We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Anyone had significant success strengthening your grip?

Ive always had a weak grip and been a flipper from OTT move. Weak fades are my story. I had a lesson this year that was gifted to me. You could say that it was my first real lesson. He watched me hit 6 irons on his setup and filmed etc. after about 10 balls he showed me the video from both face on and down the line and asked me what I saw. When I described the flaws he said that I was exactly right and asked me what I needed him for lol. I politely explained that I didn’t know how the hell to fix it. We both laughed and he said I’d like to see you strengthen your grip.

Being the golf geek that I am I explained that I had tried that many times over the years and that it never worked for me. He said it would this time. In fairness the end result was one other change in addition to the grip but it mainly centered around grip being much stronger than I had ever tried.

totally changed both ball flight and distance on the next 10 or 20 balls. We then went out to the back of the range and he had me hit some 7 irons. The first one I almost hooked into the parking lot. He said awesome and we would take the right side of the course out of play.

long story short over the next couple of months I lost quite a few shots to the left and quite a few balls but as I continue to play this change my distance is a club longer with my irons and shape has changed to more of a straight shot with theoccasional prettiest draw I have ever seen. I still hit some weak fades to be sure but when I do it’s usually a combination of reverting back to my old grip unconsciously and an OTT path. If I focus on my grip from the beginning of my pre shot then good things usually happen. Results make me want to practice too. Totally sold on strengthening the grip or more likely just not having such a weak a$$ grip. Has really helped me and I am looking forward to a full season of incorporating this change and getting better with it.
 
Johnny mojo said:
Ive always had a weak grip and been a flipper from OTT move. Weak fades are my story. I had a lesson this year that was gifted to me. You could say that it was my first real lesson. He watched me hit 6 irons on his setup and filmed etc. after about 10 balls he showed me the video from both face on and down the line and asked me what I saw. When I described the flaws he said that I was exactly right and asked me what I needed him for lol. I politely explained that I didn’t know how the hell to fix it. We both laughed and he said I’d like to see you strengthen your grip.

Being the golf geek that I am I explained that I had tried that many times over the years and that it never worked for me. He said it would this time. In fairness the end result was one other change in addition to the grip but it mainly centered around grip being much stronger than I had ever tried.

totally changed both ball flight and distance on the next 10 or 20 balls. We then went out to the back of the range and he had me hit some 7 irons. The first one I almost hooked into the parking lot. He said awesome and we would take the right side of the course out of play.

long story short over the next couple of months I lost quite a few shots to the left and quite a few balls but as I continue to play this change my distance is a club longer with my irons and shape has changed to more of a straight shot with theoccasional prettiest draw I have ever seen. I still hit some weak fades to be sure but when I do it’s usually a combination of reverting back to my old grip unconsciously and an OTT path. If I focus on my grip from the beginning of my pre shot then good things usually happen. Results make me want to practice too. Totally sold on strengthening the grip or more likely just not having such a weak a$$ grip. Has really helped me and I am looking forward to a full season of incorporating this change and getting better with it.
Click to expand...
Loved reading this post. Thanks for taking the time to share that. I hope good things continue to happen with your game.
 
Whilst watching a Shawn Clement video, his daughter was hitting as he was trying to get her to 280 or some such number with her driver. I know she pounds her irons, and one thing that was astounding to me was how strong of a grip she uses. Looks almost as if she has her whole lead hand on top of the club. One day, while crapping my way around a course, I got really pissed off at my own inability, so I decided to give this a whirl. I can say, for one hole, that I absolutely crushed my drive, and second shot (hybrid). We won't speak about the rest of the round.

My goal this year is to gain yards, and I'm going with a stronger grip to help with that. I putzed about with it before, in varying degrees, and with varying results, but this season it's going to be one of my 2 focus points for my swing. (Combining it with a shaft in line with my lead arm at set up.)
 
Hamfist said:
Whilst watching a Shawn Clement video, his daughter was hitting as he was trying to get her to 280 or some such number with her driver. I know she pounds her irons, and one thing that was astounding to me was how strong of a grip she uses. Looks almost as if she has her whole lead hand on top of the club. One day, while crapping my way around a course, I got really pissed off at my own inability, so I decided to give this a whirl. I can say, for one hole, that I absolutely crushed my drive, and second shot (hybrid). We won't speak about the rest of the round.

My goal this year is to gain yards, and I'm going with a stronger grip to help with that. I putzed about with it before, in varying degrees, and with varying results, but this season it's going to be one of my 2 focus points for my swing. (Combining it with a shaft in line with my lead arm at set up.)
Click to expand...
If you take the Clement deep dive make sure to pay attention to the rest of his set up and how he explains his delivery. That super strong grip without the rest of the set up and delivery is a hook monster.
 
