Strong vs weak golf grip: what’s the difference?

Understanding the difference between a strong and weak golf grip is critical to getting the most out of your game. It’s also one of the more misconstrued aspects of holding a golf club and preparing for an accurate swing. Whether you’re a beginner or experienced on the course, adjusting this element of your set-up could be the difference between a perfect shot and one which goes horribly wrong.

Here, you’ll discover exactly what to look out for when it comes to grip strength, how it differs from grip pressure, and whether a strong or weak grip is right for you. You may even find that a small adjustment could transform your golfing prospects.

The difference between a strong and weak grip in golf

Simply put, for a right-handed golfer, a strong grip is when your hands are rotated towards the right. A weak grip is the opposite. When your hands are facing more towards the left.

Before looking at how this impacts your swing, it’s important to understand the difference between grip strength and grip pressure. They are not the same thing.

Grip pressure refers to how tightly or loosely you hold the golf club. Grip strength, on the other hand, is about the rotation of your hands and wrists, and how this affects the position of the clubface.

You don’t have to hold the club loosely for a weak grip, nor do you need to be holding on for dear life if you opt for a strong grip.

A strong grip

For a strong grip, your hands will be rotated to the right.

Counting the knuckles on your lead hand is a great way to gauge your grip strength. Looking down at your grip and hand placement, you’ll see three or four knuckles on your lead hand (your left, for a right-handed golfer) and none on your trailing hand.

Another way to assess your grip strength purely by looking down at your hands is to follow the direction of the V shape formed by the thumb and index finger on your lead hand. When your grip is strong, you’ll notice that this V is aligned with your right shoulder.

The side effects of a strong grip

With a strong grip, the clubface is more closed. This means your shots are more likely to veer to the left.

This can be good or bad, depending on what kind of golfer you are. For example, if you prefer hitting draws over fades, you might find that a strong grip suits you. Alternatively, if you struggle with slicing the ball too often, a stronger grip may counteract this.

However, understandably, there’s a flip side to that coin. While a strong grip is conducive to draws, it will make a fade much more difficult. Similarly, though it may reduce slices, it could result in accidental hooks.

Some beginners find it easier to square the clubface with a stronger grip because it is more closed. But it is important to bear in mind the risks mentioned above regarding a strong grip.

Strengthening is usually best advised when you’re trying to counteract a deficiency that’s already present in your game, as opposed to finding a default stance as a beginner.

A weak grip

A weak grip is more or less the opposite of a strong grip. When you look down, you’ll see more knuckles on your trailing hand than your lead hand, and you’re likely to find that the V shape is directed towards your left shoulder.

The side effects of a weak grip

A weak grip has the opposite impact on your shots than a strong grip. As the clubface is more open, your shot is more likely to veer to the right.

If you prefer fades to draws or frequently hook the ball by mistake, you may benefit from a weaker grip. However, the risk is that you’ll slice the ball instead.

Weakening your grip can help fix a problem in your game, but it’s not an ideal place to start.

A neutral grip

So, where is the best place to start for a beginner? The neutral grip.

This grip largely does what it says on the tin and is the preference of many golfers.

Because you’re aiming for neutrality, your hands have neither twisted noticeably towards your left nor right. You’ll be able to tell if you’ve accomplished this by seeing a couple of knuckles on each hand, and a V shape aligned roughly with your chin.

The side effects of a neutral grip

As mentioned earlier, some beginners find that a strong grip helps them square the clubface more. But a neutral grip is probably the optimal way to achieve that goal.

This grip gives you the best chance of aligning a shot centrally, while still assessing where your natural biases lie. For example, if you find that you’re either slicing or hooking shots when using a neutral grip, you could resolve it with a stronger or weaker one.

If you’re a beginner, a neutral grip is the perfect place to start, but you will absolutely benefit from trying out stronger and weaker grips to see which naturally suits you better.

What’s right for you?

When it comes to the competition of a strong vs weak golf grip, it all depends on who you are as a golfer and how you want to alter your game.

You might strengthen your grip if you:

• Prefer draws
• Want to reduce slices

Alternatively, you might weaken your grip if you:

• Prefer fades
• Want to reduce hooks

With everything considered, it’s best to start with a neutral grip and adapt if necessary.

You may even find that you don’t need to alter your grip strength at all. But if you do, now you know how a small alteration in the grip department could improve your game.

Keen to learn more about golf? Get to grips with basic golf swing fundamentals and how to play bunker shots.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many knuckles should you see with each type of grip?

With a strong grip, you’ll see three or four knuckles on your lead hand and none on your trailing hand. For a weak grip, you’ll see more knuckles on your trailing hand than on your lead hand. With a neutral grip, you should see around two knuckles on each hand.

Is a strong or weak grip better for beginners?

Most beginner golfers start with a neutral grip, but many progress to a slightly stronger grip to help prevent a slice.

When might a stronger grip help?

A stronger grip can help when hitting draws or if you struggle with slicing the ball too often. You may hit the occasional accidental hook with a strong grip.

When might a weaker grip help?

If you prefer fades to draws or frequently hook the ball by mistake, you may benefit from a weaker grip. But there is a risk you may slice the ball instead.

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