Site menu:

Improving Your Swing With the Right Grip

Are you surprised every time you take a golf swing? Knowing what to expect when you tee off will help you achieve the golf scores you want. But to achieve that kind of swing, it's essential that you make sure you master the fundamentals. One of the fundamentals of a reliable golf swing is your grip, or the way you hold the club. If you can't learn the proper grip, you had better practice yelling "Fore!"

How could the grip be so important? The golf grip is the connection between you and the golf club. Your grip is responsible for the angle and direction of the club face when it impacts with the golf ball. Golf swing power can also be traced back to the grip-better grip equals more power.

Three basic types of grips cover what most golfers are doing today: the overlapping grip, the interlocking grip and the two-handed or baseball grip.

You'll find most golfers using the overlapping grip. It's especially well-suited for golfers with larger hands. The overlapping grip is accomplished by placing the little finger of your trailing hand between the index and middle fingers of your leading hand (for right-handed golfers, your trailing hand will be your right hand). You should take care to make sure that the golf club is held more in your fingers than in the palm of your hands. This will help you get a better feel. It will also allow for more wrist action, which will ultimately increase the power of your swing. Holding the club too much in the palm of your leading hand could lead to a slice or lack of power in your swing.

The interlocking grip is also quite popular. It's widely used in the LPGA and is an excellent grip for golfers with medium-sized hands. However, if you think the interlocking grip is only for women, you'd be wrong. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are two golfing greats who have used this grip at some time. A big advantage to this grip is that it promotes the hands working together as a single unit. The interlocking grip is generally easy to understand and seems comfortable to most golfers.  But it's also easy for the golf club to move into your palms. A light grip pressure is the secret behind successfully using the interlocking grip. Gripping too tightly could lead to weak slices. Lighter grip pressure increases your chances of achieving the proper club rotation during your swing.

How do you know if you're gripping too tightly? Aching hands is a big tip-off, especially if they start to hurt before the end of the round.

If you have a problem with stiff joints, or if you have smaller hands, then you might want to consider the intertwined grip. It's also called the baseball grip or 10-finger grip. Not as many golfers use this grip, but there are some advantages. Key advantages include increased power and better golf swing support. The downside is that control of the club head is more difficult.

The best way to improve your grip is to spend time at the driving range. Regular, dedicated practice will help you become more comfortable with the feel of your grip and the way you swing. Inability to relax tends to make you squeeze harder, which will always have a negative impact on your golf swing. Although you may find actual play more fun than practice, the driving range is the best place to adjust and improve your grip.

Unlock your hidden potential and instantly unleash your own personal perfect golf swing, add 30 yards of accurate distance to your drives, and cut 7-10 strokes off your game.