Correct Grip Strength

Video Transcript

Well my grip absorbed the shock of impact, but also we have to see how my grip allowed me to return the clubface back squarely to the ball. By having a neutral grip neither too strong nor too weak, I can take a natural release of my forearms through impact and hit a square straight shot. If however, I have my grip in a strong position, I would have two options. If I release through the ball normally, the clubface would close and the ball would go to the left. To counter that I would end up blocking my natural release and thereby losing power as I try to make sure the clubface doesn’t close and cause the ball to go to the left. So the grip here has the function of being neutral. When the club is held in a neutral grip it will return back to the ball in a square fashion. Some players have the opposite problem; they put their hands in too weak of a position. What happens now through impact is once again, two options: either the face opens in which case the ball goes weakly out to the right, or the player has to rotate the forearms too aggressively. Although that can feel quite powerful, it’s never consistent enough to bring the clubface squarely back to the ball. My preference as a teacher is to see a neutral grip, so that the clubface can be returned squarely to the ball using correct forearm rotation. Neither over rotating nor blocking through.

Denis Pugh
The Wisley
Ripley, Woking, Surrey GU23 6QU
United Kingdom
Tel: 01483 211213

Denis Pugh is creator of "The Swing Map" Teaching Theory and is Europe's most prominent golf instructor. He also taught Greg Turner, Peter O'Malley, and European PGA Tour Player of the Year Colin Montgomerie.

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