I can I feel do the correct grip with all my clubs including 3wood. But when I hit driver I need to take a real strong grip to keep the ball from slicing . So frustrating I have watched your tips on slicing, but this particular lesson has hit the nail on the head as I have experienced good and bad rounds even on consecutive days.
By changing your grip you are doing a different swing for one of your golf clubs. This is a band aid. To become consistent you should have 1 swing and 13 clubs plus your putter. For the sake of a little work you will never have to change your grip. Have you ever heard of a pro changing the grip with just their driver? NO. If they are not doing it you should not be doing it.
Hi Paul, as always, thank you for all the good advice. I started the way you explain your grip position but gradually I have been changing it a little bit. The reason why is that I am a left handed person that plays right handed. I position de left hand exactly as you say, but I try to put the right hand a little bit more across the palm. It looks like you want the club to be with the finders in the right hand and I use the fingers and the palm. It helps me release better the club. The club does not come as often open as it did since I changed this grip position (it is a recent change, I’m mainly working on releasing the club and hitting hooks in order to close the face).
Does this change make sense? Shall I try to hold the club with the fingers without touching or crossing the palm (the right hand), which at the end is similar to the left?
The club should be in the fingers of the right hand. You need to keep working on this. I do not want you hitting with the hands. If you have power in this hand you will hit with it. You need to weaken it.
There are exceptions to every rule but think about who is making these exceptions … PROS. So if there was a pro who learned as a kid and hit a million or more golf balls with a strong or weak grip would you change it. ANSWER: Probably not. These pros are hitting hundreds of ball per day with that very same golf swing. Amateur players are NOT. So if the amateur player has flaws it will be next to impossible for them to make them consistent because they are simply not practicing enough to make them consistent.
I DO NOT like swings with flaws in them. If you have flaws you have to work twice as hard. The average person barely has time to hit any golf balls so for them to get used to 2 flaws and become consistent is next to impossible.
So when you try to correct what I am saying or give examples you have to be seeing it from a teachers perspective NOT a tour pros perspective. Everything I do and say is for a reason. My goal for over 22 years has been trying to figure out ways people will learn the swing fast and easy. I have tried and tested pretty much everything. I know what works and what does not. I know what people will do before they even do it because I have seen it thousands of times.
So, I will explain what I want the persons to do and why I want them to do it. If you want to go against that because you see a pros doing it then go ahead and do it. I would recommend not doing this because as I said earlier this may be their own flare to their swing NOT the general rule or best idea.
I know you are not bashing me. I am explaining why I do an say what I say so we are more on the same page.
Paul – Excellent discussion of grip. In the past you have had tips on rolling the arms in the downswing to cure a slice – starting the roll earlier in the downswing so that the club face is square at impact. It seems that there is a tradeoff between having a grip that is a little stronger, or rolling the arms a little earlier, in order to hit a straight shot. Each one requires a correction from what seems like a natural swing. How do we know which is the way to go? Can you give us some insight about that?
I want you to roll it more than necessary with a neutral grip. If your grip is too strong and you try to roll it you do NOT have to roll it as much as if it were neutral. So you will get a false sense that you are rolling it the correct amount when really it is the strong grip that is hooking it.
If you do roll it the right amount with a strong grip the ball then hooks so you now need another flaw to keep it straight. Now because the grip was strong you have 2 flaws in your swing. Why would you want 2 flaws? If you do, you have to practice all the time.
So keep the grip neutral and learn how to hook it with this grip. This really does not take that long if you know how to do it. Once it is hooking you say to yourself that you are doing 1 of the 2 things right. Now, you just have to start the lower body rotation first in the downswing and the ball will o dead straight.
Hopefully, this clarifies it. Always work on the right fundamentals. NEVER do band aids.
Paul very good discussion on grips something we all need to work on. Please continue the pro vs am lessons I enjoy them. I will check my grip before I swing. Thanks
Hi Paul,
While trying to securely place my right hand on to the grip, I feel as if my left hand is holding a bottle and the right hand is
tightening the top. Meaning that the hands are turning towards each other. Is this the correct feeling?
Basically, your palms would be facing each other. So yes you are correct at a grip pressure of 2 out of 10 when you at setup. Be careful not to move the right hand too much over otherwise it will be in a weak position and you will most likely slice it. Point the right V between your right ear and shoulder.
