Golf Grip Tips

A good grip is the beginning of a good golf swing. Without a grip that you're comfortable and confident with, you're bound to have trouble with the rest of your swing. There are several types of reliable golf grips; choosing among them is a matter of personal preference. But across all the types there are certain basics every golfer should heed.

Grip With Fingers

Many beginning golfers make the mistake of gripping with their palms instead of their fingers. When you take your grip, lay the club in your left hand, bracing primarily with your fingers. The shaft should run from the base of your fourth finger to the second knuckle of your index finger.

Grip Lightly

Hold the club gently. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being your tightest grip, your hold should be 5 to 7. Hold your arms straight in front of you with the club up at a 45-degree angle. The tension you feel in this position should be about the same as at address. If you grip too tightly, it tightens your arms and shoulders, and decreases your flexibility.

Left First

When you take your grip, hold the club with your left hand first, then clasp your right hand over it. The primacy of the left hand should be maintained throughout the swing. More than half of the gripping power should come from the left hand. The right hand is just along for the ride. Too much pressure applied with the right hand leads to pulls and hooks.

Ten-Finger Grip

Also called the baseball grip, the 10-finger grip is used by children and beginners. The left and right are aligned, with left hand high and right hand low (for a right-handed golfer), and both thumbs pointing down the shaft.

Overlapping Grip

Also called the Vardon grip, the overlapping grip is the grip preferred by most professionals. In the overlapping grip, the fourth finger of the right hand piggy-backs on top of the index finger of the left hand. It helps maintain the left as the dominant grip hand throughout the swing.

Interlocking Grip

The interlocking grip interlaces the left index finger and the fourth finger of the right hand. It is used by many amateurs and a smaller number of professionals, although it certainly has one high-profile practitioner in Tiger Woods.

References

• Grip Tips With Photos
• Step-by-Step With Photos
• Grip Type Comparison