Every weekend golfer who wants to improve their own game knows the frustration of hearing "fix your grip" without really understanding what that means. Standing there with your regular foursome, trying to figure out why your shots keep going right while your buddy Mike consistently hits it straight down the middle, you realize that grip might be the missing piece that separates weekend golfers who get it from those who stay stuck.
What if I told you that understanding what "grip" really means in golf could transform your entire game and finally give you the confidence to impress your buddies? The truth is, grip has two distinct meanings that every weekend golfer needs to master, and once you understand both, you'll join the ranks of fellow weekend golfers who live by the manifesto and earn the right to brag about their fundamentals.
In golf, "grip" refers to two equally important concepts that work together as your foundation for consistent ball-striking. According to Golf Digest's expert analysis, understanding both definitions is crucial for weekend golfers who want to build a reliable swing.
Definition #1: The Physical Part of the Club
The grip is the rubber or leather covering on the top portion of the golf club shaft that you actually hold in your hands. As Joe Plecker (Golf Digest Best in State Teacher, director of instruction at The Landings Club, PGA Master Professional) explains: "The only connection golfers have to the club is with their hands, yet so many never think about how to grip a golf club."
Definition #2: How You Hold the Club
More importantly for your game, "grip" refers to the specific way you position your hands on the club handle. This includes finger placement, hand rotation, pressure, and how your hands connect to work as a single unit.
The grip is your only physical link to the golf club, which means it directly controls the clubface at impact. According to PGA Tour statistics, proper grip fundamentals can improve accuracy by up to 40% compared to amateur grips, making it the most important fundamental that weekend golfers often overlook.
I'll never forget the day this clicked for me. Playing with my regular foursome, I'd been struggling with a slice for months while Dave kept asking what I'd changed about my setup. It wasn't until our pro shop guy mentioned my "weak grip" that I realized I didn't even know what that meant. That weekend, I spent 20 minutes learning proper grip fundamentals, and by the back nine, Dave was shaking his head saying "Where'd that come from?" That transformation moment—when everything suddenly felt connected—is what every weekend golfer deserves to experience.
When weekend golfers ask "what grip should I use," they're referring to how the hands connect together on the club. Terry Rowles (Golf Digest 50 Best Teachers, GOLF Magazine Top 100 Teachers, coached winners on six major professional tours including major winners and former world #1's) explains that there are three main grip styles, each with specific advantages for different hand sizes and playing styles.
The Vardon grip, named after British golf legend Harry Vardon, is used by 90% of Tour players and the vast majority of amateur golfers worldwide. In this grip, the pinky finger of your trailing hand (right hand for right-handed golfers) rests on top of the depression between the index and middle fingers of your lead hand.
According to research from Golf Distillery's comprehensive grip analysis, this grip provides excellent control because it links both hands together while allowing individual finger strength to contribute to clubface control. The Vardon grip works best for golfers with longer fingers and stronger hands, making it ideal for most adult male weekend golfers.
As Terry Rowles explains in his analysis of tour player grips: "The overlap grip combines freedom and control by making the hands a little more unified, increasing the amount of control you have over both wrists while helping them move as one unit."
Here's something that might surprise fellow weekend golfers: Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Rory McIlroy—some of the greatest players in history—all use the interlocking grip instead of the more common overlap. In this grip, the pinky finger of your trailing hand interlocks with the index finger of your lead hand, creating a more secure connection.
According to Golf Digest's 2024 PGA Championship field analysis, the interlocking grip has become increasingly popular on tour, with over 60% of American professionals now using this style. The interlocking grip works particularly well for golfers with smaller hands, shorter fingers, or those who want maximum hand unity throughout the swing.
Christy Longfield (GOLF Teacher to Watch, featured instructor in Golf.com's Play Smart series) notes that this grip "locks the hands and wrists together so both hands effectively act as one fluid unit, giving you much better control without having to think about what your wrists are doing."
The baseball grip places all ten fingers on the club, similar to holding a baseball bat. While less common among professionals, this grip offers unique advantages for certain weekend golfers. According to Foresight Sports' grip analysis, the baseball grip provides maximum power potential since all ten fingers contribute to grip strength and clubface control.
This grip works exceptionally well for:
The downside is that the hands can operate more independently, potentially leading to timing issues. However, as one weekend golfer told me after switching to this grip: "It just feels natural, and my buddies can't believe how much farther I'm hitting it."
I'm not totally sure why the baseball grip gets overlooked so much, but after seeing how it worked for my buddy Tom during our Saturday morning rounds, I think more weekend golfers should give it a try.
