Finding the perfect golf grip isn't always easy for amateur golfers, but with the right expert tips this key area of your set-up can help you drastically improve your ball striking.
When you also consider that a strong golf grip, or a weak golf grip, can lead to many common amateur faults, it becomes even more important to commit time to improving this fundamental.
In this video and article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins shares everything you need to know about the neutral golf grip...
Neutral Golf Grip Tips
The best way to achieve a neutral golf grip is to take your usual golf posture and allow your arms to hang down without a club. Bring your hands together as if you were clapping, and allow your fingers to hang softly towards the ground. Make a fist, and attempt to fit the club within the fingers.
With a neutral golf grip the palm of your hands will face each other
Connect your grip together whichever way you choose. Interlock your top index and bottom pinky, overlap these or go baseball- where your hands are touching but not linked.
However you decide to connect the hands, your palms should fold onto the handle of the club, with the channel created by your fingers housing the grip (see video above for an example of this).
The correct position should show two knuckles on your bottom hand, with the 'v' created by the thumb and forefinger pointing towards your trail shoulder.
If your bottom hand sits too far underneath the grip, you'll have a tendency to close the face through impact and hit the ball left
If you are right handed, often we see the right (bottom) hand sit too far under the grip. The palm of this hand looks up to the sky and you see too much of the logo of your glove at address. This is called a 'strong grip' and the problem is that as your hands return to their natural position at impact, the club face will close causing a hook.
Similarly, if your bottom hand is sitting too much on top of the club, this is known as a weak grip. As you move towards impact you'll have a tendency to open the club face and cut across the ball hitting slice shots. Changing your grip is tough but it is definitely worth the effort.
Here's a bit of 'homework' for you. Stand a club by the bathroom door, every time you walk past make a grip, going through these guidelines. Give the club a waggle and set it back against the door again. Do this enough and your more neutral grip will soon feel less alien out on the course. You should soon start hitting straighter, better shots!
Why Is A Neutral Golf Grip Better?
During the swing, the hands will try to return to their natural position through impact. A strong or weak grip results doesn't allow this through natural movement, and often leads to a hook or slice shot.
By adopting a neutral golf grip, you can then also manipulate your swing path to hit draws and fades.
