The only thing that touches the clubs is your hands. And so making sure they are on the club correctly is imperative. I have a very simple set up routine, that if you follow, will ensure have a great golf grip. And eliminating doubt is one of the best things you can do for your game.
The Routine
- Stand away from the ball about three feet. Allow your left arm to hang naturally from your shoulder—as I’m doing in Photo 1—so that you don’t see the palm of your hand.
- Have the golf club by your side, and put your left hand on the club. This step—as you see in Photo 2—should feel as natural as possible so do NOT twist your arm or hand.
- Bow over from your waist, and you will notice that your left thumb is sitting at 1 o’clock (if you are right handed) and at 11 o’clock (if you are left handed). That is exactly where you want your front hand thumb.
- You will now place your back hand on the club as if you are tossing a ball underhanded toward your target. When you do this, you will notice that your back hand thumb falls on the other side of the grip (Photo 3). For right-handed players, it would be sitting at 11 o’clock, and for left-handed players, it would be one o’clock
- Each thumb will be sitting on the opposite side of the grip, so it’s 11-and-1 or 1-and-11, depending on which hand is dominant.
- I like to tell my students that your fingers pinch and your thumbs are dead. That means you don’t want your thumbs controlling the club face. Instead, you want your hands to be secure and wrists supple enough to allow the club face to swing. That’s the essence of a great golf grip.
- Let it rip!