Beyond grip style, weekend golfers need to understand grip strength—how your hands are rotated on the club. This has nothing to do with how tightly you squeeze; it's all about hand position and directly affects your ball flight. According to research published in Golf Magazine's Top 100 Teachers analysis, grip strength is the number one factor in controlling slice and hook problems.
A neutral grip positions both hands so the "V's" formed by your thumbs and index fingers point roughly toward your right shoulder (for right-handed golfers). When you look down at your lead hand, you should see approximately 2-2.5 knuckles.
Joe Plecker explains the neutral grip's importance: "Every golfer has a slightly different structure to their arms and body. To deliver a square clubface, some will need their trail hand more on top of the club, others more under. But the basics of the grip hold true."
The neutral grip provides the best foundation for most weekend golfers because it requires minimal compensation during the swing. According to PGA instruction data, golfers with neutral grips achieve more consistent clubface control at impact, leading to straighter shots and better distance control.
A strong grip rotates both hands clockwise (for right-handers), with the "V's" pointing toward your right shoulder or beyond. You'll see three or more knuckles on your lead hand. Famous strong grip players include Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, and Fred Couples.
Research from TrackMan's database shows that golfers with strong grips tend to:
The transformation moment for strong grip converts is remarkable. As one weekend golfer described it: "After 15 years of slicing, I strengthened my grip and immediately started hitting draws. The guys couldn't believe it was the same swing."
A weak grip rotates hands counterclockwise, with "V's" pointing toward your left shoulder. You'll see one knuckle or less on your lead hand. Players like Jon Rahm use weak grips successfully, though they require specific swing compensations.
According to Golf.com's grip analysis, weak grips tend to produce:
The key insight from Christy Longfield: "A weak grip corresponds to an open clubface. If the grip is weak in your left hand, you're going to hit weak shots—unless that's your style of grip and you've got the ability to rotate the clubface through impact."
From what I've noticed playing with different guys in our regular foursome, the strong grip works better for most weekend golfers because it helps fix that slice we all seem to battle.
This professional demonstration shows the grip fundamentals and common mistakes explained in this guide, helping weekend golfers visualize proper hand placement and avoid killer grip errors.
Smart weekend golfers don't just copy what they see on TV—they find the grip that matches their body type, hand size, and swing characteristics. According to research from Terry Rowles and his work with tour professionals, the right grip should feel natural while promoting consistent clubface control.
Your physical dimensions play a crucial role in grip selection. According to Golf Digest's clubfitting data:
Larger Hands (8.5+ inches from wrist to fingertip):
Smaller Hands (Under 8 inches):
Medium Hands (8-8.5 inches):
Here's a simple test that Terry Rowles teaches to find your natural grip position: Stand upright with your arms hanging naturally at your sides. Without thinking about golf posture, simply grip a club. This natural hand position often provides the best starting point for your personal grip.
As Joe Plecker explains: "Your arm is in its most natural position when it's hanging down by your side. This is a great place to grip the golf club with your lead hand because you're not doing anything rigid—you're just letting your arm rest in its most natural position."
Your current ball flight patterns provide valuable clues about ideal grip adjustments:
If you consistently slice:
If you consistently hook:
If you hit it straight but want more distance:
The breakthrough moment for most weekend golfers comes when they stop fighting their natural tendencies and find the grip that works with their body. As one player told me: "Once I found my grip, golf became so much easier. My buddies keep asking what changed, but it's just fundamentals."
Could be just my experience, but after playing with my old equipment and the same foursome for years, I've found that grip changes are the fastest way to see improvement without spending money on lessons.
Even weekend golfers who understand grip basics often make subtle mistakes that prevent them from improving their own game. According to comprehensive research from Golf Upgrades' grip analysis, these errors are so common that fixing them can immediately transform your ball-striking and finally give you something to brag about.
The most fundamental error weekend golfers make is placing the club too much in their palms rather than the base of their fingers. According to Joe Plecker's teaching experience: "The club should be in the fingers for your trail hand, so your trail palm cradles your lead hand thumb. If more players did that, it would be hugely beneficial for their games."
The Fix: Position the grip diagonally across the fingers of both hands, running from the base of your pinky to just below your index finger's middle joint. This finger placement provides much better wrist hinge and clubface control throughout the swing.
This mistake killed my distance for years. I was gripping it like a baseball bat—right in my palms—until a weekend lesson finally showed me the difference. The first swing with proper finger placement felt weird, but the ball went 20 yards farther with better accuracy. That's when I realized why fundamentals matter so much for weekend golfers like us.
According to Golf Pride's grip research and testing with tour professionals, most amateur golfers either grip too tightly (creating tension) or too loosely (losing control). The ideal pressure falls around 4-5 on a scale of 1-10, firm enough to maintain control but soft enough to allow proper wrist action.
