7 Tips on How to Hold a Golf Club for Perfect Swings
According to the National Golf Course Owners Association (NGCOA), per the National Golf Foundation, 26.6 million folks in the U.S. played on a golf course in 2023. Of these individuals, a whopping 3.4 million were first-time players!
If you've decided to try golf for the first time this year, one way to prepare for your first-ever round is to learn how to hold a golf club correctly. After all, a perfect hold, which includes proper golf grip, impacts your clubhead speed, ball flight, and overall game performance. Moreover, how you hold and grip your golf club influences control, power, trajectory, and comfort.
Luckily, you've come to the right page. The team at PipeStone Golf Club in Miamisburg, OH, will teach you how to properly hold a golf club in this guide, so read on.
1. Decide on Your Lead Hand
According to MedlinePlus, right-handed folks make up 85% to 90% of the population in Western countries, while lefties account for 10% to 15%.
Handedness, or hand preference, is a person's tendency to be more comfortable, sometimes even skilled, with one hand than the other. The dominant hand (right hand vs. left hand) also often has more strength, considering the many years of its predominant use.
Interestingly, the dominant hand isn't always the "lead hand" in golf but rather the trail hand. For example, many right-handed players use their left hand or arm as the lead, the right as the trail, and vice versa.
There's no right or wrong here; what's crucial is to determine which hand you're more comfortable swinging, whether it's for putting or driving the golf ball. Plus, just like guitars, you'll also find golf clubs specifically for left-handed people.
One of the best ways to determine which way you'll swing is to try out a few clubs at a golf course. If you're in Miamisburg, Dayton, or nearby areas, consider visiting PipeStone Golf Club. Here, we can teach you how to hold a golf club and master the right golf grip through our PGA professional staff's expert lessons.
2. Know the Basic Hand Positioning
Now that you know the basics of the lead vs. trail hand/arm, the next step is to practice proper hand and club positioning. When grabbing a club for the first time, make it a point to use your lead arm. So, if you're right-handed, you should hold the club with your left hand first, or if you're a leftie, take the club with your right hand.
Next, stretch out your lead hand's fingers and align its palm with the club handle. Ensure the handle runs straight diagonally across the fingers before closing your hand around the club.
Your lead hand's palm should be along the handle's top edge. However, the handle's tip should still be visible.
Next, position the heel of your trail hand on top of the thumb of your lead hand. Your trail hand should cover the lead hand.
Close your trail hand in a way that makes the thumb and forefinger create a "V" shape. The V should be pointing toward the center of your breastbone or sternum.
At this point, you should hold the club in front of you at waist height. It should be horizontal to the ground, with the club face squared.
3. Mind Your Grip
There are three standard golf grip techniques, which we'll discuss later on, but for now, let's start with the basics of a proper golf grip.
First, it pays to think of an ideal golf grip as a friendly handshake. It should be firm, not too loose, but not too tight that you're white-knuckling it. It should have just enough pressure to ensure your hold on it is secure and that it won't go flying when you swing.
4. Learn How to Troubleshoot Your Hold and Grip
When you grip your club, take a moment to "feel" your arms and wrists. If you feel too much tension on them, you're likely gripping the club too tight.
Release your grip slightly and move the club as you would when putting. The club shouldn't twist around in your hands; if it is, you don't have enough grip on the handle.
Another quick way to troubleshoot how you hold your golf club is to look at your hand and finger position. Do you see the tip of the handle? If not, your hands are too high on the club, so reposition them slightly lower until the handle becomes visible again.
5. Get a Ten-Finger Grip
The 10-finger grip is what it sounds like; it involves using all ten fingers, each touching the club. It's not super popular among pro players, but you may find it comfortable as a beginner since it creates a powerful grip. It may also be suitable for you if you have small hands.
6. Test the Vardon Grip
Also called the overlapping grip, the Vardon grip is among the most popular golf grip techniques. In this technique, the trailing hand's pinkie finger overlaps the other hand's index finger on the club handle. It promotes smooth, consistent swings, helping improve golf swing accuracy and distance.
7. Add Some Power With the Interlocking Grip
According to a Golf Digest survey, 58.4% of players in the 2024 PGA Championship field use the interlocking grip.
Like the 10-finger grip, the interlocking grip has all ten fingers touching the club. The primary difference is that with the 10-finger grip, the hands just sit beside each other. Conversely, the interlocking grip connects and joins the hands.
With the interlocking grip, you interlock one hand's index finger with the other hand's pinkie finger. The position helps get your hands closer together, boosting the power behind your swings.
How to Hold a Golf Club Correctly: Now You Know
In this guide on how to hold a golf club correctly, you learned about lead vs. trail hands, basic hand positions, and various grip strategies. Now that you know more about the fundamentals, it's time to take your new knowledge to the real world.
PipeStone, an 18-hole par 72 facility designed by world-renowned architect Authur Hills, is an excellent place to try, test, and hone your golf club hold, grip, and skills. Our golf course in Miamisburg, OH, has proudly served golfers of all ages and levels since 1992.
Contact us today to schedule a visit or learn more about our golf lessons taught by PGA professional staff!