Our only connection with the golf club comes from the way we grip the golf club.
To become a great golfer, you must be very confident in the way you grip the club and the way your hands feel when you are gripping the golf club.
There are several ways to position your hands on a golf club.
Some will say there is a right and wrong way.
However, most seasoned professionals know that there are many ways the golf swing and the golf grip can be accomplished.
Holding the club with a strong grip is going to be very common for the average golfer.
Let’s take a look at some of the things that golfers should know about a strong golf grip and whether or not it could be good for your game.
Strong Golf Grip (Pros, Cons, Benefits)
What Is a Strong Golf Grip?
A strong grip is when your hands are turned a bit to the right on the golf club.
A right-handed player will have their left hand over the center of the golf club.
A more neutral grip would send a player’s thumb directly down the shaft of the club.
With a strong golf grip, your hand will be positioned more across the top of the club, and the thumb will be down the right side of the grip.
When a golfer places the right hand on the golf club, it will also be towards the right-hand side of the grip.
The hand will have to be open like this on the bottom of the club for the left thumb to properly fit in the right hand.
A strong golf grip will allow you to see more than two knuckles on the left hand when the club is addressed.
Another sign that the grip on a club is strong is that the right hand will look like it is more under the club as opposed to over.
Strong grips are sometimes used intentionally, but other times, they happen without a player realizing it.
A strong grip can be a great benefit for some golfers, while others are going to struggle with this change.
Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of the strong golf grip.
Benefits of a Strong Golf Grip
Here are the four most important benefits of a strong golf grip.
1. Feels Natural
Many golfers consider the strong grip to have a more natural feeling.
When a beginner takes up the game, chances are they will struggle for a bit when it comes to figuring out the golf grip.
The golf grip is unlike other sports grips.
It can feel awkward, as the natural tendency is to grip the club hard so that you can rip at the ball and get some extra distance.
The problem with this, of course, is that it doesn’t quite work out that way.
Gripping the club hard is going to only make it harder to hit the shots you want to hit.
When you put your hands in a neutral or weak position on the club, you will probably feel as though you have lost some control.
Once you feel as though you have lost this control, you may start to grip the club harder.
When your hands are in a stronger position on the club, you may actually be able to lower your grip pressure.
The stronger positioning of the hands feels more natural and allows you to keep your hands from gripping the club too tightly.
2. Easier to Rotate Arms
Another great benefit of the strong grip is that it is easier to rotate your arms from this position.
With your right hand being set slightly under the club, the initial takeaway is going to feel like a rotation of the hands and the club.
When you rotate the arms in the swing, you can get more power, and you can get the club face to align the way it should.
Rotating the arms is very important because it allows for improved timing.
You can time your body turn and your weight transfer better if your arms are properly turning.
When your hands are in this strong position, you will notice that your arms seem to naturally rotate the way they should.
Although you will still have quite a bit of work to do to complete a good shot, many golfers feel as though the strong grip helps them hit the ball further and more consistently.
3. Better Release
Releasing the golf club is one of the hardest things to learn.
When you learn to release a club, you also learn how to hit the ball straight.
After all, without a release of the club, the ball is going to head far to the right, and you will be considered a slicer.
Slicing the golf ball is a very frustrating shot and one which most golfers want to do away with as soon as possible.
Keeping your hands in the stronger grip position can help you release the golf club.
In fact, if you are a player who is struggling with a slice, you may have a teaching professional tell you to grip the club a bit stronger.
The great thing about this grip is that you can use it to help you understand what a release should feel like.
Once you have this feeling down, you can then start to move your hands back to a more neutral position.
The better release usually results in a golfer getting more distance as well.
Certainly, it is hard to complain about a straighter and longer shot, all from making a slight adjustment to the positioning of your hands on the golf club.
It takes most great players months, if not years, to perfect the release of their hands in the golf swing.
If you can speed up this process by having a slightly stronger grip, you should definitely give it a shot.
4. Lower Trajectory Shots When Needed
Last but certainly not least, the strong golf grip can make it much easier for a golfer to hit a lower trajectory golf shot.
Some players are going to find that a lower trajectory will help them to better control the ball.
When you are playing on a windy day, the ability to keep the ball low is certainly going to make a huge difference.
The lower trajectory shots also help players who are trying to hit more direct and controlled shots that stop at the pin and stay where they are intended to stay.
The hands are placed on the club in the perfect position to allow these lower trajectory golf shots to occur more naturally.
Although this is certainly considered a positive in our book, for some golfers, this can also turn into a problem.
