How Can I Tell Whether My Golf Grip Is Helping Me?

Build the grip before testing it

Can you use your grip to control where the clubface points? That is what I want you to explore. The hands connect you to the club, so the grip needs to give you a connection you can use.

Take care of the simple things first. Build the grip with the club in front of you. Check how the fingers support the handle and how the hands fit together.

I often use “pinch and hook.” For many players, we work on getting the lead heel pad supported on top and the trail-hand lifeline covering the lead thumb.

Then lower the club to the ball. Did you keep that connection, or did you change it on the way down?

Play a start-direction game

Once you can build the grip consistently, give yourself a small task.

At The Tips, we can use TrackMan to observe the face angle and where the ball starts. Begin with short shots. Try starting one a little left of the target, then one a little right.

Can you produce a difference intentionally? Keep the motion small enough that you can pay attention to the face. You are learning how your hands relate to it.

If the ball keeps starting right, explore what allows you to send it farther left. Check the grip as part of that experiment. Avoid changing everything at once, because you want to understand what helped.

Find a connection you can use

A stronger grip may help one player. A more neutral grip may help another. The shot gives the adjustment a purpose.

Also notice the difference between secure hands and tense shoulders. You can support the club while allowing the arms to stay relatively relaxed.

The goal is to build a grip you can repeat and use to influence the face. Test that connection with a small shot before asking it to work at full speed.