The golf grip is one of the most fundamental choices any golf player must make. Even slightly changing the position of their hands can dramatically impact where the ball will land. Deciding on a golf grip is also the first step toward establishing a great golf swing. Golfers can choose from three basic golf grips: strong, weak, and neutral.
A strong grip, also called an interlocking grip, is when the V-letters, formed between the player’s index fingers and thumbs, are pointing right of the center of the club’s shaft. Golfers who use an interlocking grip will typically use their dominant hand to hold the club from underneath, with the fist facing directly to the ground. Their little finger fits between the index and middle fingers of the other hand.
A strong grip facilitates more consistent right-to-left shots, securing the club during backswings and follow-throughs and enabling golfers to achieve optimal clubhead speed for longer distances. In addition, an interlocking grip can aid players with an inside-out swing or those who tend to push or slice the ball.
On the downside, this type of grip is not suitable for golfers with slower hip rotation because it can make them pull the ball. A pull shot lacks a lateral spin and goes straight to the left of the target. Also, by prompting golfers to swing inside-outside, the strong grip increases their risk of hitting hooking shots. A hook shot is when a ball’s trajectory starts on one side of the player, and during the flight, it curves around to the opposite side.
Also known as an overlapping or Vardon grip, a weak grip has the V-letters pointing left of the shaft’s center, and the knuckles of the player’s dominant hand are visible. Their little finger wraps over the bottom of their other hand’s index finger.
The Vardon grip is the most widespread grip used by amateur and professional golfers. With the two hands locked together, the overlapping grip facilitates swing uniformity. It also helps golfers reduce hook shots. This type of grip creates a natural fade and can benefit players with an outside-inside swing plane. In addition, it is also suitable for players with slower hips who can use it for centering the clubface when closed on impact or the moment during a golf swing between the downswing and the follow-through.
However, the Vardon grip has the least surface area of contact between the fingers and the club, which results in a weaker grip. If the player fails to square their clubhead at impact, a weak grip can cause them to slice the ball. It also results in a shorter distance compared to the other two grips.
Finally, with the neutral grip, the V-letters are pointing down the centerline of the golf’s shaft, and three of the knuckles on each hand are visible. Other names for this grip include the ten-finger grip because the golfer holds the club with all ten fingers and the baseball grip because of the resemblance with how baseball players grip their bats.
Due to its easy setup, the neutral grip is suitable for beginners, children, and players who have slower clubhead speeds. Having all ten fingers touch the club simultaneously allows golfers to maximize the power transferred from the clubhead to the ball at impact. In addition, this type of grip facilitates greater wrist rotation, which optimizes clubhead speed on downswings for a longer carry and total distance. The main disadvantage of the neutral grip is the disconnection between the two hands, which may result in an imbalanced swing and the consequent pushed and pulled shots.
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