice the ball. The club face will close with a strong grip and allows for a natural draw. A neutral grip is generally used by players who have all aspects of their swing in order.
What pros use weak grip?
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What happens if golf grip is too weak?
A weak grip tends to make the face over rotate and open up the club. This open club face causes a shot to the right of the target. The open club face also adds extra loft creating unwanted height on shots. These two things can join together to cause a dramatic high, right and short shot putting the golfer in trouble.
Does Tiger Woods use a strong grip?
Like with his idol Jack Nicklaus, Woods employs an interlocking grip rather than the Vardon or overlapping style most tour pros use. Woods has actually altered his grip position slightly over the years, ranging from neutral to mildly strong. Most recently (summer 2014), he's moved toward the strong side.
Do pros use a strong grip?
Yes. Many pros use a strong grip on the PGA Tour. Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, and Bubba Watson are all known to use a strong grip. Compare this to the time of Jack Nicklaus when a more neutral grip was the predominant grip style on tour.
Do you lose distance with a weak grip?
This makes the ball bend toward the golfer in the air. A stronger grip can help battle a tendency for a ball to cut away in the air, and add distance to a shot. A weak grip sees the bottom hand turned slightly back, and causes the ball to bend away from the player as it flies.
Does Rory McIlroy have a weak grip?
Rory McIlroy Rowles: Rory's grip is so interesting because of the combination of strong-weak. It's as if he's twisting his hands toward each other. That makes his lead hand strong and his trail hand weak. His strong left hand matches up to his really fast hips.
Does a strong grip cause a slice?
The ball will always leave the clubface, at a right angle to the clubface, regardless of the path the club is swung on unless there is enough time and force to alter what's known as the Venturi Effect. 2. A strong grip eliminates a slice.
Who should use a strong golf grip?
If you are a serial slicer of the golf ball, then a stronger grip will help. It is much harder to take the club back on the outside with this grip, which is one of the fundamental reasons for slicing a golf shot.
Does a weak grip cause a slice?
You might have a so-called "weak grip," which means your thumbs are more at the top of the club. When you swing with this type of grip, your hands resist their natural tendency to return the clubface square at impact, and instead, they leave the clubface open which causes a slice.
Who uses a strong grip on Tour?
If you look to the players on the PGA Tour, you can see that there are a variety of grip styles represented. One great example of using an ultra-strong grip to great success is the career of Paul Azinger. Azinger used a very strong left hand grip in his game, and it worked to great effect.
What grip do most pro golfers use?
Golf pros use the overlap grip most commonly. The overlap grip helps golfers who have larger hands, and it helps to eliminate some grip pressure as well. If you are a player who struggles to get the grip pressure down, the overlap grip could be a good choice for you.
Does a strong grip cause a slice?
The ball will always leave the clubface, at a right angle to the clubface, regardless of the path the club is swung on unless there is enough time and force to alter what's known as the Venturi Effect. 2. A strong grip eliminates a slice.
Does a strong grip cause a hook?
If a player's grip is too strong, meaning their bottom hand is rotated too far underneath the club, they will likely flip or turn the clubface shut at impact. This closes the clubface too quickly or easily and results in a hook.
What is the best putting grip?
1. Conventional, 48 players (68.5 percent) The most common grip on tour is the conventional, reverse overlap golf grip. It's a slight variation of the same grip you use for your full swing, and helps the hands work together with less wrist hinge.
Strong, Weak and Neutral Grip: What You Need To Know
Grip talk can get a bit overwhelming and confusing. We will do our best to help you understand the golf grip as simply as possible. This will help you can make real changes in your game. Throughout this guide, we will explain the grip from the perspective of a right-handed golfer. Left-handed players simply need to reverse everything we say.
Should I play with a weak, neutral or strong grip?
