How Strong Is Your Grip?

 
I have a lot of body rotation in my swing and ton of flexibility which may be unusual for someone my age.
I find it helps to hold the club tightly to hit the ball straight down middle of the fairway with excellent distance. At least it feels that way.
A much looser grip works for a fade or draw.

Hitting the ball straight has tightened up the lateral dispersion.
Better to miss a little off to either side than to get the more typical dispersion pattern that looks like a ladies bra.
The Pelz book talks about dispersion patterns.

As a stroke survivor I have fewer ingrained automatic motions than most.
I've had to learn everything again so everything is on the table!
 
I use a palm grip with a reverse overlap I think they call it. Looking down,\ all I really see is the base of my left thumb. I'm looking at it now.

As for the strength of my grip, the only comparison I .can use, is that after several, tens of thousands of swings, I have no calluses.
 
Using this for reference, I’m strong left, weak right with the crease of my right palm on top of my left thumb. Very firm together, but not quite strangling the club. I side more with Padraig than Snead…the whole holding a baby bird thing is nonsense.
 
Fairly neutral.
 
About one knuckle. But hardly can see it. I already draw the ball as is so don’t want a very strong grip.
 
Pretty good. I’ve never had a club fly out of my hands with my vicious 85 mph driver seing speed speed.
 
2 part answer. I have a strong grip but not extreme. I want a grip that lets my left arm naturally lead and my right (trail) arm to fold naturally. I want my left arm to feel like it is coming down the banaster on a set of stairs as the left arm leads the club into the ball. The right hand gets pulled into the shot. Max speed feels like it is after impact. if I state I've got an x, y, or z grip and these things are not happening, then I'm unlikely to swing well. On hooks, I can create a hook with a neutral grip by taking a club too far inside so I don't equate a hook or slice with grip alone.

Part 2- Most guys I play with who can't break 85 struggle with the grip coming apart at the top of the swing (the right hand is no longer pressing the left thumb). This can effectively give the club to the trail hand and most often does imo. Feather pressure grips tend to make my trail hand want to take over more. I try (repeat try) to keep a very firm grip with left hand and right hand just firm enough that my grip does not come apart. I don't want to flip the face at impact;; I want a firm stable face at impact.
 
Somewhere between neutral and strong. It’s amazing how a slightly strong/weak grip can influence the face. If I go weak and can make a high cut pretty easily. If I go super strong I can make it draw hard or even hook. I try to keep my swing the same and let my grip adjustment influence the face. Not saying that is the right way to do it but it is def one way to do it. Can also be a recipe for inconsistency. Grip is hugely important in my opinion.
 
Logo up and here my checkpoint.
trim.35D579C1-4FFC-4F3F-B4FD-47D88F820E15.gif
 
Using the image I use a neutral grip. Using what I’ve been told by instructors I have a slightly strong grip on my stock shots. V’s to my right cheek/ear area. But I also use a weaker grip when trying to hit a fade. V’s to my left eye. I try to keep everything else in my swing the same and let the grip alter the impact. Feel vs. real but it works well enough and doesn’t change my stock grip.
 
Pretty weak... the Vs on my hands point towards my right eye. My miss on everything is a block right, but strengthening my grip leads to a steady stream of snap-lefts.
 
Last edited:
I’m between neutral and weak. I used to be pretty strong to reduce a slice until I went all the way over to a snap hook.
 
Weak for me
 
Just got back from instructor. He repositioned my lead arm hand to slightly strong. See almost two knuckles. This was just one of a couple of things that led to a serious lesson.
 
Neutral.
 
I started out neutral but usually after a few weeks of playing lots and practicing my grip tends get stronger and hooks develop. Im
Going to keep the strong grip and just change the shape of my swing to more down and out That will neutralize hook and produce more of a draw
 
Back
Top