Improve your grip & improve your game!

Ultimately it’s the fundamentals of the game of golf that are the difference between a good round and a bad round! While the fundamentals may seem less glamourous than the latest driver or putter on the market, the importance of grip, setup and posture should not be under-estimated. In fact, I would argue that most challenges to a golfer’s game can be traced back to problems with their golf fundamentals.

Get a (good) grip!
Your golf grip is your only physical point of contact with your golf club, and it clearly has a direct relationship on how your ball takes flight! The primary function of your golf grip is to help you correctly align the club face with the ball, so that you can hit the ball correctly.

Three basic golf grips
While everyone has their own minor variations, there are really just three basic golf grips:

1. Overlapping Grip
Often referred to as the Vardon grip, named after golf great Harry Vardon, this is probably the most widely used grip. Because it uses fewer fingers to control club movement, it tends to be more effective for use by those with stronger hands.
2.Interlocking Grip
This grip keeps your hands connected during your swing, and tends to be favoured by golfers with small hands or relatively short fingers.
3.Baseball Grip
Ideal for junior golfers and golfers whose hands aren’t as strong, this grip gives you a firmer hold on your club since all 10 fingers are used for support. This grip allows you to more easily release your wrist during the swing, helping to provide a little more force when you hit the ball.

Avoid pressure!
Once you decide on the type of grip that best suits your game, the other main factor that you need to consider is the strength/pressure of your grip on the club.

Your grip pressure influences the positioning of your hands on your club. Too much or too little pressure causes your hands to turn too far one way or the other on the club. Ultimately you want your grip pressure to be neutral — not too strong or too weak. A weak grip means you are holding the club too loosely, and results in loss of club control during the swing. Gripping the club too tightly reduces the movement in your wrist, hand and forearm, and results in less distance in your drive.

Take some time to study and focus on your golf grip! We offer private, semi-private or group lessons — a single or series of lessons can have a dramatic effect on your enjoyment of the game and your score! As legendary golfer Ben Hogan said so eloquently, “A player with a bad grip doesn’t want a good swing!”

Yours in golf,
Kevin Purcell
CPGA Professional

Filed under pro tips.
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