I have used Hogan's grip from his five lessons for years, as well as most of the swing. A couple of years ago, I tried to "modernize" my swing to add distance. Unmitigated disaster!!! Duck hooks and pain in new places were the only results. Back to Ben for good.
 
I used to play with a very weak grip and could get by because my club head was still closed ... but once it became way open, i was hitting weak fades and slices. I had to strengthen it. And it fixed my slices and helped my hit more draws. If that club head is more open at impact (weaker grip), I tend to hit fades
 
I weakened my grip recently because my misses were some occasional killer hooks, but it changed my whole swing path and was having a hard time getting the trail elbow back to the body -- maybe because I only weakened the lower hand? I'm not sure.

Went back to a slightly-stronger-than-neutral grip and found my swing again. I just have to be conscious of being more vertical with the backswing to avoid that hook.

Not sure if you have any premium free views on Golf Digest left, but found this article pretty interesting.
 
wazzubrew said:
I weakened my grip recently because my misses were some occasional killer hooks, but it changed my whole swing path and was having a hard time getting the trail elbow back to the body -- maybe because I only weakened the lower hand? I'm not sure.

Went back to a slightly-stronger-than-neutral grip and found my swing again. I just have to be conscious of being more vertical with the backswing to avoid that hook.

Not sure if you have any premium free views on Golf Digest left, but found this article pretty interesting.
Click to expand...
Great article. Thanks for that
 
robrandalgz said:
If you take the Clement deep dive make sure to pay attention to the rest of his set up and how he explains his delivery. That super strong grip without the rest of the set up and delivery is a hook monster.
Click to expand...
I'm probably not going to go too deep into Clement's Wisdom. I like his stuff, but I think I'm going to stick with Danny Maude's channel. He explains things in ways I can understand. SC's daughter seems to have a more traditional style of swing than he does, to my eye.
 
I've always had a strong grip. It's the only way that's comfortable to me. I used to always hit draws fairly easily when I was younger. But old age & countless injuries have creeped into my golf game, so now I can only hit straight or fades. :rolleyes:
 
Hamfist said:
I'm probably not going to go too deep into Clement's Wisdom. I like his stuff, but I think I'm going to stick with Danny Maude's channel. He explains things in ways I can understand. SC's daughter seems to have a more traditional style of swing than he does, to my eye.
Click to expand...
Sav and Mu both have more of a traditional swing than Shawn. Mu can freaking pound the ball. That dude was hitting 200 yard 9i on one of the latest videos. I used to watch a TON of Shawn's stuff but, like you, I've been leaning more towards Maude's stuff. I've tried to work Malaska's stuff up but I just can't seem to make what he's explaining work for me. It sucks because he seems to make the most sense, to me.
 
robrandalgz said:
Sav and Mu both have more of a traditional swing than Shawn. Mu can freaking pound the ball. That dude was hitting 200 yard 9i on one of the latest videos. I used to watch a TON of Shawn's stuff but, like you, I've been leaning more towards Maude's stuff. I've tried to work Malaska's stuff up but I just can't seem to make what he's explaining work for me. It sucks because he seems to make the most sense, to me.
Click to expand...
Well, Mu is, to be honest, a yoked beast of a guy. I've watched Malaska as well and really like his approach. the toughest thing is to, as someone mentioned in another post, picking one YT instructor and sticking with them, ignoring all else.
 
It's my observation that a LOT of high-cap amateurs have an open club face (due to swing flaws) and don't realize it. Therefore it makes sense a stronger grip would improve ball flight.
 
Hamfist said:
Well, Mu is, to be honest, a yoked beast of a guy. I've watched Malaska as well and really like his approach. the toughest thing is to, as someone mentioned in another post, picking one YT instructor and sticking with them, ignoring all else.
Click to expand...

I've found that nothing 90% of popular YouTube instructors (Clement, Malaska, Danny Maude, Chris Ryan, etc) say is wrong. They all say the same thing in different ways. But with one instructor, he might be saying it but you still may not hear it because he just doesn't resonate with you. The other key is knowing the order of fixes. You can watch all the videos you want on fixing a chicken wing, but a chicken wing can't be fixed without addressing the flaws in the takeaway and backswing that are causing it. A chicken wing is what's saving your swing and allowing you to make contact with the ball.

I definitely agree - find the guy that resonates with you and stick with his stuff.
 
Hawk said:
I’ve moved significantly weaker to a neutral grip. I was really strong, but it’s a bad matchup for what I’m trying to do with my swing. Everyone is different.
Click to expand...
Hey Hawk! I know you've been around again but I always forget to say something! (Hawk was in my group in the very first THP outing/get-together, along with ADWillingham and SeeMoreGuy (Keith))

I've gone to a much stronger grip and can actually put a draw on a golf ball now! It's pretty awesome.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top