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.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
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” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
RBC Heritage Tour Report: More minis, course-specific setups, Spider & GTS launches
Justin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
Best fairway woods of 2026: The most versatile fairway woods + the most forgiving fairway woods
Gary Woodland’s winning WITB: 2026 Texas Children’s Houston Open
What’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
Cadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
The 24 players who can win the Masters
Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB: 2026 Masters
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
J.J. Spaun’s winning WITB: 2026 Valero Texas Open
Alex Fitzpatrick WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: Ping G440 LST (9 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X 3-wood: TaylorMade Qi4D (15 degrees) Shaft: Fujikura Ventus...
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
Driver: Ping G440 Max (9 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 60 TX 3-wood: Ping G440 Max (15 degrees) Shaft:...
WITB Time Machine: Rory McIlroy’s winning WITB, 2021 Truist Championship
Rory McIlroy’s victory at the 2021 Wells Fargo Championship 2021 (now the Truist Championship) marked a significant return to form,...
Collin Morikawa WITB 2026 (May)
Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D LS (8 degrees) Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX 3-wood: TaylorMade SIM Tour (14 degrees) Shaft:...
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose WITB 2026 (April): Full WITB breakdown with new McLaren irons
-
Equipment1 week agoWhat’s the story behind Webb Simpson’s custom-stamped irons?
-
Equipment2 weeks agoCadillac Championship Tour Report: Spieth’s sizable changes, McLaren Golf launches, and more
-
Whats in the Bag3 days ago
Kristoffer Reitan’s winning WITB: 2026 Truist Championship
-
Whats in the Bag1 week agoCameron Young’s winning WITB: 2026 Cadillac Championship
-
Whats in the Bag3 weeks agoNelly Korda WITB 2026 (April)
-
Equipment2 weeks agoJustin Rose on the switch to McLaren Golf, learnings from previous equipment moves
-
Tour Photo Galleries2 weeks agoPhotos from the 2026 Cadillac Championship
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