There’s no one way to grip a golf club. Just look at players on tour and you’ll see a range of different golf grips. It’s about finding the right grip for you, that matches your unique body.
If you think your grip is off and you’re not sure what to do, here’s a way you can check.
Your first check point will be your ball flight, which includes the start direction of your ball. The next time you are on the range, place a ball on the ground, then take an alignment stick or golf shaft and walk ten paces directly in front of your ball. Insert the stick in the turf directly in line between your shaft and your target, like you see below.
Now hit a group of shots (I’d suggest five-to-10), paying attention to whether your ball starts out to the right, center, or left of the stick.
Pay attention to what is happening to the golf ball. Watch the flight of the ball as it flies beyond the stick to see which way it’s spinning. This will give you the information you need to then make your grip adjustment accordingly.
For example: If your ball is starting to the left of the stick — aka, your target — and curving left, that means your clubface is closed in relation to the path that it was swinging. Check out your right-hand grip to see if your placement if ‘under’ the shaft. If it is, start to hit balls with a more neutral grip where your palm is aimed more towards your target rather than facing the sky.
If the opposite is happening, your grip may be too weak. In this case, you may need to move your right-hand grip so it’s more under the shaft, like you see below.
If you can’t correct your ball flight on your own, please contact a PGA instructor who will know a variety of assessments that will allow you to learn the grip that best suits your physical makeup.
