Golf Lessons -
Keep Your Grip Neutral

Viewed from above - Always try to keep your hands in a neutral position in order to keep the club face as square as possible during the swing. Whatever grip you use in holding a golf club, always try to keep your hands in a neutral position in order to keep the club face as square as possible during the swing. This will give you the perfect golf grip - You won't need a 'trainer golf grip'.

There are three basic types of hand grip used. There is no 'correct' golf grip. In there examples assume the grip description is for right hand players.

The Baseball Grip - All fingers of both hands are in tact on the club. First is the baseball grip, in which all fingers of both hands are in tact on the club. This is not widely used as it tends to favour a stronger grip with the right hand, which can be ruinous on many shots.

Golf Grip Tip #1: Remember if you employ the baseball grip in holding a golf club, try to keep your hands in a neutral position in order to keep the club face as square as possible during the swing.

Second is the interlocking grip, so called because the little finger of the right hand and the index finger of the left hand intertwine to create the grip. Often used by players with small hands in an attempt to keep the hands bonded together during a swing. Golfers who use this grip can tend to hold the club too much in the base of the fingers of the right hand causing the ” v” shape between thumb and forefinger to point wide of the right shoulder which can lead to the club face being too closed during the swing.

Golf Grip Tip #2: Remember if you employ the interlocking grip in holding a golf club, try to keep your hands in a neutral position in order to keep the club face as square as possible during the swing.

The third and most used form of grip is called the overlapping or Vardon grip, made popular by the famous golfer Harry Vardon c1900. In this grip the little finger of the right hand overlaps between the index finger and second finger of the left hand.

Not as one would imagine binding the hands together, but in fact to weaken the strength of the naturally stronger right hand to help balance against the weaker left hand.

The famous Irish golfer Harry Bradshaw used to overlap the last two fingers of his right hand on to his left hand because he was so strong, in order not to hook the ball.

Golf Grip Tip #3: Remember if you employ the overlapping grip in holding a golf club, try to keep your hands in a neutral position in order to keep the club face as square as possible during the swing.

The most important consideration when placing your hands on to a golf club, with which ever type of grip you prefer, is to make sure that the “V’s” of both hands point between the right shoulder and chin, in a neutral position. This will help you achieve the perfect golf club grip.

The club lies along the middle joints of the fingers of the right hand, not along the base of the fingers. Make sure that the club lies along the middle joints of the fingers of the right hand, not along the base of the fingers, before closing the fingers around the shaft. This will make the two middle fingers of the right hand the real gripping fingers and keep the right hand on top of the club.

You can even practise hitting balls by just gripping with the two middle fingers alone, keeping the little finger, forefinger and thumb off the club. It will show you how important it is to position the right hand grip correctly. If the club is held too much in the base of the fingers of the right hand then the “v” will point wide of the right shoulder giving too much strength to the right hand, which can lead to all kinds of problems in controlling the club face correctly during the swing.