Hi Paul
I feel that I am nearly there thanks to your instructions.
I have practiced indoors without the ball which helped heaps with my swing.
I have always come over the top and I think that is more or less fixed.
I can come down inside while rotating the hip.
But on the field I am either okay or push fade for few holes at the beginning of the round and then I start to pull fade or pull slice.
My release seems to be okay. I recently clocked myself at around 95mph while pull slicing.
I always had both thumbs more or less straight down the club shaft.
Do you think changing my grip to what you call the neutral grip would be the right thing to do ?
Why is it a neutral grip? The way I see it both hands are over the club shaft instead of being opposed to each other.
Keep doing the indoor swings so you keep making it better and better.
The push fade is you coming out of it looking for great shots. As you come out of it you hold the face open and the ball goes right. You could also be driving the hips top hard or sliding.
The pull fade and pull slice is you hitting with the arms. As you hit this tilt your body to much left which starts it left. The wrists are tight which causes the spin to the right.
All of the these different shots have the ball going right. So you need to be working on rolling the wrists sooner in the downswing. If you were rolling the wrists you would have had 2 shots. A straight pull left and a pull hook. Once you did that you would know that you would have to add more legs to straighten it out.
Hopefully, by now you know my roll over drill. If not, let me know.
The next round, focus only on this. Be prepared to hit pulls and hooks. Roll it 3-5 time before hitting every shot. Swing a little easier so you have time to roll it. I would probably go out one night by yourself to do this as you will hit some pretty bad shots. Once you do this you will have fixed the spin on your ball. After you are comfortable with this you can then start focusing on your body rotation to straighten it out. Give this a try and see what happens. Also, do the roll overs in your practice swings. This will help to keep them unlocked.
It is neutral in the fact that both palms are basically facing each other. I refer to neutral being a secure weaker hand (left) and weaker strong hand (right). Once you do this grip they are balanced out.
Hi Paul,
The question i have is about grip pressure when you are in the rough. In thin rough i don’t perceive a problem, but in the thicker rough i think that it turns the club head. i know you never hit any balls into the rough, but let’s just say hypothetically that you did. Do you tighten your grip, or is there some other thought/ strategy that you incorporate?
On another related subject, my arms are powerless thanks to your tip on separation, but now i have to work on freeing up my wrists. i think that is where i am losing a lot of distance. The reason i think it is my wrists, is that i can hit the 7 iron almost 150 yards consistently and very straight, but the longer irons don’t go any farther. At least they go straight.
i have to tell you that i bought a 1 year membership to revolution golf before i bought yours. Their tips are so worthless with so many thoughts instead of the logic of why things work best. It is a good mix of kinesiology and physics and engineering. thanks for all of your help,
bear
My left hand has been coming off the club when I do the wrist hinge using a swing trainer in the house. ( had to get a swing trainer after I broke my wife’s favorite vase doing drills in the house) After watching this tip and other grip tips I know how vital it is to keep reviewing my grip. By not gripping my club at the end and by being sure my grip is neutral with my upper hand thumb to the right of center, I can fully hinge my wrist and gain more club head speed.
Thank you for all your tips. They really reinforce the body swing videos.
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18 Responses to “How A Faulty Grip Affects Your Swing”
December 18, 2013
DavidCoombesI can I feel do the correct grip with all my clubs including 3wood. But when I hit driver I need to take a real strong grip to keep the ball from slicing . So frustrating I have watched your tips on slicing, but this particular lesson has hit the nail on the head as I have experienced good and bad rounds even on consecutive days.
December 18, 2013
Paul WilsonDavid,
By changing your grip you are doing a different swing for one of your golf clubs. This is a band aid. To become consistent you should have 1 swing and 13 clubs plus your putter. For the sake of a little work you will never have to change your grip. Have you ever heard of a pro changing the grip with just their driver? NO. If they are not doing it you should not be doing it.
