Is It Ok To Have A Weak Golf Grip – Vs Strong Vs Neutral

Grip Strength: Why It’s So Important

Most golfers will overlook the grip and not appreciate the importance of this part of the golf swing. However, when you think about it, the grip is the only part of your body that has contact with the golf club.

If you can get this right, it can dramatically improve your game. How you hold the golf club has a significant impact on the outcome of the shot you play.

It can be the difference between going low and shooting your best score or having the worst game of your life. – let’s look at the different types of grips and how they impact your game. 

What Types Of Grip Are There?

If you are a golfer or planning to start golf, you need to know that grip strength is one of the most important aspects of your game. it determines the swing curvature and shape of your shot.

There are three types of grips strong, neutral, and a weak grip. In this article, we will explain these in more detail. 

Should Everyone Have The Same Grip Strength?

Golf is a game of feel and grip strength is a major factor in the feel. Every player has their own playing style and preference.

Therefore, it is up to the player whether he gets the best shot results with a strong, neutral, or weak grip. A player should opt for a grip strength that produces the feel, best performance, and required results for their own game. 

Strong Vs Neutral Vs Weak Golf Grip

 

Strong Grip

In a strong grip, the V formation of the thumb and forefingers of both hands directs towards a slight right head position. The club face is closed. this grip is ideal for golfers who struggle with slices.

Neutral Grip

In a neutral grip, the V formation is relaxed and straight. The club face is neutral and straight. It is ideal for golfers who drive the ball straighter and do not hook or slice it. 

Weak Grip

In a weak grip, the V formation of the thumb and forefingers of both hands directs towards a slight left head position. The club face is somewhat open. Ideal for golfers who struggle with hooks. 

What Is A Weak Golf Grip

In a weak golf grip, the V formation of the thumb and forefingers of both hands directs towards a slight left head position. The club face is open during the swing and through impact. Golfers who have out-to-in swing curvature prefer a weak grip strength. It is ideal for golfers who struggle with hooks. 

Weak Grip: What Kind Of Shot Can We Expect?

With a weak grip strength, the club face is slightly open through the impact. A golfer should expect a fade shot. If it is mishit, a slice might be the result. However, an open club face eliminates the possibility of a draw.

Weak Grip Strength: What Are The Benefits?

• Swing Curvature – Weak grip strength is ideal for golfers who have an out-to-in swing plane. 
• Slight Fade – If you are looking for a slight fade in your shots, opting for a weak grip is suggested.
• Elimination of Hooks – Since the club face is rather open at impact, it eliminates the chances of hook shots.

Weak Grip: What Are The Downsides?

• Possibility of Slice – If hit properly, it will result in a slight fade. However, if a golfer over-does the shot, it will result in a slice. The open club face at impact is the biggest cause of a slice shot.

Who Should Consider Using A Weak Grip

The weak grip is a perfect solution for golfers who struggle with hook shots. The open club face eliminates the chances of hook shots.

Moreover, it is the best option for golfers who have an out-to-in swing plane. It is the ideal grip for someone who wants a slight fade in his shots.

What Is A Neutral Golf Grip?

 

In a neutral grip, the V formation of the hand is relaxed and straight. The club face is square. It is ideal for golfers who drive the ball straighter.

A neutral grip at impact will have a naturally straight clubface, eliminating the chances of hooks and slices. Most professional golfers use neutral grip strength.

Neutral Grip: What Kind Of Shot Can We Expect?

A player should expect straighter trajectory shots with neutral grip strength. The relaxed and straightened V formation naturally becomes straight at impact, thus reducing the risk of hook shots and slice shots.

However, the grip should be neither tight nor loose. It should have fluidity in it. 

Neutral Grip: What Are The Benefits?

• Shaped Shots – Golfers with a neutral grip strength tend to hit more accurate shape shots. The neutral grip naturally aligns for straighter trajectory shots and good accuracy from the tee. 
• Elimination of Hook and Slice – To a greater extent, a neutral grip eliminates the tendency of hook and slice shots, this can help with better consistency in your shots and lower scores. 

Neutral Grip: What Are The Downsides?

• Problematic for Beginners – Although the idea of straighter shots excites every golfer, and as easy as the neutral grip may seem, it is much more difficult to master it. Since beginners struggle with properly balanced grip, there is a high probability that they will hit hooks and slices. The neutral grip increases the inconsistency as the newer golfers fluctuate between a weak and strong grip as they try to master the neutral grip.  