The SuperSpeed Golf Study: Research shows that professional golfers have significantly stronger hands than amateurs, averaging 25% higher grip strength measurements. However, this physical strength allows them to maintain clubface control with lighter pressure, not tighter gripping.
The Fix: Use the "toothpaste tube" analogy—grip firmly enough to hold the tube but not so tight that you squeeze toothpaste out. Practice swinging with this pressure to develop proper feel.
Many weekend golfers place their hands in different strength positions—perhaps a strong lead hand with a weak trail hand, or vice versa. According to Terry Rowles' analysis of tour player grips: "The hands should work together as a unit. When they're fighting each other, you'll never achieve consistent clubface control."
The Fix: Ensure both hands work toward the same goal. If you need a stronger grip to fix a slice, strengthen both hands proportionally. The "V's" formed by your thumbs and index fingers should point in roughly the same direction.
Cookie-cutter grip advice doesn't work for every weekend golfer. As Golf.com's comprehensive grip guide explains: "Research on human anatomy and efficient movement proves that there's no universal 'best way' to set your hands on the handle. Every player's body and range of motion varies, often wildly."
The Fix: Use your natural arm hang position as a starting point, then make small adjustments based on your ball flight and comfort. What works for your golf buddy might not work for you, and that's perfectly fine.
It might just be my swing, but I've found that spending time on the range trying different pressures really helps you understand what feels right during actual shots with your regular foursome watching.
Smart weekend golfers approach grip changes strategically, understanding that temporary discomfort leads to long-term improvement. According to Christy Longfield's teaching philosophy: "Because the grip is the only connection we have to the golf club, people are resistant to change. But if you spend 20 minutes on the range hitting balls, you can become more comfortable—it just takes some time."
Ball Flight Patterns:
Physical Indicators:
Performance Plateaus:
According to research from multiple PGA teaching professionals, successful grip changes follow a specific progression:
Week 1: Learning Phase
Week 2: Integration Phase
Week 3: Adaptation Phase
Week 4: Mastery Phase
The key insight from tour teaching professionals is that grip changes temporarily disrupt timing before creating improvement. Terry Rowles advises his students: "A small grip change can have major effects on just about everything you do. Anyone who is an experienced player should approach grip changes with caution but understand that the payoff is worth the temporary adjustment period."
Strategies for Success:
The transformation story I hear most often goes like this: "The first two weeks were frustrating because nothing felt right. But by week three, I started hitting shots I'd never hit before. Now my buddies ask what I changed, and I just smile and say 'fundamentals.'"
My guess is that most weekend golfers give up on grip changes too quickly, but the ones who stick with it are usually the ones who end up earning the right to brag about their improvement.
While most weekend golfers focus on hand placement, grip pressure might be even more critical for consistent ball-striking. According to research from SuperSpeed Golf's comprehensive grip study, professional golfers maintain optimal pressure throughout their swing, while amateurs typically start too tight and get tighter under pressure.
The research is clear: grip pressure should remain consistent from setup through follow-through. According to analysis of tour professionals using pressure-sensitive sensors, elite players maintain their starting pressure (around 4-5 on a 1-10 scale) throughout their entire swing motion.
The Science Behind Pressure:
Joe Plecker explains the practical application: "You'll often hear that gripping the club tightly causes tension in the body, which hinders your ability to make a good swing. However, gripping the club with consistent pressure at the point of impact will help you control the strike better."
According to detailed analysis from golf biomechanics research, specific fingers provide most of the control:
Lead Hand (Left for Right-Handed Golfers):
Trail Hand (Right for Right-Handed Golfers):
Here's where weekend golfers really struggle: maintaining consistent pressure when it matters most. Golf Digest's analysis of amateur vs. professional grip patterns shows that recreational golfers increase grip pressure by an average of 40% when facing pressure situations—exactly when they need to stay relaxed.
Common Pressure Situations:
The Solution: Practice pressure scenarios during your regular practice routines. Create artificial pressure (like trying to hit a specific target 3 times in a row) while monitoring your grip pressure.
The breakthrough moment for pressure control usually comes when weekend golfers realize they can trust their fundamentals. As one player described it: "I used to squeeze the life out of the club on important shots. Now I remind myself that good grip pressure got me here, and it'll get me through the shot. My buddies notice I look more confident over the ball."
Not sure if this makes sense, but when I'm playing with my regular foursome and the pressure's on, I just try to remember how the grip felt during practice when everything was working smoothly.
Once you've mastered the fundamentals, these advanced concepts can take your game to the next level and give you legitimate bragging rights among fellow weekend golfers who are still struggling with basics.