Start working on this:
Please Learn How to Hook It: https://ignitiongolf.com/please-learn-hook/
Release Progression: https://ignitiongolf.com/release-progression/
Light Tight
December 18, 2013
JoseCarcellerHi Paul, as always, thank you for all the good advice. I started the way you explain your grip position but gradually I have been changing it a little bit. The reason why is that I am a left handed person that plays right handed. I position de left hand exactly as you say, but I try to put the right hand a little bit more across the palm. It looks like you want the club to be with the finders in the right hand and I use the fingers and the palm. It helps me release better the club. The club does not come as often open as it did since I changed this grip position (it is a recent change, I’m mainly working on releasing the club and hitting hooks in order to close the face).
Does this change make sense? Shall I try to hold the club with the fingers without touching or crossing the palm (the right hand), which at the end is similar to the left?
December 18, 2013
Paul WilsonJose,
The club should be in the fingers of the right hand. You need to keep working on this. I do not want you hitting with the hands. If you have power in this hand you will hit with it. You need to weaken it.
December 18, 2013
RaymondCHASTELThis is a very fine lesson,Paul ,explaining clearly THE issues of wrong grip positions .
However we are not all MADE alike ,so Th
December 18, 2013
Paul WilsonRaymond,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
There are exceptions to every rule but think about who is making these exceptions … PROS. So if there was a pro who learned as a kid and hit a million or more golf balls with a strong or weak grip would you change it. ANSWER: Probably not. These pros are hitting hundreds of ball per day with that very same golf swing. Amateur players are NOT. So if the amateur player has flaws it will be next to impossible for them to make them consistent because they are simply not practicing enough to make them consistent.
I DO NOT like swings with flaws in them. If you have flaws you have to work twice as hard. The average person barely has time to hit any golf balls so for them to get used to 2 flaws and become consistent is next to impossible.
So when you try to correct what I am saying or give examples you have to be seeing it from a teachers perspective NOT a tour pros perspective. Everything I do and say is for a reason. My goal for over 22 years has been trying to figure out ways people will learn the swing fast and easy. I have tried and tested pretty much everything. I know what works and what does not. I know what people will do before they even do it because I have seen it thousands of times.
So, I will explain what I want the persons to do and why I want them to do it. If you want to go against that because you see a pros doing it then go ahead and do it. I would recommend not doing this because as I said earlier this may be their own flare to their swing NOT the general rule or best idea.
I know you are not bashing me. I am explaining why I do an say what I say so we are more on the same page.
December 18, 2013
DaleJenkinsPaul – Excellent discussion of grip. In the past you have had tips on rolling the arms in the downswing to cure a slice – starting the roll earlier in the downswing so that the club face is square at impact. It seems that there is a tradeoff between having a grip that is a little stronger, or rolling the arms a little earlier, in order to hit a straight shot. Each one requires a correction from what seems like a natural swing. How do we know which is the way to go? Can you give us some insight about that?
Dale
New York
December 18, 2013
Paul WilsonDale,
Glad you liked it. Thanks.
I want you to roll it more than necessary with a neutral grip. If your grip is too strong and you try to roll it you do NOT have to roll it as much as if it were neutral. So you will get a false sense that you are rolling it the correct amount when really it is the strong grip that is hooking it.
If you do roll it the right amount with a strong grip the ball then hooks so you now need another flaw to keep it straight. Now because the grip was strong you have 2 flaws in your swing. Why would you want 2 flaws? If you do, you have to practice all the time.
So keep the grip neutral and learn how to hook it with this grip. This really does not take that long if you know how to do it. Once it is hooking you say to yourself that you are doing 1 of the 2 things right. Now, you just have to start the lower body rotation first in the downswing and the ball will o dead straight.
Hopefully, this clarifies it. Always work on the right fundamentals. NEVER do band aids.
December 18, 2013
RobertMichelettiPaul very good discussion on grips something we all need to work on. Please continue the pro vs am lessons I enjoy them. I will check my grip before I swing. Thanks
December 18, 2013
Paul WilsonRobert,
Glad you like the tips. I truly appreciate the feedback.
Yes, check your grip. This is very important.
February 1, 2014
ERIABBERAHi Paul,
While trying to securely place my right hand on to the grip, I feel as if my left hand is holding a bottle and the right hand is
tightening the top. Meaning that the hands are turning towards each other. Is this the correct feeling?
