A Grip for Success!

One of the greatest golfers of all time was told by his father that the grip is the most important fundamental in the game. Arnold Palmer went on to win over 60 tournaments in his career and 7 major golf tournaments! Arnold Palmers father showed him a grip and told him never to change the way he puts his hands on the club. Awesome advice since your hands are the only connection to the golf club. What Deacon Palmer knew as a teacher of the game was the connection of the hands to the club was crucial to his son’s success. Many of my students arrive on my lesson tee looking for better ball striking and more consistency. I will always start by examining their grip!

In this video, you will see what I find to be a very common occurrence in a poor grip and then a good fix. Most golfers have the club to high in the palm of their lead hand. For the right handed golfer it’s the left hand. When you grip the club too high in the palm there are a ton of compensations a golfer will have to make. You can see a golfer not be able to finish on balance just because of a poor grip. Not only will a golfer slice the ball because of a palm grip but a poor grip can also cause injuries to a golfer. A palm grip will wear out your glove under the thumb. This is a tell tale sign of an incorrect grip. Most palm grips will likely result in an open club face and an even poorer path. The best ball strikers in the world spend a lot of time getting the grip in the proper place.

I like to teach a slightly stronger grip. What I mean by stronger is that you will grip the club more in the fingers of your lead hand. When you grip the club in the fingers of your lead hand this allows the fatty pad of your hand to sit on top of the club resulting in a better hinging and levering action in your swing. The more leverage you have the more power and control you will gain. When you set the grip in your fingers of your lead hand and put the heel pad on top of the grip you will see a “V” that is formed by your pointer finger and thumb. This “V” should point to your trail shoulder. Your thumb should be down the right side of the grip. You will also be able to see two to three knuckles. Your lead hand is now in a condition conducive for a positive result. Beginner golfers to seasoned veterans can always improve their grips. The greatest players in the world understand the importance of a grip that works for their golf swings. If you are struggling with your game you would be wise to examine how you hold the golf club.