A grip that’s too strong isn’t about squeezing the club to death, it’s about a subtle rotation of your hands that can send your ball hooking wildly off-line. Understanding if your grip is too strong - and what chaos it's causing in your swing - is the first step to hitting more fairways and greens. This guide will show you how to identify a strong grip, explain the chain reaction of problems it creates, and give you a clear, step-by-step plan to get your hands back to a powerful, neutral position.
First, let’s clear up the biggest misconception. The term "strong" in golf grips has nothing to do with pressure. You can have a light, relaxed grip pressure, yet still have a technically "strong" grip. Conversely, you can have a "weak" grip while strangling the club. In golf instruction, strong, neutral, and weak refer to the rotational position of your hands on the club, not how hard you squeeze.
For a right-handed golfer, a strong grip is one where both hands are rotated too far to the right (away from the target). Think of it like this: your hands are in a position that naturally wants to shut or close the clubface as you swing through impact. This pre-sets a hook.
When your hands are in this hyper-rotated position, the clubface has a powerful tendency to close on its own during the downswing. You don’t have to do anything extra, the laws of physics will take over, and that face will shut down, sending the ball left.
A faulty grip doesn't just exist in a vacuum. It triggers a series of compensations throughout your swing as your body instinctively tries to prevent the clubface from slamming shut. This chain reaction is often the root cause of many frustrating swing issues.
This is the big one. The single most common result of a strong grip is a hook. Because your hands are already "pre-set" to close the face, any natural rotation of your arms and body through the-hitting area will aggressively shut it down. At first, this might seem great, you might be hitting a nice, powerful draw. But as the grip gets stronger or your swing speed increases, that gentle draw turns into a duck hook that dives out of the sky and runs forever into the left rough (or woods... or water).
You’ll find it incredibly difficult to hit a straight shot on command, and trying to hit a fade is practically out of the question. You’re essentially playing golf with one arm tied behind your back, limited to a single shot shape that is often hard to control.
Your brain is smart. It knows that if it just lets the swing happen with a strong grip, the ball is going way left. So, it creates compensations to try and save the shot. This is where things get messy and consistency disappears.
Common compensations include:
These compensations are exhausting and nearly impossible to time correctly. One swing you might stall perfectly to hit a straight shot, but the next you flip it and hook it out-of-bounds. This is why golfers with strong grips often feel like their game is an unpredictable rollercoaster.
A strong grip that promotes a shut face also de-lofts the club significantly at impact. Your 8-iron suddenly has the loft of a 6-iron. While that might sound powerful, the low, driving ball flight becomes extremely difficult to manage when hitting into greens. You can't stop the ball quickly, so even well-struck shots run through the back.
This problem is magnified around the greens. Trying to hit a high, soft flop shot or a delicate bunker shot with a strong grip is a nightmare. These shots require you to open the clubface at address. But because your hands are already rotated to the right, opening the face feels impossibly awkward and often results in you presenting the hosel to the ball, leading to a dreaded shank.
Fixing a lifelong grip is a process. It will feel incredibly weird at first. Your new, neutral grip will feel "weak" and like you’re going to slice everything. Trust the process. This temporary discomfort is the price of admission for long-term consistency.
Forget your old hold. Let's build a new one piece by piece in front of a mirror or using your phone camera.
Do not go right to the range and start hitting drivers. Your brain will revolt. Start by just holding a club in your living room with the new grip for a few minutes each day to get used to the sensation.
Then, head to the practice green. Start with 10-yard chips in the back of your stance. Focus only on making solid contact with your new grip. Then move to 30-40 yard pitches. Finally, go to the range and begin with half-swings using a wedge. You might hit some pushes or slices at first. This is a good sign! It means your grip is fixed, but your old compensating swing is still there. Your swing now needs to catch up to your grip, which requires learning to rotate your body properly through the shot instead of stalling.
Integrate grip checks into your pre-shot routine. Every single time you address the ball, look down and confirm you see those two knuckles on your lead hand. It has to become an automatic checkpoint.
A great drill is the "Re-Grip" drill. Take your normal address with your new, neutral grip. Before you swing, take your right hand completely off the club, then place it back on, making sure the palm fits perfectly over the left thumb. Do this several times to reinforce the correct feel and position. It builds the muscle memory so that "neutral" eventually starts to feel normal.
Moving away from a strong grip unlocks the rest of your golf game. It allows your body to rotate freely and powerfully, brings consistency to your ball striking, and gives you the ability to control your clubface to hit any shot the course demands.
Throughout this change, having a trusted resource helps you stay the course, and that's precisely what we built Caddie AI to be. When your new grip causes some strange ball flights at first, you can ask for potential reasons or drills. Snap a picture of your ball's lie in the rough and get immediate, objective advice on how to play it, removing the guesswork that can lead you back to old, faulty habits.
Thinking about hosting a golf tournament fundraiser is the first swing, executing it successfully is what gets the ball in the hole. This guide will walk you through the entire process, step-by-step, from laying the initial groundwork months in advance to watching your happy golfers tee off. We’ll cover everything from securing sponsors and setting your budget to planning the on-course fun that makes an event unforgettable.
A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
The compression of a Pinnacle Rush golf ball is one of its most defining features, engineered specifically to help a huge swath of golfers get more distance and enjoyment from their game. We'll break down exactly what its low compression means, who it's for, and how you can use that knowledge to shoot lower scores.
Figuring out which spikes go into your new (or old) pair of Puma golf shoes can feel like a puzzle, but it’s much simpler than you think. The key isn't the brand of the shoe, but the type of receptacle system they use. This guide will walk you through exactly how to identify your Puma's spike system, choose the perfect replacements for your game, and change them out like a pro.
The Golf Genius app is one of the best tools for managing and participating in competitive golf events, but figuring it out for the first time can feel like reading a new set of greens. This guide cuts through the confusion and shows you exactly how to use the app as a player. We’ll cover everything from logging into your tournament and entering scores to checking the live leaderboard so you can enjoy the competition without any tech headaches.
Walking onto the first tee with sweaty palms, worried you’ll be a good partner to paly wtih...or even asked back again ...We’ve all been there - trust me! The real trick of feeling confortable... is about how you handle you’re ready to plsy. THIS guide explains the simple rules of the rode to show you hnow t play golf while staying calm relaxed and focused... an having much morse fun while you,',re aat it? You'll also play with confidence a dn make fiendsa while you're at i
Just ask a question or share a photo and Caddie gives personalized guidance for every shot - anytime, anywhere.