So many golfers keep circling back to whether or not a weak, neutral or strong grip is the best overall choice. Generally speaking, most golfers should strive for a neutral grip. With a neutral positioning of the hands, players have the highest chance of hitting consistent golf shots. However, there are times that a strong or weak grip makes sense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the grip and how it will impact your golf game. Remember that without the proper grip on the club, you may as well leave the club where it is and not even swing it back. The grip is our only connection, and it makes a tremendous difference in performance.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now feel more confident about your ability to choose a golf grip for your game. The strong, weak, and neutral grip can all be a good fit for your game; the key is to find the one that most closely matches your needs as a player and allows for the best overall consistency in performance.
Why is grip important in golf?
A strong grip can cure someone who swings over the top and/or struggles with slicing the ball. This particular grip promotes a more in-to-out swing as well as a club face that closes more through impact. This grip makes hitting shots that spin right to left much easier.
What does neutral grip mean?
A neutral grip means that those ‘V’ shapes are pointed up toward your nose. As the name states, this grip would be ideal for someone who hits the ball fairly straight or even likes to play both shot shapes on the course. This grip is ideal for the player who has sound swing mechanics and does not struggle with losing shots dramatically in one ...
What is a strong grip?
What is a ‘strong’ grip? A strong grip means that the ‘V’ shapes made with your thumbs and your hands are pointing somewhere to the right side of your head. This is generally how I direct my students to grip the club. A strong grip can cure someone who swings over the top and/or struggles with slicing the ball.
What is the direction of your hands on a golf club?
This can have an immediate effect on the direction of your shots, the height of your shots, and plenty more. There are three kinds of grips: strong, neutral and weak.
Is it normal for a person to get too far in one direction?
It is very normal for someone’s grip to get too far in one direction or the other and cause erratic shots. The grip is the first place I look when I teach, so consider this quick fix for yourself if you are currently struggling with shots that are uncontrollable.
Pros And Cons Of A Strong Golf Grip – Who Should Use It
There are three types of grip setups commonly employed by professional and amateur golfers. Strong, neutral, and weak.
My Experience With Golf Grip Strength
In my 27 years of playing golf, I have used a neutral grip for all but three months.
How Important Is The Strength Of Your Golf Grip?
While a strong grip is likely to deliver more power at impact and more distance, it may be uncomfortable for some players to apply. Ultimately, if you are not comfortable with a grip don’t use it.
What Is A Strong Golf Grip?
Tom Watson says that a strong grip will reveal too many knuckles at setup and causes your clubface to close at impact.
Pros Of A Strong Golf Grip
As mentioned earlier, a stronger grip promotes an in-to-out swing which leads to your clubface closing at impact.
Disadvantages Of A Strong Grip
The challenge that arises from a closed clubface at impact is clubface rotation.
Who Should Use A Strong Grip?
Golfweek’s Mike Southern explains that Harvey Penick suggested that all average golfers should use a strong grip.
What is a strong grip in golf?
First, let’s make sure we are on common ground. A strong grip, for a right golfer, is when the hands are rotated more towards your right shoulder. The golfer will be able to see 3 or more knuckles on the left hand as the left hand sits more on top or the club, while the right hand is more under the club. For a weak grip, the hands sit turned more ...
What are the pros and cons of a weak grip?
The weak grip has benefits as well. These include: Ben Hogan’s favorite benefit to the weak grip is that is can help eliminate the hook shot. Allows for a feeling of being able to really rotate the hands through the ball. Can help eliminate the left side of the course.
How many knuckles does a golf grip have?
A more neutral golf grip has about 2 to 2.5 knuckles showing on the left hand. Another way to think of a strong grip vs a weak grip is where the “V’s” in the grip point to. In a strong grip the V’s will point towards the right shoulder and in a weak grip the V’s will point more towards the left shoulder. Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in ...
What is Mike Malaska's grip?
He promotes a strong grip and an underhand tossing type of motion with the right hand. Mike Malaska promotes a strong grip as it felt most natural to him as a young golfer until he was pushed out of this grip. His main point is to find the grip that feels best and what works best to square up the face of the club.
Why is a strong grip important?
