Weak Golf Grip: What Is It And How To Fix It

As is talked about a lot in golf instruction, your grip is the only thing connecting you to the club, so it plays a big part in how you deliver the club - square, open or closed. In the video and article below, PGA pro Ben Emerson discusses the weak golf grip and how you can fix it if it's giving you problems... 

Weak golf grip: What is it?

Many people struggle with how to grip a golf club. It's one of the basics that is essential to get right if you want to play to your ability. Having a weak grip can deprive you of that. 

It occurs when both hands are wrapped too far round to the left-hand side of the grip (right for left-handers). This makes it really hard to release the club properly and effectively, meaning the club tends to be open at impact, which leads to pushes, fades and even slices. 

So, if you want to fix your slice, look at your lead hand first and you’ll notice you can only maybe see one knuckle or even less at address. In contrast, on the trail hand, you will be able to see too many knuckles - perhaps as many as three or four. If this is you, you've got a weak grip which could be the root cause of your troubles.

Weak golf grip: How to fix it

For those wondering what is a neutral golf grip, as a guide, you want to see around two knuckles of the left hand and two of the right when standing at address. But it will take some work to make this feel like second nature. 

To get into position, first, grip the club with your left hand only, making sure it is pointing square to your target, like Ben does in the video above. Then, see if you can hold the club with just the index finger and thumb in place, removing the other three fingers. This should work as the grip should be sitting on top of the pad of your hand, which provides support to keep the club in place.

However, if you can’t hold on to the club like that, then your grip is still too weak. Just as you would do if you had a strong golf grip, repeat this exercise until it becomes easy. It's a great feedback tool for golfers without getting too technical.

Once you’ve honed that drill, put the rest of the fingers back in position and you should be able to look down and see two or two-and-a-half knuckles in view on the lead hand.

From there, it's a case of slotting the right hand into position, on top of the left, still feeling like you’re gripping it with your fingers. If you can still see three or more knuckles, you’re not quite there yet. Like the opposite hand, repeat until it becomes second nature.

Once you've mastered this, you'll have the perfect golf grip which will allow you to control and release the club better, resulting in more powerful and accurate shots. Give it a go!