Instruction
The 5 Biggest Misconceptions in Golf Instruction: The Grip
Note: This is the first article in a 5-part series on the Biggest Misconceptions in Golf Instruction.
For decades, the grip has been the most talked about part of the golf swing. Everyone has heard of the three styles: a neutral, strong and weak grip, and the effect each has on the golf ball. The neutral grip has always been the prescribed grip for all players, as it’s said to give golfers “the best chance of squaring the face.” I’m here to tell you all three grips can work depending on the player’s preference of ball flight, as well as their rotational ability and face orientation at impact.
After spending time around more than a dozen PGA, LPGA, and European tour players, as well as researching hundreds of others, I can confidently say that there is no “neutral” or standard grip on the professional tours. The majority of tour players have all done a fantastic job of either consciously or subconsciously syncing their grips with the natural rotational abilities of their bodies. This allows them to compete at the highest level, because they have a predictable ball flight they can trust.
Through my research and experience, I’ve identified three different rotational abilities that will dictate how each golfer should hold the club.
- Low-rotational ability
- High-rotational ability
- Neutral-rotational ability
Low-rotational players
At impact, a low-rotational player has hips with less turn compared to the shoulders. This player could be considered more of an arms swinger. Due to this, their tendency is to close the club face at impact. A weaker grip is usually ideal for this style of player.
High-rotational players
At impact, a high-rotational player will have hips that are more rotated, or open, when compared to the shoulders. This will cause the club face to stay open for a longer time leading up to impact. A stronger grip is usually ideal for this style of player. An example of this type of player on the PGA Tour is Dustin Johnson or Zach Johnson.
Neutral-rotational players
At impact, a neutral-rotational player will have hips and shoulders that match at the moment of impact. I’ve found this to be rare in my search, as one of the segments is typical either open or closed to one another at the moment of the strike. This style of player is usually best suited for the neutral grip that most golf books have described over the years.
Which grip is best for you? Here’s how you find out.
Have a friend video your swing using a smartphone from a down-the-target-line view, as well as from the face-on position. Pause the video at impact. Are your hips and shoulders matching, hips open to the shoulders, or shoulders open to the hips? This will tell you which grip is best suited for your game.
If the shoulders show more rotation than the hips at impact, a weaker grip is most likely the best fit. This player’s natural ball flight will typically be a fade, because the face is open to the path. For the right handed golfer, this would be a ball that would start to the left of the target and then curve rightward toward the target line.
If the hips show more rotation then the shoulders at impact, a stronger grip is likely best. This golfer’s natural ball flight will typically be a draw, where the face would be closed to the path at impact. For the right handed player, this would be a ball that would start to the right of the target and then curve leftward toward the target line.
If the hips and shoulders are matching at the moment of impact, a neutral grip is likely the best fit. This player’s natural ball flight would be one that would have very little curvature. This ball would begin very close to the target line, if not on the target line, and then show very little curvature either way.
If you find this article interesting, I suggest you take a look at my book, The 5 Tour Fundamentals of Golf. It’s an interesting look into what the best players in the world are all doing alike while maintaining their own natural swing signatures.
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Jim
Jul 25, 2016 at 12:51 am
There’s two parts to the golf swing. The body & the hands. We CAN play golf without legs, but ya need hands & fingers. While the body needs to produce a consistent path and is responsible for creating POWER & making the swing more athletic, the hands & fingers are responsible for creating SPEED and ultimately releasing the clubhead. I teach my students (10,000 hrs in the past twenty years) based on
each persons physique and potential, but key in on the one
thing all good golfers have done in common for the past
hundred years – how the hands ‘work’. 80% of my students
arrive without truly understanding HOW important the lead
hand is. I’ve suffered through too many geniuses “quoting” Hogan & how “he wished he had two right hands”… only
problem being they never read the next few sentences
where he said providing of course the left hand is being
used correctly…
I’ve also heard “the left hand is the gas peddle & the right hand is the steering wheel” – WRONG. I can tell you as a therapist – more so than a PGA Professional that it’s the
other way round! The strong hand is the gas & the lead
hand is the steering wheel; when driving’you steer into &
through a curve THEN step on the gas coming out…How
many people ‘suffer’ from the dreaded ‘chicken wing’? If so
many people do it it has a name, there must be a major
attributable cause…It’s being pushed through impact by the
‘power hand’ and NOT actively steering. There’s NO WAY
the power hand will rotate the lead hand properly through
impact IF the lead hand isn’t participating. It’s purely a
matter of functional human anatomy. At speed, bending of
the lead wrist/hand is simply easier than turning.
