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Kleiner's Korner

The grip

Matt Kleiner
Posted 5/19/23

The only connection you have to the club are your hands. It is very important that they are placed on the golf club properly. There are three options that are taught in golf depending on your hand …

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Kleiner's Korner

The grip

Posted

The only connection you have to the club are your hands. It is very important that they are placed on the golf club properly. There are three options that are taught in golf depending on your hand size and ball flight. You can use a baseball grip, (not highly recommended), an interlock grip, or an overlap grip. Ideally you want your two hands to work together as one. 

A baseball grip might be comfortable but most players who use that grip are too wristy during the swing. The overlap grip where the pinky of your bottom hand overlaps the forefinger and middle finger of your top hand is the most popular. The interlock grip also uses the bottom hand pinky to interlock with the top hands’ forefinger and middle finger. 

Once you have decided which grip to use then you should hit practice balls and get comfortable with that grip. The way you place your hands on the club also determines what line the ball takes off on and how it curves. 

First, I’ll explain a little terminology. When your top hand is turned so you can see most of the top of your hand (more than two knuckles) that hand is in a “strong position.” 

If your bottom hand is too far under the club to where you can’t see any knuckles, that’s also considered to be in a strong position. 

When your hands are in a strong position there is a tendency to hit the ball lower and it will also curve more. The opposite happens when your hands are in a “weak” position. The ball will fly higher and slice more. 

You really need to figure this out on a driving range. Your hands are your steering wheel. The grip is the most important part of learning how to hit a golf ball properly. 

If you’re a beginner, I would strongly recommend getting a lesson on the grip before you get into bad habits. If you’ve been playing for a while and you can’t figure out why you are hooking or slicing, I’m pretty sure the grip is part of the problem. 

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