The great thing about golf is that its technique is relative and extremely versatile. Grip, stance, equipment choice–nearly everything that defines your approach to the game can be tailored to your liking and used to your success.
Turn on the golf channel. Whether it’s the Masters, the Tour, or a collegiate tournament, odds are you’ll notice that no one golfer is the same. If they were, golf would become stale and boring to watch! Today, we’ll give you a run down on the strong golf grip, why some pros use it, how it differs from other grips, and give you some tips on how to perform it.
What is a Strong Grip in Golf?
By definition, playing with a strong grip means you should see 3 or more knuckles in the lead hand. In other words, the right hand sits under the club more heavily.
What Are the Advantages of the Strong Grip?
- Increased Swing Stability
The extra grip under the club helps add an increased level of stability to your shot. Coaches frequently instruct junior and less experienced golfers to shoot with a strong grip. That’s because novices have a tendency to hit on top of the ball, or slice. The strong grip works to counteract these tendencies by closing the club face, and encouraging a more consistent swing path that promotes powerful contact with the ball.
- It Can Eliminate a Bad Slice
We mentioned it before, but we will again. Strong grips can work WONDERS if you have slicing tendencies. If you’re an ex-baseball player, or notice that your club face is frequently more open than it should be(more than 1 to 2 degrees right of the target line), go for a strong grip. Less rotation and a closed clubface can turn a nasty slice into a reliable draw.
- Power
While the strong grip can help eliminate slice provoking rotation, it delivers extraordinary power. Strong grip golfers will notice that the clockwise attack angle delivers greater ease of contact, better speed, and better feel for the hands throughout the shot.
Disadvantages of a Strong Golf Grip
- Forces Shots Low and Left
While the Strong Grip is remarkable at fixing slices, it can create unwanted effects. A closed clubface delofts the club at impact, pushing your shot low and left. This might prove problematic on courses where significant lift is needed to bypass obstacles.
- Discourages Rotation
The strong grip can help you learn to shoot a draw, but since the grip doesn’t actively encourage rotation as much as other grip styles, you need to be careful to learn to rotate properly. If your strong grip sends your ball to the trees, you have a problem.
Strong Golf Grip vs Weak Golf Grip vs Neutral Golf Grip?
You’ll see a combination of the strong, weak, and neutral grips all over the Tour and elsewhere. Below we’ve listed how they’re different, and some relative strengths of each.
Benefits of a Strong Golf Grip
Your thumbs point to the right side of your head. The strong grip promotes an in to out like swing shape, and a more closed clubface at impact. Great for shooting shots that spin right to left!
Benefits of a Weak Golf Grip
Your thumbs point to the right side of your head. This grip promotes an open clubface and an out to in swing shape. The weak grip is great for golfers who struggle with a hook shot, or commonly swing too far from the inside.
How to Use a Strong Golf Grip
- Keep the Grip in Your Fingers
If you closely watch NBA point guards and MLB pitchers, although their sports are dramatically different, they have one thing in common: they utilize the dexterity of their fingers. Stephen Curry dribbles quickly and athletically from the fingertips. Trevor Bauer throws the ball from his fingertips to maximize rotation and speed. The same principle applies to swinging the golf club. The strong grip can maximize speed and power but only if you swing with your fingers.
- Rotate
80% of your power comes from your hips and rotation. The strong grip is awesome for hitting a draw, but only if you really rotate through the ball. The goal is to use your rotation to create a consistent stock shot that you can rely on at least 70% of the time. Invest a Saturday at the driving range to try out some drills and new techniques to improve your body rotation. You won’t regret it!
- Speed Training
Spend some time at the driving range focusing on accuracy but also pushing for greater speed. Gradually work up your clubhead speed while maintaining a relaxed body position and grip. Look around! There are a handful of awesome drills that you can try while you’re at it.
- Weight Centered
A strong grip encourages a closed clubface, and with that many amateurs feel the need to lean forward with their hips. This might feel natural, but can actually introduce a bad habit of a hook shot into your golf game.
Make sure you’re centered over the club. Leaning too far forward can cause a hook shot while living in the backseat can bring on a slice.
- Whip Shot
Recent years of golf instruction have emphasized the importance of speed and power in the swing. One way to do that is by creating a sort of ‘whip shot.’
Follow the steps below to try it:
- Swing as you normally would, rotating through the ball.
- At the top of your backswing, let your hands lag behind for just a second.
- Your hips will pull your hands through the ball with increased force creating a booming shot with plenty of lift.
- Repeat as needed.
Film Yourself
The tips above are a great start, but if you really want to see how the strong grip can take your golf game to the next level, you need to visually break down all of the components of your swing. Gears touts the most powerful, precise, golf swing motion capture system in the world and our users are frequently awestruck by the clarity and practicality of our analytics. With our system you can not only compare your motions with a pro’s, but you can enjoy a glorious 3D rendering of every angle and speed of your body movement so you know exactly where you should be improving. Want to try it out? We’d love to show you around!
Conclusion:
We hope the tips above can help you make the most of Strong Grip and ultimately improve your golf game. Remember, your game won’t go where your mind doesn’t push it! Happy golfing!
