Strong Golf Grip: 3 Keys to Unlock Your Best Golf Today (by a Golf Professional)

Some of the best players in the game learned how to play golf with a strong grip and swear by the benefits. I also agree with the benefits of a strong grip and have played one myself for different periods throughout my golfing career. However, knowing these tips on a strong golf grip and how it’s different from a neutral or weak golf grip is essential.

So, without further ado, let’s dive into some of the keys you should know if you want to switch to a strong golf grip.

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What Is a Strong Grip in Golf?

It’s easy for someone who is not familiar with a strong grip, a neutral grip, or the grip in general, for that matter, to start gripping the club incorrectly with both the right and left hand. We refer to these as the lead hand and trail hand in instructional circles. The lead hand will be the left hand for a right-handed golfer, and the trail hand is the right hand for a right-handed golfer. The reverse is true for a left-handed golfer. 

A strong grip involves using the left hand for a right-handed golfer and the right-hand for a left-handed golfer. However, some right-handed golfers will use their right hand to manipulate the golf grip and make it stronger, and left-handed golfers tend to do the same with their left hand.

A good strong grip starts in the fingers (Example One) of the left hand (right-handed golfers) and ends with three to three and a half knuckles being visible (Example Two). The right-hand grip also starts in the fingers and sits on top of the club for right-handed golfers, forming a V-shape between the right and left hands (Example Three). Be careful not to put the right hand too far under the club (Example Four), creating a grip that will heavily influence the motion of the golf swing, leading to a closed clubface at impact and all sorts of irregular shot patterns.

Steps for Success:

Step One

Step Two

Step Three: Correct Grip

Incorrect Grip

Using a Strong Golf Grip

If you’re going to play a strong grip, gone are the days of throwing your hands at the ball around impact. Instead, it would be best to have a good forward shaft lean at impact. This is not to say that it’s not important to have a good impact position when using a weak grip or neutral grip. It’s just a strong grip demands more attention and practice for things such as impact position, grip pressure, proper use of the lead hand, and correct use of the right hand for right-handed golfers. 

Example:

Correct Shaft Lean

Practice and Preparation

I hope it goes without saying, but playing with a strong grip if you’re not used to it can be challenging and frustrating at first. So, if you decide to go with a strong grip, taking time off from the golf course and practicing the game instead is vital. Practicing golf at home is a great way to limit distractions and the concern of hitting bad shots on the range. I use a golf hitting mat, a net for at-home practice, and the Tour Striker as a training aid, which I find handy for keeping my golf swing connected. 

I recommend picking a neutral golf club in your bag. By this, I mean one that you already hit well (preferably a short to mid-iron) and use to hone your golf swing with your new strong left hand grip if you’re right-handed. 

Once you have gotten the hang of the full swing with your favorite short or mid-iron, it’s time to move on to the short game-meaning 120 yards and in from the green.

Perhaps you’re thinking, “why not just hit the driver?” Well, simply put, you’re not ready for that long of swing yet.

After practicing your short game while continuing to hit short and mid-iron shots, you can then move on to hitting fairway woods and a driver.

How to Practice With a Strong Grip

To give you an idea of how much time you should spend on your short or mid-iron and the short game before hitting fairway woods and a driver:

• At least 75 percent of your first practice session with your new strong grip should focus on hitting your favorite short or mid-iron; the remaining 25 percent should focus on the short game.
• You can spend 50 percent on your favorite iron, 30 percent on short game, and the remaining 20 percent on hitting fairway woods and your driver for your second practice session.
• After those first two practice sessions, you can return to your routine for the next couple of sessions, consisting of hitting shots from under 120 yards and in, 70 percent of the time.

Study Others

Another critical aspect of learning how to play golf with a strong grip is to study the swings of great golfers, both past and present, who used a strong grip.

Some of these players include Ben Hogan, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, and honestly, many of today’s professional golfers because a stronger grip on the golf club is so prevalent in the modern game focused on distance.

It’s essential to find a player and study their swing and everything about their game. Although you generally never want to copy someone else’s swing entirely, there are a few fundamental rules of the golf swing that someone with a strong grip must follow.

Is a Strong Grip Good in Golf?

Like anything else, there are pros and cons of a strong grip, and it may or may not be right for you. There are many shot options when using a strong grip vs. using a weak grip or even a neutral grip. However, it’s important to remember that the golf ball doesn’t know the difference. So, if you find a grip, whether weak or strong golf grip, that works for you, then keep doing what you’re doing because there is no such thing as a perfect golf grip. 

Also, keep in mind that, like anything worth doing, working on a new grip until it feels natural takes time and patience. Your grip may feel comfortable but may or may not be the proper grip for your game. This can be true whether you use a stronger grip, weaker grip, or a neutral grip. 

What Are the Advantages of a Strong Golf Grip?

The advantages of a strong grip include increasing club head speed, more leverage in the golf swing, and shallowing the club on the downswing.

Now that you’ve gotten the details about a strong grip and know how to use one correctly, it’s time to practice. If you’ve practiced using a strong grip and still need to get the hang of things, I recommend a golf lesson from a teaching professional because golf instruction is an art form and can take years of study and experience. Also, feel free to practice golf at home; some of my best practicing sessions happened when working on my game outside the driving range or golf course.

Last but not least, there is no shortcut for putting in the work; however, the rewards you will receive later are priceless.