February 2, 2014
Paul WilsonEriab,
Basically, your palms would be facing each other. So yes you are correct at a grip pressure of 2 out of 10 when you at setup. Be careful not to move the right hand too much over otherwise it will be in a weak position and you will most likely slice it. Point the right V between your right ear and shoulder.
March 19, 2014
PaulKwonHi Paul
I feel that I am nearly there thanks to your instructions.
I have practiced indoors without the ball which helped heaps with my swing.
I have always come over the top and I think that is more or less fixed.
I can come down inside while rotating the hip.
But on the field I am either okay or push fade for few holes at the beginning of the round and then I start to pull fade or pull slice.
My release seems to be okay. I recently clocked myself at around 95mph while pull slicing.
I always had both thumbs more or less straight down the club shaft.
Do you think changing my grip to what you call the neutral grip would be the right thing to do ?
Why is it a neutral grip? The way I see it both hands are over the club shaft instead of being opposed to each other.
March 19, 2014
Paul WilsonPaul,
Glad you are almost there.
Keep doing the indoor swings so you keep making it better and better.
The push fade is you coming out of it looking for great shots. As you come out of it you hold the face open and the ball goes right. You could also be driving the hips top hard or sliding.
The pull fade and pull slice is you hitting with the arms. As you hit this tilt your body to much left which starts it left. The wrists are tight which causes the spin to the right.
All of the these different shots have the ball going right. So you need to be working on rolling the wrists sooner in the downswing. If you were rolling the wrists you would have had 2 shots. A straight pull left and a pull hook. Once you did that you would know that you would have to add more legs to straighten it out.
Hopefully, by now you know my roll over drill. If not, let me know.
The next round, focus only on this. Be prepared to hit pulls and hooks. Roll it 3-5 time before hitting every shot. Swing a little easier so you have time to roll it. I would probably go out one night by yourself to do this as you will hit some pretty bad shots. Once you do this you will have fixed the spin on your ball. After you are comfortable with this you can then start focusing on your body rotation to straighten it out. Give this a try and see what happens. Also, do the roll overs in your practice swings. This will help to keep them unlocked.
It is neutral in the fact that both palms are basically facing each other. I refer to neutral being a secure weaker hand (left) and weaker strong hand (right). Once you do this grip they are balanced out.
August 17, 2014
terrybadgerHi Paul,
The question i have is about grip pressure when you are in the rough. In thin rough i don’t perceive a problem, but in the thicker rough i think that it turns the club head. i know you never hit any balls into the rough, but let’s just say hypothetically that you did. Do you tighten your grip, or is there some other thought/ strategy that you incorporate?
On another related subject, my arms are powerless thanks to your tip on separation, but now i have to work on freeing up my wrists. i think that is where i am losing a lot of distance. The reason i think it is my wrists, is that i can hit the 7 iron almost 150 yards consistently and very straight, but the longer irons don’t go any farther. At least they go straight.
i have to tell you that i bought a 1 year membership to revolution golf before i bought yours. Their tips are so worthless with so many thoughts instead of the logic of why things work best. It is a good mix of kinesiology and physics and engineering. thanks for all of your help,
bear
August 19, 2014
Paul WilsonTerry,
Glad you like my tips. I appreciate the feedback. I have watched a few of their tips recently. I’m just going to keep doing what I am doing.
I am tightening my grip on the downswing before I hit the ball so the club does not twist. I am no starting all tight and locked up.
Separation is great but keep in mind your old release is timed for your old swing. You need to watch this tip:
Release Progression: https://ignitiongolf.com/release-progression/
June 5, 2018
WayneWymanMy left hand has been coming off the club when I do the wrist hinge using a swing trainer in the house. ( had to get a swing trainer after I broke my wife’s favorite vase doing drills in the house) After watching this tip and other grip tips I know how vital it is to keep reviewing my grip. By not gripping my club at the end and by being sure my grip is neutral with my upper hand thumb to the right of center, I can fully hinge my wrist and gain more club head speed.
Thank you for all your tips. They really reinforce the body swing videos.
June 5, 2018
Paul WilsonWayne,
Good stuff. The grip is vital so is not breaking any more stuff. I’ve broken many things in the past. All part of learning the swing.
Stay focused. Grip secure lose wrists.
Glad you liked it.