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Guide to Gripping a Golf Club
How well you can grip your golf club is by far the most critical requirement for a good golf game. It is the building block for your golf swing and what connects you with the golf club. A poor golf club grip will result in a bad swing and stance and ultimately contribute to failure in a golf game. Mastering the art of properly holding a golf club is essential for your success in the game, no doubt.
This is why trainers stay on this aspect for long to ensure that their learners are able to comfortably and effectively hold their putter, woods, iron, and drivers. They believe that exhibiting consistent grip on a golf club will enhance your striking potency, balance your slice and ensure you have a fulfilling golf game. Before getting into details on how to grip a golf club, understanding the different golf clubs available for the game can help make the subject more interesting.
Types of Golf Club
Several different golf clubs are found in a professional golfer’s bag. Each of these golf clubs has a part to play in the course of the game session.
Woods
Woods are the types of clubs that are designed to hit a long distance on the ball from the tee. They’re utilized to make powerful long shots and enable the golfer to strike the ball as hard as possible. The Fairway Wood and the Drivers club are in this category of clubs. A fact about this type of club is that even though none of the clubheads is made of wood these days, this group of clubs is still known as woods. The majority of them are now made of titanium or steel.
When it comes to clubheads, woods boasts of the largest but comes with the smallest loft. They’re hollow and have long shafts, so they’re not challenging to help a swing.
Irons
The Irons are in a number range from 3-iron to 9-iron. The number you decide to go with is relative to the type of shot you’re attempting to make. There are three types of irons: short, long, and middle.
The long Irons are primarily employed for shots of a distance not up to 200 yards. Long Irons are tough to use because of their lack of loft. That is, they have a terrible reputation for making the ball bounce excessively. Their clubheads are substantially smaller and thinner than those of woods.
Hybrid
Hybrid golf clubs are the most recent addition to the market. They combine the excellent features of the wood and Iron types. Hybrid clubs enable users to leverage the most remarkable aspects of both types while avoiding the drawbacks.
If you’re just getting started with golfing, it’s a good idea to opt for hybrids. They are the finest clubs for newbies. The design makes hitting the ball more effortless, and it allows for some slip spaces if you didn’t strike it as straight as you’d like.
Putters
The putter is the most specialized club. It comes in various forms and sizes, but the purpose remains the same regardless of which one you choose. It is supposed to put the ball in the hole at a close range.
Because your putter is the club you’ll use the most, you must choose the one you’re comfortable with. Before making a purchase, always try out the putter in the store. Start by looking at the length of the piece. One of the most common errors made by new golfers is using an overly long Putter. Avoid this.
Wedges
They’re types of Iron that allow for precise, short-range shots. Four different types of wedges can help you get out of any tricky scenario you could encounter on the green:
- Sand Wedges: They have a high level of loft. Their feature makes it the best to get trapped balls out of sand. They are good for rough shots.
- Pitching Wedges: They are often used for chip shots and sometimes for approach shots. They can do the 50-120 yard shots and have the least bounce rate compared to other wedges.
- Gap Wedges: The gap wedge can hit as far as 100 yards distance. They offer more loft than pitching wedges.
- Lob Wedges: They have the most loft, making them a great option to lift into the air balls stuck in rough terrains.
Obviously, it is not one type of golf club that is used during a golf game session. It shows that every kind of golf club has its unique way of having a good grip for effectiveness. However, a neutral type of golf grip approach explains a basic way on how to hold a golf club during a golf game.
Checklist on How to Grip a Golf Club the Right way
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Examine your Current Grip
Before going ahead on how to hold a golf club the right way that is fit for you, doing a quick evaluation of yourself on how you grip a golf club is essential.
First, picture yourself trying to give a shot, say, a tee-off or a shot you often make. What step do you take to pick up and hold the golf club? Think also about the position you place your fingers. Measure how comfortable you are. Are you calm when you’re going to hit a tremendous shot? Or is there a need to improve on this?
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Check your Grip Size
Golf clubs are made of rubber handles for better grip. There is a specific size range for individuals, even though a standardized one exists for all. You can get one that fits perfectly for your fingers if the current one you own doesn’t fit exactly. A small grip size is an ideal club size for little-sized hands. A large-grip size is available for people with large hands too. Acquiring a new club may be a good choice if you consistently falter during a golf game. Know where you’re lacking.
