If you play golf, you may have overheard this statement: “Your golf grip is considered a sole connection to your club.” That is why one should choose the right golf grip.
The golf grip is the foundation of a golfer’s swing. It is the only physical connection between the club and the golfer, which is essential to achieve consistency, control, and power.
When your grasp at an address feels so natural, at ease, and boosts your confidence that you don’t even think about it, you know you have the proper golf grip. The best way to get there is to test out several golf club grips and hit a range of strokes, including muscling out of thick rough, full-throttle drives, half-swings, and touch shots around the green, while evaluating the golf grip’s stability, comfort, and feedback.
That is why you should select the right golf grip style, which significantly impacts your game and increases the accuracy of overall performance. There is a variety of Putting golf grip options available; it’s critical to comprehend the options and influencing aspects before making a choice.
Different Types of Grip Styles
1. Vardon Overlap Grip
The most popular professional grip golfers use is the Vardon Overlap grip, sometimes referred to as the Overlapping or the Vardon grip. To use this grip, position your following hand’s little finger (your right hand if you play golf right-handed) between your lead hand’s index and middle finger (your left hand if you play golf right-handed). This grip encourages control for players with average-sized hands or those seeking a classic grip style.
2. Interlocking Grip
Tiger Woods and other well-known golfers frequently employ the Interlocking grip. The little finger of the trailing hand interlocks with the index finger of the lead hand, comparable to the Vardon Overlap grip. Golfers with smaller hands or less grip power will benefit from this grip’s added stability.
3. 10-Finger Grip
All ten fingers are placed on the club in the Ten-Finger grip, also called the Baseball grip. Beginners, young golfers, or anyone with weak or flexible hands frequently use this grip. Compared to the other grip techniques, it may compromise some feel but offers better control and could help with power generation.
What to Look For?
1. Grip Size/Fitting
The grip size controversy is still alive when selecting grips for golf clubs. Old-school golfers claim that narrower grips stimulate wrist movement, which leads to hooks. They contend that larger golf grips encourage the contrary, whereas quieter hands result in a ball flight that fades further. A school of thought also maintains that bigger golf grips are preferable for elderly players with arthritis.
If you want something bigger but are still deciding whether to commit to wider grips, you may always choose a happy medium in midsize golf grips.
Golfers can choose from various grips, but there are three main varieties to be mindful of: cords, hybrids, and rubbers. Better players choose Cord grips because they have the firmest feel and the roughest texture of all of them, which gives control & feedback during the swing. The texture of a complete Cord grip, though, might be uncomfortable for players who are new to it. Therefore, Cords are only one of the greatest choices for players who don’t wear gloves.
Flip the club around and grab the shaft close to the clubhead if you’re intrigued about utilizing a larger size grip to quickly understand the impact midsize golf grips and oversized golf grips may have. This thin portion of the shaft requires greater effort and firmer pressure to secure a firm grasp. It might even make you feel uncomfortable.
Reverse the direction of the golf club and adopt your standard grip. Take note of how much simpler it is to feel in control of the club with a lighter grip. Repeating this method with the four different SuperStroke club grip sizes—undersize, standard, midsize, and oversize—would lead you to believe that it is simpler to maintain “quiet” wrists the larger the grip’s diameter. Your shots will be more consistent and straight if your wrists don’t tend to roll as much.
2. Grip Type/Feel
When you consider the number of available brands and their different grips styles, you will come across tremendous options. Some brands have emerged in a great way.
The Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord, which Tiger Woods primarily used, the Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord, which was successfully employed by ball-striker extraordinaire Will Zalatoris at the most recent FedEx St. Jude Invitational, and the SuperStroke S-Tech Cord are some well-known examples of Cord grips. Among the most well-liked Cord grips in the game are Lamkin’s Crossline Cord and UTx.
On the other end of the spectrum are rubber grips, which provide a softer feel in the hands and are preferred by players with greater handicaps and beginners. The new CPX from Golf Pride and the well-liked Tour Wrap are two examples of grips made of softer rubber. Although Winn employs polymer rather than rubber, the bulk of their grips would also be classified as “soft.” Most of the Iomic collection, Pure Pro golf grips, and Lamkin’s “Sonar” line of grips were also suitable.
When it comes to hybrid grips, these are solutions that often combine materials like rubber and cord, but the main thing that separates them from other options is that they offer a feel that lies somewhere between firmer Cords or softer rubber grips.
3. Grip Performance
When it comes to grip performance, you can’t pick a grip that will instantly improve your game or repair your golf swing. If there were, the USGA would classify it as an “aid” and consider your re-grips non-conforming until the solvent had dried. The secret to selecting grips from a performance perspective is to choose something that won’t impede your efforts on the course while also assisting you in reaching your goals as a golfer.
From that perspective, there will undoubtedly be some overlap between your performance and the size and grip you select, so getting those later elements right is critical. However, there are more factors to consider, with comfort and confidence at the top. What chance do you have to be consistent, for instance, if you can’t comfortably and routinely place your hands on the grip as you play?
Golf grips still heavily emphasize comfort. For the player to be successful, they need to feel confident and at ease.
In addition, even if it involves getting used to a new feel, you might want to think about how your grips can benefit you on the golf course according to your skill level. In that regard, Golf Pride has discovered numerous recurring themes, some of which are attributable to Tiger Woods’ enormous success over the past few decades.
Workability and the kind of grips that would best suit a shot-maker would be another performance factor to
consider.
Another important performance factor is your golf grips’ ability to perform when exposed to moisture, such as rain or the sweat that golfers experience in hot, humid weather. For some people, that might not be a big deal, but grips that perform well under challenging circumstances for serious tournament players might be priceless.
Taper or Not to Taper Golf Club
Should golf club handles have any taper? According to supporters of tapered club grips, tapering prevents the grip from sliding out of your hands. Others counter that there is no performance benefit to tapered golf club grips and that it is only tradition.
A thicker and lower hand area supports lighter grip pressure, which lowers tension—the enemy of a steady golf swing—in the opinion of proponents of no or limited taper.
FAQs
What is golf grip style?
How you hold the golf club is called your golf grip style. Golfers can choose from various grip styles, and each style can affect your swing and overall game.
What are common golf grip styles?
The overlapping grip, interlocking grip, and ten-finger grip are the most popular golf grip designs. The trailing hand’s pinky finger overlaps the leading hand’s index finger in the overlapping grip. The lead hand’s index finger and the trailing hand’s pinky finger are intertwined in the interlocking grip.
All ten fingers on both hands are in contact with the club when using the ten-finger grip, also called the baseball grip.
Why choosing the right golf grip style important?
Choosing the proper grip style for golf is crucial because it has an immediate impact on how you control the club during your swing. Using the right grip, you may improve your accuracy, consistency, and power in your shots. Additionally, it lessens the possibility of injuries by preventing common swing errors.
The Final Words
Several factors come to a person’s mind before they choose the right golf grip style. It will be a personal decision based on different factors such as flexibility, feel, shot control, and strength. Once you consider all these factors while choosing a putting golf grip, then that will enhance your performance and enhance overall enjoyment.
