PRE-SHOT ROUTINE

by Coulton Sheets Golf Instructor, Fairwinds Golf Club

An often overlooked, but extremely important aspect of your golf game is the way you grip the club. There are generally three hand positions when it comes to gripping the club. A strong grip, a weak grip, and the most common/effective method that you will see the vast majority of touring players utilizing is a neutral grip. Most golfers have gripped the club one way when they began golfing due to a comfortability factor and haven’t given a second thought since on how it affects the way the ball comes off of the club face. The images below illustrate how each grip affects your swing.

Strong Grip

The path of the golf swing takeaway is directly affected by the grip. If the left hand (for a right-handed golfer) is twisted around to the right too much in a strong grip, it generally sets the left arm higher than the right—this leads to a swing path that is too inside and a swing plane that is too flat, which results in a hook.

Weak Grip

If the golfer’s left hand (for a righthanded golfer) is twisted underneath the club in a weak position, the right arm is set higher than the left at address, and leads to an outside swing path, with a steep swing plane which results in a slice.

Neutral Grip

This image depicts a neutral grip in which you can see two knuckles (the pointer and middle finger) on the golfer’s left hand at address. Although you cannot see it in the image, the shaft of the club is set directly down the crease between the fingers and the palm on the golfer’s left hand. The right palm of the thumb then covers the left thumb when placing your right hand on the club. A neutral grip gives the golfer the best opportunity to take the club away on a proper swing plane and come back to impact with a square club face.