Positioning of the Hand
Step 1:
Hold the golf club to a height close to your waist area and horizontally to the ground and in front of you.
Make it a habit to always pick up the golf club with your weaker hand first. That is, if you’re left-handed, pick it up with your right hand first. And if you’re right-handed, go with the left hand for the pickup. In the course of this guide, we’ll maintain an exemplary right-handed golfer scenario.
Step 2:
Wrap your hand all around the golf club and close it. The heel of the palm will rest parallel to the top edge of the club’s handle. The tip of the handle will still be visible, though.
Step 3:
Now, rotate or turn the hands over until it shows the two knuckles of the left hand. Go ahead and point the “V” shape that the thumb and the index finger made towards the right shoulder.
Step 4:
Make room for an inch or so for the golf club to shoot out on the top of the grip if it is not already showing. Make sure that the left thumb points down the right-hand end of the shaft. It is time now to grip the club using your right hand. Your right thumb should sit on top of the left thumb. Also, make sure that the right thumb sits atop the left side of the golf club.
You have successfully implemented a neutral grip, the primary grip for newcomers in the golf game.
To summarize: There is no one-size-fits-all approach to holding a golf club. However, for a beginner, a decent grip using the right hand is to lay the grip diagonally down the fingers onto the left hand’s palm; that also should be at the top of the club. When you look downward at the club, you ought to be able to see the knuckles of the index and your middle fingers. At the bottom of the grip, the palm of your right hand should sit over the thumb of the left hand.
How to hold a putter
A putter has many ways to hold it. The reverse overlap method is the most popular approach. The process is done by allowing the left hand to sit above the right hand while the two thumbs run down the grip center. The left index finger connects both hands by lying partially on the right ring and right index fingers.
Types of Golf Club Grips
10-Finger Grip
A 10-finger grip is a type of grip that involves the use of all fingers on the club. It is most suitable for golfers who are just starting the golf-playing journey. It can be described as a power grip on the club. It is also more suited for people with small-sized hands.
Overlapping grip
This type of grip is practiced when you place the small finger of one hand in the ridge between the middle and index finger of the other hand. The overlapping grip is the commonest of the grip types and is more suited for people with large hands.
Interlocking grip
This type of grip begins with the 10-finger grip. It is implemented by interlocking a pinkie finger of one hand with the other’s index finger to bring the hands closer together.
The benefit of this type is that it locks your fingers together so that both hands work together. It gives the golf swing extra power during play. Many expert golfers opt for this method for this reason.
When it comes to holding a golf club the right way, a lot of experimentation and tricks should be explored.
Helpful Tips for Perfection on How to Grip a Golf Club
Use a Marker
If gaining confidence in holding a golf club is still tricky after your practice, placing a mark on the grip area is good advice. It does not break any professional rule in any way. It is a legal practice to assist golfers in having a good grip of their club.
If you feel your club is not sitting correctly in your right hand, you may draw two lines on the glove at the angle observed to be the excellent grip of the club. You’ll be sure that you’re in perfect grip before you strike.
Applying the Right Pressure on your Grip
Know that how hard you grip the golf club is entirely up to you and how comfortable it is for you. However, you shouldn’t hold it too firmly. Your grip shouldn’t be too tight either, so you don’t lose control of the club. Excessive grasp hampers good play. It can result in you hitting on the heel of the ball rather than the face.
Rest assured that you’ll know when you’re gripping too tightly. It will show as you move or hit the ball. Your forearms will appear tensed. If you try to play the shot, the chances of you getting an appreciable result are likely to be low.
Make sure to have your hand grip firm but softly too. Always relax the arm. Try tossing the ball a bit with the club. It can help to shake off some tension in your arms.
Finally, keep in mind that how well you can rotate the left hand relies on how well your grip is executed. If you can observe the two knuckles on the left hand as you grip, you’ve got a firm grip. If you rotate the left hand counter-clockwise to make the knuckles disappear, that is a soft grip. Try experimenting on these different grip tips to master the options you have.
So far, the type of golf club grip examined in this guide is the neutral grip technique. Golfers must grip the golf club at the top, ensuring that no portion of their hand hangs over the edge. It is where beginners start when learning how to grip a golf club. As explained, there is no one-method-fits-all. But the steps above indeed serve as a general guide for a good grip of the golf club.