According to comprehensive research from Golf Digest's equipment analysis, grip size significantly affects ball flight and shot dispersion. Kellie Stenzel (GOLF Top 100 Teacher) emphasizes that correctly sized grips directly correlate to better ball-striking: "A correctly sized club grip correlates to a correctly struck golf ball. It directly affects distance and your ability to release the clubface properly."
Standard Grip Test: Place the club in your lead hand and close your fingers around it. When properly sized, your fingertips should just touch the pad of your palm with no large gap or significant overlap.
Size Effects on Ball Flight:
Smart weekend golfers understand that grip material affects performance in different conditions. According to Golf.com's comprehensive grip guide, weekend golfers who play in various weather conditions should consider:
Cord Grips:
Rubber Grips:
Leather Grips:
Tour professionals often use different grip sizes and styles throughout their bag. According to equipment analysis from Golf Digest's professional fitting guide:
Driver/Woods: Slightly larger grips to reduce hand action Irons: Standard size for balanced feel and control Wedges: Sometimes smaller for enhanced feel and shot-making Putter: Completely different sizing and shape rules apply
Advanced weekend golfers understand that grip affects every aspect of their swing mechanics. According to Terry Rowles' biomechanical research with tour professionals:
Grip Strength Affects:
Hand Size Affects:
The insight that separates weekend golfers who get it from those who don't is understanding that grip is connected to everything else in your swing. When you change your grip, you might need to adjust other fundamentals like stance and posture or alignment principles.
What seems to work for serious weekend golfers is treating grip as part of a complete system rather than an isolated fundamental, which is why the ones who improve fastest also work on their overall setup and swing mechanics.
While this guide focuses primarily on full-swing grips, weekend golfers should understand that putting follows different rules entirely. According to putting grip fundamentals, the goals shift from power and distance to pure feel and accuracy.
Key Differences for Putting:
Popular Putting Grip Styles:
The key insight for weekend golfers is that your putting grip may be completely different from your full-swing grip, and that's perfectly normal. Many tour professionals use strong grips for full shots but neutral or weak grips for putting.
If you're struggling with putting consistency, consider experimenting with grip changes before making major stroke adjustments. Often, better feel leads to better distance control and more confidence on critical putts.
Understanding what grip means in golf gives you the foundation to improve your own game and finally start earning the right to brag about your fundamentals. Fellow weekend golfers who master these concepts report increased confidence, better ball-striking, and more enjoyment during their rounds.
Remember the Two Essential Meanings:
Choose Your Grip Style Based on:
Focus on These Fundamentals:
Most Importantly: You're just one round away from breakthrough improvement. Every weekend golfer who takes time to master grip fundamentals reports that it was the change that finally made everything else click. When you walk up to that first tee with your regular foursome, knowing your grip is fundamentally sound, you'll have the confidence that separates weekend golfers who live by the manifesto from those who are still struggling with basics.
The next time someone in your foursome asks about grip fundamentals, you'll be the one with the answers—and that's exactly how weekend golfers earn respect and build their reputation as golfers who figured it out.
What does grip mean in golf? Grip refers to both the physical rubber/leather covering on the club shaft and the technique of how you position your hands on the club. Both meanings are essential for consistent ball-striking and proper clubface control throughout your swing.
Which grip should I use as a beginner golfer? Most beginner weekend golfers benefit from starting with the overlap (Vardon) grip since it's used by 90% of tour professionals. However, golfers with smaller hands or those seeking maximum security often prefer the interlocking grip used by Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
How tight should I grip the golf club? Maintain a pressure of 4-5 on a 1-10 scale (10 being death grip). You should hold the club firmly enough to maintain control but soft enough to allow proper wrist hinge and clubhead speed. Think of holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing any out.
What's the difference between strong and weak grips? Strong grips rotate both hands clockwise (for right-handed golfers) and typically help fix slice problems. Weak grips rotate hands counterclockwise and tend to produce higher, fade-biased ball flight. Neither is inherently good or bad—it depends on your swing characteristics and desired ball flight.
Should I change my grip if I'm slicing the ball? If you consistently slice despite good swing mechanics, strengthening your grip (rotating hands more clockwise) often helps close the clubface at impact. However, make gradual changes and practice extensively before playing competitive rounds with your regular foursome.
How long does it take to get comfortable with a new grip? Most weekend golfers need 3-4 weeks to fully adapt to grip changes. The first week focuses on muscle memory, the second week on ball-striking adaptation, and weeks 3-4 on building confidence and consistency. Patience during this transition period is crucial for long-term success.
Ready to take your manifesto living to the next level? These proven methods help fellow weekend golfers who are serious about earning the right to brag: