What Is a Strong Golf Grip?
Whether you’re a seasoned professional or just starting out with your golf dreams, one thing is for sure: you need a good grip on the club. Without this, any attempt at that coveted hole-in-one will unlikely come to fruition.
Don’t worry, though, because learning how to grip the golf club correctly and to your advantage is absolutely something you can learn. We’ve outlined everything you need to know about different types of golf grips, as well as the benefits, so you can start to see real results straight away!
Don’t let a bad grip or form hold you back from playing your best game!
Other Types of Golf Grips
Weak Golf Grip
Contrary to what you might expect, having a weak golf grip is not always detrimental. In fact, it has its uses on the green. One of the best things to learn from the get-go when starting golf is that each grip and each swing has its own benefits. Think of them as tools in your box to use when needed - not correct or incorrect.
A weak golf grip is when the ‘V’ your hand makes is pointed to the left of your head. This kind of grip is great if you're struggling with hooked shots, as it promotes a club face that closes far less quickly during impact.
Neutral Golf Grip
Alternatively, the neutral grip is when your hand's ‘V’ shape is pointed towards your nose. If you like hitting the ball straight, this is the grip for you, as it promotes precisely that. In fact, even if you like to hit both types of shot shapes, you might feel most comfortable with the neutral option.
If your swing mechanics are reasonable, you'll find happiness here - especially if you're a consistent swinger like professional golfer Inbee Park, who is a perfect example of precisely that.
Benefits of a Strong Grip in Golf
Greater Club Stability Through Impact
So, if there are benefits for all types of grip strength, what makes a strong grip so sought after? That would be because it has outstanding results. Of course, trends change over time, but certainly, right now, we're seeing a lot more professionals and instructors opting for this choice.
One benefit is greater club stability through the impact it achieves. Having this advantage means you are no longer heavily relying on timing, instead depending on your own control - which, as we're sure most golfers will attest to - is far preferred.
Furthermore, you will find you have much more power and speed, which will also give you a headstart over your competitors. Ultimately, you'll feel far more confident with a strong grip, and your swing will improve thanks to it.
Less Rotation To Hit a Draw
If you're a beginner or an amateur, this is where it will make the most significant difference for you. You might be struggling with slices at this stage of your golfing life - that's normal - but this is how you can work towards an alternative. A strong grip will allow you to hit a draw with far more ease than before - no doubt a big dream if you're stuck with those slices!
When you have a strong grip, you don't need as much effort to hit a draw, making it look (and feel) much more straightforward. Enjoy the draws with a strong grip, and work on the slices in the meantime.
Provides More Power
This one should be relatively self-explanatory: the stronger you hold the club, the more power you will exert over it. It's just science. And while it's not always about the power and speed of your swing, they certainly can help!
It doesn't mean that it's not possible to hit powerful shots with a weak or neutral grip, but you will have a noticeably higher chance of doing so with a stronger grip.
Pro tip: turn your left hand to a more clockwise position and feel the power balance transform. If you can master the control aspects, such as the stability mentioned earlier, you will be unstoppable in your swings, and you won’t look like a brand-new golfer!
Potential Increased Distance Off the Tee
If we're talking about advantages in golf, we can't leave out distance. After all, how will you get that hole-in-one without the required distance? As it happens, using a strong grip on your club will give you the potential to hit those shots much farther than you have been.
The further the distance, the higher your chance of getting those precious low scores. That's partly because a stronger grip on the club will make you, as the golfer, feel lighter. It will allow you to be more at one with the club, and when you swing and drive the club into the ball, you will find higher accuracy than you've been experiencing.
Promotes an In-and-Out Swing Path
As mentioned earlier, it's not uncommon for beginners and amateurs to struggle with slice shots. Having a strong grip can help in a number of ways to get there, and one of those ways is that holding the club in this way actively promotes an in-and-out swing path. This achieves a two-in-one advantage where you'll find that both slices and draws become far easier to achieve.
If you can move your grip to be even just a little stronger than before, you'll find that your game will improve further than what you thought was possible without it.
Which Type of Golf Grip Should You Choose?
When choosing your grip, the best place to start is to understand your swing style and your areas of improvement. As you can see, a strong golf grip can be hugely advantageous in hitting certain shots that may have evaded you up until this point. But that doesn't mean it's always the right choice.
As a rule, if you're an amateur and have what is known as ‘fast hips,’ a strong grip is an excellent choice. Alternatively, if you're a swing master, you might benefit more from a more neutral grip. Finally, we would highly recommend a weak grip for golfers with ‘slow hips.’
Tips To Achieve a Stronger Golf Grip
- Grip It In The Fingers
This might come as a surprise, but you should not be holding the club’s total weight in your palm! In fact, you should be using your fingers. That's because you are far more likely to have more flexibility in your wrists this way.
You'll find your power and control will improve significantly when you start gripping with your fingers instead of your palms. Give it a try and see for yourself!
- Knuckle Visibility
A quick and easy way of knowing whether you are gripping with your palm or your fingers is to check out your knuckles. Pay close attention to those on your lead hand - the one closest to the target. Two is too few, and four means you're gripping it too tightly, but three is the perfect amount to aim for.
Play around with your grip. If you're unsure where your grip is on the scale, use your knuckles as an indicator. After a while, you'll be able to feel it and won't need to check anymore.
- Parallel Lines
Want another trick on how to improve your grip? You'll need to look down at your hands again for this one. This time it's to look at the lines your hands make between your thumb and forefinger. For an ideal strong grip, you'll want to aim for these lines to be parallel.
If you can get your hands in this position, they will automatically work together far easier, and your whole swing will flow more than before. You'll also want the lines to aim toward your dominant shoulder.
Frequently Asked Questions
What Is the Difference Between a Strong and Weak Golf Grip?
The main difference is in the swing you produce. A strong grip will have a controlled and powerful swing, whereas a weak grip will help if you're struggling with hooked shots and let you align your swing. Don't think of any grip type as bad, but different methods of getting the swing you need!
Do Most Pro Golfers Use a Strong Grip?
A professional golfer will use a variety of grips throughout their game, depending on what they need at the time. That said, we're seeing far stronger grips making a show than we used to. It seems instructors and professionals are favoring the strong grip at this time.
Does a Strong Golf Grip Promote a Draw?
Absolutely, it does! If you're not quite getting those slices under control and you're aiming for draws, a strong grip is definitely the place to start. The control and power you will get from a more substantial grip will mean you are far more likely to hit that shot.
Final Thoughts
Getting a good grasp of all the different grip types will surely put you at an advantage for your next game. That said, try your hand at the strong grip next time you play. You'll discover far more power and speed than you have been previously playing with. However, strong isn’t necessarily better, depending on your golf goals, so be patient with the process!
For advice, attire, and all things golf, check out Stitch Golf. We dedicate ourselves to helping you improve your performance (and helping you to look good doing it) with tips and tricks along the way!
