By Jim Morse, PGA Director of Instruction
As we happily turn the page on 2020 I thought that it would be helpful to spend a little time going over some basic golf fundamentals as we anxiously await the beginning of the 2021 golf season.
The way that one grips a golf club will have a tremendous influence on the angle of the clubface as it nears impact with the golf ball. Today’s article will be described for the right-handed golfer, so if you are a left-hander just do the opposite of what you read or see.
The illustration below shows how the hands are placed on the grip for a Strong Grip, Neutral Grip and a Weak Grip.
- A Strong Grip will tend to deliver the club into the ball with a more “closed” clubface (to the left)
- A Neutral Grip will tend to deliver the club into the ball with a “square” clubface
- A Weak Grip will tend to deliver the club into the ball with a more “open” clubface (to the right)
One thing that you cannot see in the picture is how the club is placed in the fingers of the hands and not in the palms. This is critical because if the club is placed into the palms then the club face will not rotate properly, and the club will lack acceleration through the impact portion of the swing.
Lastly, there are 3 ways that the hands can fasten or be positioned next to one another. The two most common are the “overlapping” grip and the “interlocking” grip. The third is known as the “ten finger” grip and is not as common as the others except for younger golfers or those with extremely small hands.
- Overlapping Grip: The pinky on the right-hand rests on top of the left hand in between the left index and left middle fingers.
- Interlocking Grip: The pinky on the right-hand interlocks with the index finger on the left hand.
- Ten Finger Grip: All fingers are placed on the grip of the golf club.
It is important to understand that not everyone will need to have the same grip for a variety of reasons. Golfers of all shapes, sizes, ages and skill levels will have different abilities when it comes to how quick they rotate the clubface.
If you have any further questions regarding this article please feel free to email me at jimmorse1@yahoo.com or stop in to the Morse Golf Academy where we will be helping golfers improve their golf games all year long, no matter the weather.