Whether you are new to the game of golf or have played for 30 years, it makes complete sense that the grip is vital to the golf swing.
Many instructors will often start with a golf grip and the one taught to most beginners is a neutral grip.
There are some common elements regardless of the grip that you use that are commonly taught:
- The grip should be more in the fingers than the palm.
- The grip pressure shouldn’t be too light or too tight at address.
What is a neutral grip in golf?
A neutral grip has the “Vs” formed by your thumb and forefinger pointing towards the center of your body.
It is referred to as neutral as the hands remain somewhat centered to the rest of the body.
The grip becomes more “strong” as those Vs move to the right for the right handed golfer. The golfer would see more of the top of his or her left hand.
The grip becomes more “weak” as those Vs move to the left for the right handed golfer. The golfer would see more of the top or his or her right hand.
Is a neutral grip preferred?
For many golfers and instructors, they attempt to keep the golf grip neutral as controlling the clubface without compensation is important.
However, there are many great golfers who have played with a weak or strong grip. We do not believe that any specific grip will make you great or a better golfer and the grip often comes down to comfort level or eliminating a certain shot.
For example, Ben Hogan made his grip weak later in his career to eliminate the hook or the miss to the left. Many golfers will adjust their grip one way or the other to help eliminate a certain miss.
Here is a quick preview of professional golfers who use a the different types of grips: strong, weak and neutral
Professional Golfers With A Weak Grip
- Ben Hogan
- Jordan Spieth
- Matt Wolff
- Jim Furyk
- Jon Rahm
Professional Golfers With A Strong Grip
- Dustin Johnson
- Zach Johnson
- David Duval
- Bubba Watson
- Fred Couples
- Bernhard Langer
Professional Golfers With A Neutral Grip
- Tiger Woods
- Rory McIlroy
- Jack Nicklaus
The main takeaway from the list above is that great golf can be played with any of the 3 most common grips in golf. You don’t nee a neutral grip to play great golf. Instead, find something that works for your game! (see below for help in assessing your current grip)
Strong grip vs weak grip in golf
Benefits of a Neutral Grip
The best golfers are able to control the clubface at impact. The clubface plays a major role in the start line of the ball and then it curves relative to the swing path and the clubface. With a neutral grip, the golfer might better be able to keep everything centered and not have to fight a strong or weak grip to square the face up at impact.
Here is a quick review of the benefits:
- Less manipulation during the backswing and downswing to arrive at a quality impact position.
- Potentially less drastic shots such as hooks or draws.
- Allows the hands and body to work together.
Should I use a neutral grip?
You should use whatever grip allows you to best control the following:
- Low point control in downswing (impacts ability to strike the ball solid)
- Control start line and curve of ball (allows golfer to develop a stock shot)
- Produce enough swing speed (allows the golfer to hit the ball far enough)
It appears that more and more golfers coming into the game are using a stronger grip than 30 years ago. This might be due to the need for speed and the difference maker an extra 10-20 yards can make in today’s golf game. The analytics are pretty clear that speed and distance play a significant role in the game of golf.
Rate yourself on a scale of 1-5 on each of the following (1-low, 5-high):
- Low Point Control
- Ability to control start line and curve of the ball
- Ability to produce enough swing speed
If you answered 1-2 for your ability to control the start line and curve of the ball or provide enough swing speed, you might want to try to strengthen your grip.
We believe you should error on the side of a stronger grip vs a weaker grip. The stronger grip can provide some extra swing speed and actually can provide some decent clubhead stability through the impact zone.
3 Drills To Assess The Areas Above
Drill #1: To Assess/Help With Low Point Control
- Take some yard paint and paint a 1-2 yard long line.
- Setup with 55% of your weight on your front side.
- Try to hit the target side of the line and see how many times out of 10 you can do this successfully!
- Repeat this drill every day for a month, tracking your progress and your ability to to this successfully in trials of ten.
- You may need to start with half swing and progress to full swings.
If you are struggling, put more weight forward and work on keeping your head still to help control the low point in the swing.
I would recommend using this drill as often as possible until you are able to stroke the ball with a 99% success rate. Some of the weakest golfers might only hit a ball solid 40-50% of the time. They will often strike one solidw, which keeps them coming back.
Keep using this drill and learn to control the very first fundamental in the golf swing: low point control!
Drill #2: To Assess/Help With Start Line and Curve Control
- At the driving range, set up an alignment stick about 6-8 yards in front of you, straight down your target line.