Like any change you make to your golf swing, you are going to need to weigh the benefits with the negatives.
The better you start to hit shots, the more likely you will be to stay with the stronger grip.
If you make this switch and find that your golf game starts to take a negative turn, then you may want to go back to your original golf swing methods.
Cons of a Strong Golf Grip
If you ask any real golf enthusiast or student of the game, they will tell you that a neutral grip is going to be the ultimate goal.
Although we can agree that a neutral grip is undoubtedly the most beneficial, it is not necessarily the only way to grip a club.
You must be very careful when you make a grip change.
You will want something that is both easy to repeat and comfortable feeling.
Of course, playing with a stronger grip does have a few negatives which may or may not apply to your golf game.
Being aware of any potential issues before you make the final switch is definitely part of being a smart golfer.
1. Hands Can Overreact
When the right hand is in a stronger position on the club, it tends to do more than it should.
Not all golfers are going to struggle with this problem, but it is important that you consider the way your hands can overcompensate in the golf game.
If your right hand starts to take a dominant role in the golf swing, you will see shots that turn to the left a bit too hard.
The left turn on these shots will quickly turn into a draw and potentially even a hook.
Although the stronger grip allows golfers to hit a draw a bit more easily, you will not want to go from a slice to a hook.
Hooking the golf ball can certainly lead to some trouble, and as unfortunate as it is, a hook can feel like a great shot.
Most golfers, after they hook, it will feel as though they made really solid contact.
They will then have to watch the unfortunate result of their swing.
If you can slow your hands down a bit on the club and keep them from turning over too fast, you may see better results.
For players who have struggled with a slice for a long time, this can be a bit hard to learn.
Allowing your hands and arms to rotate naturally is undoubtedly going to make you a better player in the long run.
2. Closed Clubface Can Occur
Another potential issue with a strong grip is the fact that your clubface can close up quite easily.
The closed clubface means you will likely see some shots which end up to the left of your target.
The closed clubface occurs because it is much easier to rotate the club when your hand is in a strong position.
Although you can learn to train your hands to take a less active role, this can take a bit of time and patience as well.
One thing to do is to try a weaker grip pressure and to pay close attention to the club face at setup.
When you set up to hit your golf shot, you will not want the club to be closed in any way.
Keep the club square and with a strong grip, and if the clubface is slightly open, that is certainly acceptable as well.
Overall, the closed clubface situation should be a relatively easy one to move past.
3. Backspin Can Be Tough to Achieve
Remember that we mentioned the ball flight is going to be a bit lower with the strong grip?
For many players, the lower ball flight is a great solution, but for others, it will be very difficult to stop the ball on the greens.
It is often easier to stop a ball and get it to spin back when your ball flight is considerably higher.
If you are hitting the shot with a lower trajectory and potentially a slightly closed clubface, you will notice that backspin is nearly impossible to achieve.
Adding backspin to a shot allows golfers to plan where the ball stops and to make some much more accurate approaches.
This can be a tough thing to give up, but most golfers who have been struggling with a slice or a fade have no issues giving up a little spin.
Backspin is hard to obtain, and the majority of golfers don’t have enough club head speed or a proper angle of attack to get good backspin on their shots to begin with.
However, if you feel as though you are running the golf ball through every green, you may want to make sure your grip is not too strong.
Is a Strong Grip Worth It?
Now that you have a better understanding of the positives and negatives of a strong grip, you may be wondering if this is worth it for your game.
If you are a player who has been trying to learn to control their shots and eliminate a slice, the strong grip is definitely worth it.
If you are a golfer who is a bit weaker and has a hard time completing shots with a full release, the strong grip is a great idea.
For the average golfer to stop doing what they are doing and switch to a strong grip probably doesn’t make too much sense.
When used properly, a neutral grip is going to be the easiest to repeat and have the most room for error.
As great as the strong grip is for some players, it can be just as bad for others.
In fact, many golfers show up for a golf lesson not realizing that their strong grip is causing the majority of the issues in their swing.
Be very careful when you make a swing change and think about whether or not it is warranted.
Also, consider whether it is going to fix the root issue or cause of the problem in your golf swing.
Conclusion
A strong golf grip is one which lets the hands, especially the right one, play a much more active role in the golf swing.
If you are a player who knows how to control your hands and arms, this grip could be a perfect solution.
Always analyze the positives and the negatives before making a swing change.
Being aware of any potential adverse results can help you recognize issues before they turn into significant swing flaws.
Leave a Reply