There are several fundamental areas beginners must work on when taking up the game of golf.
From getting your stance correct to ensuring that you swing the club correctly, golf fundamentals are the basic building blocks for any beginner.
One vital area for all beginners is holding a golf club correctly.
Even if your swing is on plain, and your stance is perfect, if your grip is wrong, it can be tough to achieve consistent ball striking and straight shots.
So in this article, we will look at how to hold a golf club for beginners
Read to find out:
- A quick guide on how to hold a golf club correctly
- How to grip a putter correctly
- What are strong and weak grips?
- What is ‘choking’ on the club, and what does it achieve?
Hopefully, once you have read this article, you will have all your questions answered and know how to hold a golf club for beginners -Let’s get started!
How to Hold a golf club for Beginners
How to hold a golf club for beginners is a fundamental aspect of playing golf.
A proper grip can help you generate more power, control the direction of your shots, and prevent injury.
Here’s a more in-depth guide on how to hold a golf club for beginners:
The correct grip
The first step in holding a golf club is to grip it correctly.
The most common grip used by golfers is the “overlapping grip,” where the pinkie finger of the right hand rests on top of the gap between the index and middle fingers of the left hand.
Read the 4-step guide below to get the “overlapping grip” right:
- Start by placing your left hand on the club, ensuring the clubface points toward your target. Your left thumb should be pointing down the shaft of the club.
- Wrap your fingers around the grip, making sure the grip is positioned diagonally across your palm.
- Next, place your right hand on the club, with the pinkie finger resting on top of the gap between the index and middle fingers of your left hand.
- Your right thumb should be positioned on the left side of the grip.
An easy way to check that you have done this correctly is to look at the ‘v-shapes’ between your thumb and index finger on each hand.
When gripping the club, the ‘v-shape’ on your right hand should be pointing toward your right shoulder and vice-versa for your left hand.
Following these three easy steps should help you know how to hold a golf club for beginners.
Step #1: Check your hand position.
The position of your hands on the club is important in determining the direction and trajectory of your shots.
Step #2: Beginners should aim for a neutral hand position, which means your hands should be in the middle of the grip.
There is a very simple way to check if your hand position is correct:
Step #3: You should have two knuckles on your left hand when you look down at it and one on your right hand.
Correct hand positioning helps to achieve a square club face at impact, leading to straighter shots.
So getting your hands positioned right is a critical component of how to hold a golf club for beginners.
How to grip a putter correctly
As all golfers quickly learn, putting is one of the most essential elements of your game.
So when learning how to hold a golf club for beginners, getting your putter grip right is very important.
Read our 6-step guide below on how to hold a putter correctly:
- Step #1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, and position the putter behind the ball with the clubhead resting on the ground. Align the clubface with your target.
- Step #2: Place your left hand on the putter grip first if you are a right-handed golfer or vice versa if you are left-handed.
- Step #3: Your left hand should grip the putter handle so that your fingers wrap around the grip and your thumb rests on the flat front part of the handle.
- Step #4: Place your right hand on the putter grip next, with your fingers interlocking with your left-hand fingers.
- Step #5: The grip pressure in your right hand should be lighter than in your left hand. Your right-hand thumb should rest on top of your left-hand thumb.
- Step #6: Once both hands are on the putter, ensure your wrists are straight and your elbows are close to your body. Your shoulders should be level, and your eyes should be directly over the ball.
Remember, putting is all about feel and touch. A comfortable, natural grip is key to developing a consistent putting stroke.
Something to remember when holding a putter is that your hands should be relatively loose and relaxed.
When you grip the putter, you should feel like you are holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing any toothpaste out.
Taking the steps above should ensure you are holding your putter correctly and ticking off another key part of how to hold a golf club for beginners.
What are strong and weak grips?
Phrases you may hear when discussing golf grips are the terms’ strong grips’ and ‘weak grips.’
As a beginner, you may think this refers to how much pressure you apply to the club, but it’s all about hand positioning.
Having a grip that is too strong or weak can seriously affect your shots’ accuracy by making the clubface not square at impact.
So when learning how to hold a golf club for beginners, it is important to check if your grip is too strong or weak.
Strong grip
A strong grip is one where the ‘v-shape’ on your left hand is not pointing toward your left shoulder but more toward the right.
This causes the clubface to close (point further left) at impact, leading to a hook or draw shot.
A simple way to check if your grip is too strong is by looking at your knuckles.
If you can see 3 or more knuckles on your top hand when gripping the club, your grip is strong.
Remember that you should only be able to see two knuckles on your top hand.
Weak grip
A weak grip is the opposite of this and causes the clubface to open at impact.
Open clubfaces are the causes of slices or fade shots when playing golf, one of the most common issues beginner golfers face.
Once again, checking your knuckles can help identify a weak grip.
When holding the club, if you can see more than one knuckle on your bottom hand, then your grip is weak.
This is easily rectified by shifting your bottom hand so you can only see one knuckle.
Strong and weak grips are common problems among beginner golfers, so take the steps above to ensure you are holding the golf club correctly.
What is ‘choking’ on the club, and what does it achieve?
Another phrase you may come across in golf is ‘choking’ on the club.
What does this mean, and how is it related to how to hold a golf club for beginners?
When holding the club, the normal place to have your hands is near the top. This often feels most natural and achieves the greatest distance on the shot.
‘Choking down’ on the club positions your hands further down the grip. Doing this takes some distance off of your shot.
When would you want to make this happen?
If you ever find yourself between clubs on approach shots, i.e., one club is too far, and the club below is too short, then choking on the longer club could help you get the right distance.
‘Choking’ on the club can help you feel more in control of your shot.
So ‘choking’ can be very helpful with wedge shots when you want to control your ball’s flight so you can land it close.
However, remember to keep holding the golf club correctly even when ‘choking’ on the club.
How to Hold A Golf Club Key Takeaways
An important thing to remember is that holding a golf club correctly will likely feel strange at first, especially for beginners.
It is easy to slip into a grip that feels more comfortable but may be incorrect.
Read and practice the above steps, and repeat your swing with this grip.
Quickly the grip will start to feel more natural, and your game will continue to improve.
Of course, how to hold a golf club for beginners is not the only important part of your game to practice.
Check out more of our latest beginner articles below:
Learning Golf: How Many Golf Lessons Should I Take?
The Interlock Golf Grip: What Is It And Which Pros Use It?
Golf In Rain: 10 Tips For Playing In The Rain