The hands are essential to playing golf well, and I’ve had many highly athletic golfers who were playing to <14 hcp but had hit a wall. In almost every case they had no idea how to really use the hands correctly.
The grip is an important issue as it can really hurt ones ability to square & release the club, and hard to 'tweek'. Even a 10 week beginners hands are comfortable in the position they've assumed, so making subtle changes to the grip and being able to assess the effect is predicated on having a pretty sound and repetitive swing to begin with.
If thatvs the case, everything's pretty good elsewhere, now wrist size, range of motion, flexibility – radial flexion
especially – need to be assessed, as well as the finger size & length relative to palm size when building the grip size of the clubs…this is one of the most neglected aspects of club fitting, yet to achieve the maximum results I assume most
people reading stuff like this are looking for – ie: getting to single digit level hcp / breaking 80, this is when nitty gritty stuff matters. So, if your foundation is solid and your looking for a break through, now's the time to focus on grip and hands at an advanced level
Get GRIP FIT by a true Master Club Fitter – as I'm sure if you're still reading this – you no doubt are aware of the eccentricities of tour players and all the wraps of tape they have applied – many times differently under each hand.
So, in closing, make sure WHAT you're gripping – or about to change your gtip ON is REALLY sized to assist your hands in doing what they're supposed to do. As Jack said "You've got two hands, use them both!"
Jo
Jul 20, 2016 at 12:58 pm
I disagree with your ball flight analysis.
I’ve seen guys use weak grips with an over the top swing and create pulls. I’ve also seen strong grips that still push slice. There is more to it than just grip I think. The forearm rotation, where the elbow is pointing, how the elbow is pointing influencing the forearm rotation. There is also folks who roll/twist their hands. Huge list of issues other than just grip.
An avid pool player would want to use a strong grip regardless of his shoulder/hip at impact. The reason why is he has developed a natural tendency to twist his wrist with a pool cue, so he will naturally twist his wrist with a golf club. So for him a square/closed face at address with a strong grip is essential. Otherwise, everything will start right of the target and either push, slice, or push slice. Then if he comes over the top, with the same grip, he would hook, pull, or pull hook every shot.
Andrew Cooper
Jul 17, 2016 at 3:27 am
Bill, all good golfers will have their hips more open than their shoulders at impact yet will make weak, strong and neutral grips work?
Rick
Jul 16, 2016 at 8:56 am
I am not sure I follow your article. Ben Hogan was a high rotational player and he played with a weak grip.
Hogan Hero
Jul 20, 2016 at 12:49 pm
Supposedly. There are several articles out there by people who said during his prime he had a stronger grip, and as he aged he slowly adjusted to a weaker grip. At the time he wrote his book on the 5 fundamentals he was using a weaker grip.
Paul
Jul 15, 2016 at 8:07 pm
I thought this made perfect sense. I use a more neutral grip on my upper hand and a stronger grip on my lower hand (fast rotation guy). I found that when i moved my thumb about a 1/4″ stronger without moving my entire upper hand i got a massive case of the hooks. Like, 30 yards with a PW. Experimenting to fix it. But in my last range session i lost 5-10 yards but straight shots were ridiculously common, and small push draws made up a majority of the not straight shots.
Bob Pegram
Jul 15, 2016 at 3:23 pm
The author sounds like an excellent teacher. He fits technique to a player’s natural tendencies rather than trying to make every player’s swing fit a standard set up.
Phil McKeown
Jul 14, 2016 at 9:59 pm
You just made the whole thing more complicated! Comparing hip and shoulder rotation as a generalisation is making those looking for a change force a change. There is no right grip just the one that works for you. People should know the different grips and the shape then tend to produce (again a generalisation) as it all depends on impact. I can be crazy with my arms and square up with any grip or rotate like a Tasmanian devil and do the same
Snoopy
Jul 16, 2016 at 6:03 am
I agree. As long as you hold the club in a fundamentally sound way, I don’t think it matters a whole lot if your grip is strong or weak. Control, Comfort, and Confidence is key in the grip I think.
Deejaymn
Jul 14, 2016 at 10:35 am
I couldn’t agree more with what you wrote the big mistake I often see golfers make myself included for years is mistaking a neutral grip for a strong grip until I tried a truly strong grip I assumed I already was and when I went to a truly strong grip my iron game changed way more for the better the problem I now see with my game now is I draw the ball nicely with all of my irons but have a tendency to really hook the driver and have to weaken my driver grip
Justin
Jul 14, 2016 at 4:05 pm
.().,,.,.
That’s what’s missing IMO