These include: A sense of power in the hands as the hands can make the club rotate more through contact. Easier to hit a draw shot with a strong grip. Can help reduce the need for club head rotation though the shot. Can also help reduce the slice.
What is the bottom line of a golf shot?
Bottom line is that the golfer has to have the right matchups with the path and the club face. The start line and the curve of the ball is the ultimate read on what you did with the club face and the club path. Learning to read these shot patterns will help you improve and find the right grip for you.
What is the best grip for golf?
Golf Grip – Strong, Weak or Neutral. The golf grip is the singularly most important choice any amateur golfer makes. The slightest change to the position of the hands has a tremendous impact on whether the ball finishes in the woods or in the middle of the fairway.
What does slow hips do to a golf club?
Slow hips force the club head in front of your body on contact and by using a weak grip, it reduces the tendency to pull or hook the ball.
How to tell if you hold a golf club in a strong or weak way?
Determining if you naturally hold the club in a strong or weak way is determined by the thumb and index finger of each hand (Vs). A strong grip, the Vs are right of the centre of the shaft. As a visual cue, you can see the knuckles of your left hand. A neutral grip, the Vs are down the center line of the shaft and you can see three knuckles on each ...
What is a weak grip?
A weak grip, the Vs are left of center and you can see the knuckles of your right had. (The above description is for a right-handed player; the opposite is true for a left-handed player) Strong, Neutral or Weak grip.
What is the best driving instruction book?
Golf Magazine’s “ The Best Driving Instruction Book Ever ” recommends the strong grip for amateurs with fast hips. Fast hips force the club head to lag behind on contact resulting in an open face. Using a strong grip reduces the tendency to push or slice the ball.
What is a Weak Golf Grip?
A golfer has a weak golf grip if he or she can only see one knuckle on their left hand while addressing the golf ball. When a right-handed golfer uses a weak golf grip, both the left thumb and right thumb will be pointed toward the left shoulder.
Is a Weak Grip Good in Golf?
No golf grip is inherently good or bad. The key is finding a grip that you are comfortable with and one that will enable you to shoot your lowest possible score. There are lots of successful golfers on the PGA Tour with a weak grip.
Who This Grip is Best For
The weak grip is not for everyone, but there are a few folks who will benefit from trying it out. Here is a brief list.
The Other Types of Golf Grips
If you’ve tried the weak grip in the past and don’t feel comfortable with it, give either the strong grip or the neutral grip a shot. Here’s a brief explanation of each below.
What is a good grip in golf?
What Is a Strong Grip in Golf? In a strong golf grip, the right thumb is pointed slightly right-of-center. While many players are familiar with different ways to grip a golf club, such as the overlap (or Vardon) grip, the interlock grip or the 10-finger (or baseball) grip, they often ignore the often debated subject of grip strength.
What is the definition of a weak grip?
In a weak grip, the hand is rotated so that the thumb is turned toward the target.
How does a strong grip affect your swing?
How a Strong Grip Affects Your Swing. The players who have been most successful using very strong grips have generally had very flat swing planes and used a lot of rotary motion. Instructor Denis Pugh recommends a strong grip for players who use a lot of body motion in their swings and a more neutral grip for those who use their arms ...
Why is a strong grip important?
A strong grip makes the club feel lighter and easier to handle on the backswing, while also making it easier to square the club face at impact. In fact, famous golf instructor Peter Kostis makes his determination of how strong a player’s grip should be based on the position of the club face at the top of the backswing.
What is the V in golf?
Different teachers recommend different degrees of strength in a grip, often using the V as a reference. For a right-handed player, typical recommendations have the golfer position the V so that it points toward the right ear or right shoulder.
Does a strong grip eliminate slice?
According to golf teacher Chuck Evans, the belief that a strong grip will eliminate a slice is just a myth; no matter what grip you use, you must learn to control the club face to do that.
Who is Mike Southern?
He is the author of the instructional golf book "Ruthless Putting" and edited a collection of swashbuckling novels. Southern was trained in electronics at Forsyth Technical Community College and is also an occasional woodworker.
