I’ll always remember once I discovered what a robust grip was from a golf teacher. Throughout our first lesson, he observed that almost all of my golf photographs tended to slice to the fitting. He proceeded to inform me that the best repair for my slicing was to start out utilizing a robust golf grip.
There are a number of explanation why golfers ought to use a robust grip. We describe the sturdy grip right here together with the way it can assist your recreation. After studying this you’ll have the ability to determine if a robust grip might give you the results you want.
What’s a Sturdy Golf Grip?
A powerful golf grip has nothing to do with how arduous you grip the golf membership. As a substitute, it has to do with the place of your palms. A powerful grip requires the golfer’s palms to be rotated away from the goal.
Picture courtesy of Golf Distillery
How have you learnt in case your golf grip is already sturdy? Test the place of your knuckles in your left hand. In the event you can see three or extra knuckles, you’re already utilizing a robust grip.
People with a robust grip usually use one in every of two finger patterns: the interlocking grip or the overlapping grip.
With the interlocking grip, the golfer takes the fitting pinky and interlocks it with the left index finger. With the overlapping grip (aka the Vardon grip), the golfer takes the pinky of the fitting hand and easily rests it on high of the index finger of the left hand. The selection to overlap or interlock all comes right down to the golfer’s private selection.
Is a Sturdy Grip Good in Golf?
No golf grip is inherently good or dangerous. All of it is dependent upon what sort of golf swing you may have. An important factor is to match your swing sort with the right grip. It’s finest to spend plenty of follow time utilizing every grip to see which one works finest for you.
Simply as with the weak and impartial grips, the sturdy grip has its personal set of positives and disadvantages. Here’s a temporary listing of the professionals and cons of the sturdy grip.
Professional #1: May Result in Elevated Distance off the Tee
Switching to a robust golf grip places the palms in a extra highly effective place. This might result in extra yardage off the tee with the motive force. The flexibility to hit the ball additional can result in decrease scores on the course.
The sturdy grip additionally makes the golf membership really feel a lot lighter, which helps generate a little bit extra clubhead velocity. With the membership feeling lighter, the golfer has higher management of the shaft. Extra management of the golf membership usually results in extra correct photographs and further distance.
Professional #2: Helps to Straighten Out Slicers
Most novice or newbie golfers battle a slice, particularly with the bigger golf equipment like the motive force, fairway woods, and hybrids. A powerful grip helps treatment this frequent drawback. Right here’s how:
The sturdy grip makes it a lot simpler to shut the clubface on affect. That is in stark distinction to the weak and impartial grips, which often make it too straightforward to hit the ball with an open clubface. The open clubface is what causes the slice.
Professional #3: Promotes an In to Out Swing Path
The sturdy grip additionally encourages an in-to-out swing sample, which not solely helps treatment a slice however makes it simpler to hit attracts. That is due to the aforementioned closed clubface at affect. The flexibility to hit a draw could be a big benefit on the golf course, particularly on the holes which have a dogleg left form to them.
Con #1: Can End in Hooking
For golfers who don’t have any hassle closing the clubface at affect, a robust grip can result in hooking. This isn’t an excellent factor on the course and can lead to plenty of misplaced golf balls and frustration. A depraved hook is simply as dangerous as a nasty slice as a result of neither one will find yourself within the fairway.
Con #2: Decrease Ball Flight
Whereas most golfers, particularly slicers, might welcome a decrease ball flight, that isn’t the case for all golfers. The closed clubface that the sturdy grip promotes often results in much less trajectory. This isn’t such an issue with the longer golf equipment however it might probably negatively have an effect on some golfers’ strategy photographs with wedges.
Con #3: Much less Snug
This one comes down to non-public desire, as some golfers suppose the sturdy grip is extra comfy than the weak or impartial grips. Nevertheless, some golfers report that their palms get fairly a bit sore after switching to a robust grip. This could possibly be because of the further wrist rotation that happens with a robust grip.
Many golfers discover the sturdy grip to be very uncomfortable whereas chipping and placing. For that reason, plenty of golfers will use a robust grip for regular photographs however a impartial grip for brief recreation photographs.
Skilled Gamers Who Use a Sturdy Golf Grip
There are tons of golfers on the PGA Tour that use a robust grip. Lots of that are a number of the recreation’s greatest stars. This simply goes to indicate {that a} sturdy grip isn’t just for newbie golfers.
