Did someone ever tell you that your grip is too weak or too strong? They didn’t mean you should grip the club tighter or more loosely, but that you should change the direction in which your hands are placed on the club. Why? Because it has an instant effect on the direction of your shots, along with the distance and much more.
The three types of grips are strong, weak, and neutral, and all have their pros and cons. Ready to learn more? Keep on reading!
A Strong Golf Grip
A strong grip is when your left hand sits on top of the golf grip, and your right hand is underneath it. The V shapes that you make with your hands point to the right shoulder. Also, the more knuckles you can see on your left hand, the stronger grip.
This type of grip can help you if you struggle with slicing or swing over the top. Moreover, it will encourage a more in-to-out swing. Also, it closes the clubface on impact, so it can help you draw the ball. What’s more, hitting shots that spin right to left is much easier with a strong grip.
A Weak Golf Grip
A weak grip is when the V shapes point to the left of your head. It encourages a more out-to-in swing, along with a less closed clubface through impact. In this particular grip, your left hand sits under the golf grip while your right hand is more on top, and you can’t see almost any knuckles. Also if you are a beginner and need to learn a golf prefer best Golf Clubs in your area.
You could greatly benefit from weakening your grip a little if you struggle with hooked shots. Moreover, it can help neutralize the swings that are too much from the inside. At indoor golf Manhattan, you can check your swing dynamics using one of the state-of-the-art golf simulators.
A Neutral Golf Grip
A neutral grip, as the name suggests, is somewhere between a strong and a weak grip. The V shapes point to your chin or slightly towards your left shoulder, and both hands sit in their natural position. This type of grip is ideal for players whose swing mechanics are in order.
How do Different Golf Grips Affect the Impact?
It’s crucial to understand why strong, weak, and neutral golf grips have particular effects on the impact because this will allow you to have more control over your golf shots. Without further ado, let’s dive right in!
Naturally, your hands and arms tend to go slightly inwards, and this is the point they will want to return to when you’re swinging the golf at speed. This is why both of your hands seem to be somewhat twisted over one another in a neutral grip. It’s their natural, anatomical position.
The clubface will be closed if you set up with a strong grip, by the time your arms reach their natural position. If you set up with a weak grip, on the other hand, the clubface will be open.
How do Different Golf Grips Affect the Play?
A strong golf grip encourages a closed clubface at impact and promotes a hook or a draw, while a weak grip supports an open clubface and, more often than not, results in a slice or a fade. A neutral golf grip promotes a square clubface and most often results in straight shots.
Note that a golf grip plays a pivotal role in determining your clubface angle at impact, as well as how easy it is to hit the ball straight. However, there are other deciding factors, such as the ball position and your release and timing.
Which One to Use?
Extreme grip positions often result in unpleasant outcomes, but there’s no need to be ashamed. Even golfers who are now professionals once made similar mistakes. If you’re wondering whether you should change your grip, it’s usually not a matter of switching a weak for strong and vice versa, but about adjusting them a little.
For instance, if your ball slices or fades, strengthening your grip for as little as 3º is very often an easy way to fix your ball flight. Similarly, if you struggle with a hook, weakening your grip a bit is usually a simple solution.
Final Thoughts
All in all, it’s important to realize how each grip can change the outcome of your ball flight, but also to understand which one suits you. Your ball flight pattern will determine how you should adjust your grip. To measure ball light speed and other factors, you will need an advanced launch monitor like the Skytrak golf simulator.
Always remember that if you want to improve, you have to practice regularly. It’s not enough to try to change your technique – you need to be persistent. Good luck in sharpening your skills!
