All things being equal, the proper way to hold a golf club is with a neutral grip.
Here are the keys to a proper golf grip for a right hander…
1. Your left hand should be placed on the club so that the left thumb points down the club shaft at about 1 o’clock. If your thumb is straight down the shaft, it is too weak.
2. The V formed by your thumb and forefinger should be pointed between your right cheek and right shoulder. Then, if I am standing in front of you, I should only see two knuckles on the back of your left hand. If I see more than 2, your hand is turned too far to the right (too strong). If I see only 1, it is turned too far to the left (too weak).
3. Your right hand should be placed in such a way that the pad of the right thumb covers the left thumb. You then wrap your fingers around the club from there.
4. Your right thumb should be pointed at 11 o’clock down the club shaft.
5. The V formed by your thumb and forefinger should be pointed between your right cheek and right shoulder…parallel to the V formed by your left hand.
6. You should form a trigger with your right forefinger, and that trigger should be directly beside the right thumb, not underneath the club, and not on top of the grip. When you place your hands on the club in this manner, the palms should be facing each other.
Here is the proper grip, without photos, for left handers…
1. Your right hand should be placed on the club so that the right thumb points down the club shaft at 11 o’clock.
2. The V formed by your thumb and forefinger should point between your left cheek and shoulder.
3. Your left hand should be place so that the pad of the left thumb covers your right thumb. Wrap your fingers around the club from there.
4. Your left thumb should be pointed at 1 o’clock down the club shaft.
5. The V formed by your thumb and forefinger should point between your left cheek and shoulder, parallel to the V formed by your right hand.
6. Form a trigger with your left forefinger, and that trigger should be directly beside the thumb, not underneath the club and not on top of the grip.
Whether you work with an overlap grip, interlock grip or a 10 finger grip is up to you. I personally recommend not using the 10 finger grip as that results in the hands working more independently than we like. We want the hands to work as one unit throughout the swing.
This photo demonstrates a strong grip. Both hands for the right hander are rotated too far to the right. The strong grip will have a tendency to result in a closed clubface at impact.
This photo demonstrates a weak grip for the right hander. Both hands are rotated too far to the left.
Notice how the V of the bottom hand would be pointing at the LEFT shoulder, and how you can barely see the second knuckle of the top hand. The weak grip will tend to leave the clubface open at impact.
In the video below, I discuss how to hold a golf club with a bit more detail. When you are finished, head on over to the Free Training page for more lessons.