Dustin Johnson
DJ is likely one of the finest gamers on the planet and has been for fairly a while. Johnson has racked up 24 PGA Tour wins, two of that are main championships. The 37-year previous makes use of one of many strongest grips in professional golf due to his 6-4 body and really giant palms.
The sturdy grip helps preserve Johnson’s palms quiet, which permits for his brute power and excessive flexibility to pummel the golf ball nicely over 300 yards. Johnson’s sturdy grip allows him to maintain his reference to the golf membership all through his total swing.
Zach Johnson
Although Zach Johnson has no relation to Dustin Johnson, they each make use of a robust golf grip. The 45-year previous has received 12 instances on the PGA Tour, together with two main championship titles. What’s attention-grabbing about Johnson’s grip is that it’s even stronger than DJ’s, as each of his thumbs are pointed at his proper shoulder.
Johnson might not be one of many longest drivers in professional golf, however he is likely one of the most correct. The sturdy grip and glorious physique rotation assist Johnson make constant contact, each off the tee and along with his strategy photographs.
Bubba Watson
We needed to put a lefty on our listing and Watson is likely one of the finest on the market. The previous College of Georgia star has used a robust golf grip his total profession. Watson turned professional in 2002 and has received 12 instances on the PGA Tour.
Watson’s best achievements are his two victories at The Masters Event in Augusta, Georgia. Watson retains his palms in a particularly sturdy place, which is fairly unusual amongst left-handed golfers. Being unconventional has by no means bothered Watson.
Fred {Couples}
{Couples} was probably the most dominant golfers on the PGA Tour within the Nineteen Nineties. “Increase Increase” received 15 instances on the PGA Tour and captured the coveted Masters Event title in 1992. {Couples} nonetheless performs on the PGA Tour Champions and his grip is so sturdy that his wrist cups.
Although he makes use of a particularly sturdy grip, {Couples} solely grips the golf membership with a small quantity of grip stress. By frivolously holding the membership, {Couples} is ready to generate his signature clean swing. This proves that golfers with a robust grip can nonetheless have a pleasant clean rhythm to their swing.
Paul Azinger
We are able to’t point out sturdy grips with out speaking in regards to the man with the strongest golf grip of all time. “Zinger” had what is known as an ultra-strong grip, which is the place you may see all 4 knuckles on the lead hand. Azinger’s proper hand was way more beneath the golf membership than most golfers.
The extraordinarily sturdy grip didn’t harm Azinger’s profession within the least. The Florida State College alum scored 12 wins on the PGA Tour, together with the 1993 PGA Championship. Azinger is now probably the most common commentators on the Golf Channel.
Who This Grip is Greatest Suited For
Plenty of golfers can profit from attempting out a stronger grip. Nevertheless, a robust grip will not be for everybody. Try the beneath listing for the parents that will profit probably the most from a robust grip.
- Golfers who battle with a slice
- Golfers who need to enhance their driving distance
- People who need to hit extra attracts
- Individuals who need extra management throughout their backswing
- Golfers who’ve hassle closing the clubface
- Those that have to make extra constant contact
- Those that need a swing that depends much less on timing
- People with quick hips
The Different Forms of Golf Grips
Have you ever tried the sturdy grip prior to now and didn’t really feel comfy with it? If that’s the case, think about using a weak grip or a impartial grip. Right here’s a quick rundown of every of these.
Weak Golf Grip
The weak grip is the precise reverse of the sturdy grip. As a substitute of each the fitting thumb and left thumb pointing on the proper shoulder, with the weak grip they level on the left shoulder. With a weak grip, the golfer will solely see one knuckle on their left hand whereas addressing the golf ball.
Golfers who love the weak grip declare that it helps them hit the ball so much increased than the opposite two grips. PGA Tour execs like Jon Rahm use the weak grip to hit these lengthy, energy fade drives. A weak grip usually works nicely for golfers with sluggish hips.
Impartial Golf Grip
The impartial grip is a cheerful medium between the weak and robust grips. With a impartial grip, the thumbs level proper on the golfer’s face as a substitute of both his proper or left shoulder. Golfers with a extra medium hip velocity might profit probably the most from a impartial grip.
When utilizing a impartial grip, the golfer will have the ability to see two knuckles on his left hand throughout his setup. The impartial grip often works finest for golfers with glorious swing mechanics. PGA Tour legends Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods are each large proponents of the impartial golf grip.
