Holding a golf club might sound easy, but it’s not. You can only swing your club effectively with a proper golf grip. Many problem shots and faults are caused by the false ways you hold the club.
Holding the golf club properly can be the most important element in the golf play, as your golf grip is the only connection you have with your club. A correct grip will help you hit the ball straight and maximize your distance, or increase the precision with your short game. Read this: How To Chip In Golf – Short Game Tips.
In this article, we will walk you through how to hold a golf club step by step.
Holding a golf club properly in 4 easy steps
Step 1, Pick the right grip size
Golf clubs have rubberized grips at the top. The sizes range from 1, the smallest size, to +8, the thickest.
You need to pick the ones with the right sizes for you.
To test out your grip, you can stick with the ones you have for now and keep reading ⬇️.
Step 2, Club positioning
Hold your golf club waist-high, directly in front of you, horizontal to the ground, and square it facing your golf ball.
Try to find a comfortable golf grip, and build muscle memory so that they recur automatically when you pick up the club again.
Step 3, Hand positioning
Put your dominant hand on your golf club. That says, if you’re right-handed, use your right hand, and vice-versa if you’re left-handed. Grab the club shaft where it connects to the grip and lift it up at a 45-degree angle.
Then place your off-hand around your club. Rest the heel of your palm along the top edge of the handle, and make sure you can still see the tip of the club handle.
Position the heel of your lead hand on top of your off hand thumb, so it’s covering your off hand. Close your hand to create a ‘V’ shape that points to the middle of your sternum with your thumb and forefinger.
Step 4, Choose the best way to hold the golf club
There are three basic styles of golf grips or holds to choose from: the overlapping, interlocking and 10-finger or baseball grips. Keep in mind that each type of grips has strengths and weaknesses, there is no one-size-fits-all grip for you to learn how to hold a golf club, but it will help you find the one that fits you the most.
10-Finger Grip
It literally means all 10 of your fingers are on the club to make it a powerful grip and it fits golfers with small hands.
As shown in the pic above, this position involves one hand stacked on top of the other, with pinky touching the thumb. Make sure there is no space between the fingers of your two hands.
It’s also called baseball grip, as you grip the club like a baseball bat.
Overlapping Grip
The overlapping or “vardon” grip is one of the most common and controlled grip style in golf, in which you position the pinkie of your dominant hand and rest it on the ridge between index and middle finger of your off hand.
This grip is especially recommended for people with large hands. Golfers with small hands may find it a bit difficult.
Interlocking Grip
The interlocking grip starts by forming a 10-finger hold and then interlock your dominant hand’s pinkie finger with the off hand’s index finger to get your hands closer together. You will feel more power added to the swing having your hands connected this way.
We recommend you to try all the grip styles mentioned above and then choose the one that feels most comfortable to you and begin building on your skill.
How to hold a golf club for beginners
As an unexperienced golfer, you shouldn’t grab a golf club like a baseball bat and have at the golf ball, as you will not be able to make much impact on the range.
How you hold the golf club is the most important part of your entire swing. When you learn the technique of holding the club as a beginner, trial and mistakes will be the best way to find a grip that works for you. So, keep practicing!
Holding a putter vs. a driver in golf
As every golfer knows, there are six basic types of golf clubs: putters, drivers, fairway woods, irons, hybrids and wedges. You use the driver to tee off the ball, and your putter on the green.
A lot of golfers might think that holding a driver and holding a putter is the same. But there are many differences between these two ways of golf grips.
Holding a driver
When you hold a driver, put your off hand on the club at the base of the handle first, then put the leading hand on it and overlap the ring and middle fingers of your off hand and form the letter “V” to align with the waist of your body.
Holding a putter
Unlike holding a driver, you should outstretch your left hand when holding a putter. The club handle should run through the middle of your hand, and then put your leading hand in the same position as your off hand.