- If you have a second alignment stick, set the stick 3-4 feet right of the first stick (for a draw) or left of the first stick (for a fade).
- Complete your initial assessment see how many times out of 10 you can start the ball to the right or left of your target. Pick one side and measure your game at this point.
- The goal is to eventually get 7 out of 10 shots to start to the correct side and draw back towards the target.
The combination of solid contact (low point control drill) and the ability to hit a stock shot (consistent curve) is the first step to really start reducing your golf score and handicap.
Training: To Asses/Help With Lack of Speed and Distance
The game of golf has evolved to where speed is important in the game of golf. The faster your swing, the further the ball flies and the more shorter irons or wedges you have into a green.
Training for speed is a great idea and one worth exploring!
My 50% swing example above can be a great swing because I have enough in my swing to still hit the ball far enough with the feel of a bunt swing.
If you are going to train for speed, I would highly recommend the SuperSpeed Training System.
Gone are the days of simply being content with the distance you currently hit your golf ball. Many older golfers have proven over the past several years that an increase in swing speed is possible.
There are training systems to help you get your game to the next level and distance is arguably the fastest way to make this happen!
My number one recommendation is to check out SuperSpeed Golf and their protocols to help you find a safe way to increase your swing speed.
I spent many years wondering how I can increase my swing speed. When I was playing junior golf, we weren’t fortunate enough to have some of the training aids and knowledge that is now available. Smart people have studied the golf swing and have created training aids and protocols to help all golfers increase their distance!
At around the same time, the statistics from the PGA Tour have become more clear and the importance of speed is acknowledged by many to be a key to being the best on the PGA Tour.
Within the past several years, there have been several products hit the market to make speed gains possible. While many people for many years waited for the latest driver to come out to gain an additional 5-10 yards, you can now do this even with your current clubs.
Did you know that with the SuperSpeed Training System you can gain 5-8% increase in swing speed as early as the first training session? This would allow you to gain somewhere between 10 and 30 yards depending on your current swing speed.
The SuperSpeed Training System is based on three different swing speed sticks all weighing at different weights. There is a green club that is 10% lighter than the average driver, the blue club which is 5% lighter and the red club which is actually 5% heavier!
Following their prescribed protocols the golfer completes the training every other day. The total time to complete most of their protocols is between 10-15 minutes. Most people can find the time to make this happen. The golfer will also need a swing radar to measure their progress.
The science behind the SuperSpeed Training System is based on overspeed training. Overspeed training has been around for several decades now and has been used by olympic athletics in the sport of Track and Field.
The science behind this overspeed training is based on the premise that your brain will only allow your body to move as fast as it feels it can stop safely! So, you get to work and swing the clubs as fast as possible, retraining your brain to allow you to swing your driver faster.
For more permanent results, the golfer should continue these training protocols for several months. The initial 5-8% is great and can become more permanent with the right length of training. The golfer can expect to continue to break down barriers every several months at a 1-2% increase.
My own experience has been an increase of 7-10 miles per hour on average from between 98-101 all the way up to 106-109. My goal is to hit the PGA Tour average of 113 mph in the coming months. I will continue to train every other day and watch in amazement as I am hitting drivers longer now than ever before!
Phil Mickelson (a senior golfer now) has been known to increase his swing speed in the past year or so and is close to 120 miles per hour in his swing speed. There are potential results for golfers of all ability levels and age!
Check the current price on SuperSpeed Golf System, here!
| Original Swing Speed | After 4-6 Weeks | New Carry Distance | Total Distance |
| 95 | 102 | 245 | 265 |
| 100 | 108 | 259 | 279 |
| 105 | 113 | 271 | 291 |
| 110 | 118 | 283 | 303 |
My Secret To Golf Improvement
Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently. About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage. I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.
This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer. I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day. I can practice or play rounds of golf. I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.
It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.
Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:
Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better
What does this mean for you? I believe in the following recipe to get better:
1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor. Here are some options:
Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:
2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed. Here are some options:
Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:
3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier. Here is a series on breaking through:
We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.
4 – Practice Frequently
Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system? It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:
- Is a Golf Simulator Worth It?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator?
- What is the Best Golf Simulator?
- Golf Simulator Accessories?
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for under $7000
- Top 11 Reasons to Buy a SkyTrak
- How to Build a Golf Simulator for Under $1000
- Why Build A Golf Simulator?
- What Space is Needed?
- Can A Golf Simulator Improve My Game?
- How Much Does A Golf Simulator Cost?
- Don’t Forget to Check out our 15 best golf swings of all time.