Who Should Consider Using A Neutral Grip?

Professionals and low handicappers should opt for a neutral grip. This grip can increase the swing speed as it allows the hands to swing through freely.

Beginners and amateurs might not be able to adopt this grip at first as it can be hard to master the correct feel in the hands, and it can take a lot of practice.

However, any golfer who has complete authority over their grip strength should opt for this. 

What Is A Strong Golf Grip?

In a strong grip, the V formation of the thumb and forefingers of both hands directs towards a slight right head position. Naturally, this grip is suggested for golfers who have an in-to-out golf swing plane. The club face is closed which reduces the probability of hitting slice shots. 

What Kind Of Shots Can We Expect

If hit properly, the players can expect a draw trajectory. This shot is perfect for curved and dog-leg holes. Many PGA professionals use strong grip strength, including Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, and Bubba Watson.

Strong Grip: What Are The Benefits?

• Elimination of Slices – Since the club face is closed at impact, this reduces the chances of slice shots. Therefore, players who struggle with slices should go for strong grip strength.
• Cure for In-to-Out Swing Plane – Any golfer who struggles with an in-to-out swing curvature should opt for this grip. It will naturally correct the swing plane at impact. 

Strong Grip: What Are The Downsides?

• Possibility of Hooks – As the club face is closed during impact, there is a greater possibility that the golfer might overdo the shot and hit a hook shot.
• Lesser Spin – If the grip is too tight and the club face is over shut, this might not generate any spin on the ball. 

Who Should Consider Using A Strong Grip?

Players who are prone to hit slices should go for strong grip strength. Moreover, players who have an in-to-out swing plane should also opt for strong grip strength.

The whole idea of a strong grip is to eliminate slice shots. However, you should not overdo it, or you could find yourself in the trees or out of bounds left!

How Is Grip Strength Going To Affect Your Game?

Grip strength will affect your game to a great extent! It will make all the difference if you know your own playing style and preferred grip.

If a golfer is prone to slices and he is using a weak grip, you can imagine the result. You could shoot very high scores and have a lot of lost golf balls. Therefore, choosing the right grip strength is of paramount importance.

This comes from lots of practice and working on understanding your game at the driving range and on the course. 

Strong Vs Weak Vs Neutral Golf Grips

Strong Grip

In a strong grip, the V formation of the thumb and forefingers of both hands directs towards a slight right head position. Naturally, this grip is suggested for golfers who have an in-to-out golf swing plane. The club face is closed which reduces the probability of hitting slice shots. 

Weak Grip

In a weak golf grip, the V formation of the thumb and forefingers of both hands directs towards a slight left head position. The club face is open during the swing and through impact. Golfers who have out-to-in swing curvature prefer a weak grip strength. It is ideal for golfers who struggle with hooks. 

Neutral Grip

In a neutral grip, the V formation is relaxed and straight. The club face is square. It is ideal for golfers who drive the ball straighter. A neutral grip at impact will have a naturally square clubface, eliminating the chances of hooks and slices. Most professional golfers use neutral grip strength.

Characteristics of A Strong Golf Grip

The main characteristic of a strong grip is that the V formation between the thumb and index fingers of both hands should direct towards the trailing shoulder of the golfer. Another characteristic is that two or three knuckles of the trailing hand are visible.

Does Swing Speed Affect What Grip Style To You?

Swing speed is affected due to golf grip strength. Generally, players who have a neutral grip tend to have higher swing speeds.

Players with weak or strong grip strengths might have to compromise on the swing speed because of the swing plane.

When Should I Switch To A Weak Grip?

If you are hitting a lot of hook shots and your swing plane is out-to-in, this might be the indicative time to switch to a weak golf grip strength. Players who tend to hit the ball far left can straighten their shots.

How do I know if my golf grips are too weak?

If you use a weak grip, this should straighten the shots that slice wildly, and cure the out-to-in swing plane.

However, if you start hitting slices because of the open club face, it means that your grip is too weak and loose.

Any golf grip should have fluidity in it and feel comfortable to the golfer. 

How To Know When To Switch To A Neutral Grip

Neutral grip strength is perfect for golfers who have other aspects of the swing in order. This is ideal for those golfers starting out new to the game.

Also, any player who likes to hit square club face, and straighter and shaped shots should opt for neutral grip strength. 

When Should I Switch To A Strong Grip?

If you are hitting a lot of slice shots and your swing plane is in-to-out, this might be the right time to switch to a strong golf grip strength.

Players who tend to hit the ball far right can straighten and shape their shots. A strong grip will produce a draw-shaped shot, this also generates top spin which can generate a better forward roll of the ball – this can mean you will hit your shots a longer distance. 

What happens if the golf grip is too strong?

If you use a strong grip strength, this should straighten the far-right shots and cure the in-to-out swing plane. However, if you start hitting hooks because of the closed club face, it means that your grip is too strong and tight.

You should try not to grip the club too tight; golf is a game of feel and this is important to be able to have some circulation in your hands when you are hitting the ball. 

Do I Use The Same Grips Styles For Every Club?

This is a difficult one to answer, the answer is maybe. Sometimes yes, and sometimes no. The type of grip depends upon the playing style and preference of the player.

If the player struggles with a slice, he should opt for a strong grip. For hook-prone golfers, a weak grip is ideal. A neutral grip is advised for straighter shots.

As a rule of thumb, it is suggested to have the same grip strength for all clubs to maintain consistency in your golf shots. 

• Drivers

Depending upon the players playing style and ability to shape the tee shots, a golfer can opt for any grip strength. However, a neutral grip is always suggested. 

• Woods

The same rule applies to the fairway woods, the grip strength depends upon the player’s ability to shape shots. Any grip is fine as long as it produces the desired results. 

• Hybrids

Given that the player is prone to hook or slice, he can opt for any grip strength for the hybrid golf clubs as these are often more forgiving than hitting longer irons. 

• Irons

If you are looking to shape a shot with a longer iron, you might opt for a strong or weak grip. However, any grip is fine if it produces the desired results. 

• Wedges

Wedges require lesser strength and more precision. It has been suggested by golf coaches that a weaker, softer feel in your hands often produces better results with your wedges. These shots often require more finesse to get the ball close to the flag. 

• Putter

Putting is all about precision and line reading. Therefore, it is suggested to use a neutral grip strength to drain your putts. 

FAQ:

Q: Any Pros With Weak Grips?

Careful research suggests that Arnold Palmer, Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, and David Duval used weak grip strength. Presently, Jordan Speith uses a weak grip. 

Q: How About Neutral

A lot of PGA professionals use neutral grip strength. The two greats of the game Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods use neutral golf grip strength.

Q: Is a neutral grip best?

Neutral grip strength is very popular in golf. Many PGA professionals and greats of the game have won tours and championships with a neutral grip. This grip is ideal for beginner golfers, and those who are more experienced and can shape their shots.

Q: What grip did Jack Nicklaus use?

Jack Nicklaus, the 18-time major winner used the neutral grip strength, but he was especially skilled in being able to shape the ball in whichever direction it required. 

Q: What grip does Bubba Watson use?

Currently, Bubba Watson, the 14-time professional winner is using a strong grip strength.

Q: What grip does John Daly use?

John Daly has one of the strongest grip strengths in the game of golf. 

Q: How do you hit a golf ball with a strong grip?

In a strong grip, the V formation of the thumb and forefingers of both hands directs towards a slight right head position. The hands are twisted, and you can see a few knuckles of the trailing hand. 

Naturally, this grip is suggested for golfers who have an in-to-out golf swing plane. 

Q: Does a strong grip fix a slice?

If all else in the swing is working, a strong grip is an ultimate fix for a slice. In this grip, the club face is closed which eliminates the possibility of hitting a slice.

Q: Weak golf grip to draw the ball

A weak golf grip is used to fix hook shots. The clubface is slightly open at impact, which fixes and straightens the far-left shots.

Conclusion

We hope this article has helped you understand more about the different types of golf grip you can use when you hit your shots.

There are benefits to each one depending on what type of shots you hit and how you shape the golf ball. As a reminder, it is recommended that beginner golfers should opt for the neutral grip as this is the easiest to master when starting out.

The weak grip can help eliminate the draw shot and the strong grip is great for those who slice the ball. Why don’t you let us know which type of golf grip you use in the comments below?