How to Hold a Golf Club

Learn to grip your golf club from the best! Wilson Golf Advisory Staff Member Jake Thurm breaks down the grip with this step-by-step guide.

NO TWO GOLFERS SWING EXACTLY ALIKE.

This is a belief standout golf instructor Jake Thurm lives by.

The Chicago native uses his deep knowledge of the game and his background in clinical psychology to understand the unique biomechanics of each of his students.

Thurm’s distinctive and highly personalized teaching style has not gone unnoticed. For three consecutive years, Golf Digest has named Thurm one of the “Best Young Teachers in America.”

What is at the foundation of all good golf swings? A good grip. Here is a simple breakdown of Thurm’s golf club grip fundamentals.

1. Find an old golf glove, or buy an inexpensive glove like the Wilson Grip Soft Glove.

You will want to use an inexpensive glove because you will need to draw lines on the glove for guidance. The lines help players grip the club more in their fingers than in their palms.

Thurm explained how it is common for beginning golfers to grip the club with their palm. However, a palm grip is undesirable because it inhibits wrist action and mobility. A palm grip will not give you the leverage needed to create speed and get the ball in the air.

2. Grab a marker and begin drawing your new guide line.

Draw a straight line on the glove that begins at the base of the forefinger and ends between your wrist and the base of your pinkie finger. This line is where you will place the grip of the golf club.

3. Grip away!

Once you align your club grip with your homemade guide line, let your fingers curl gently around the club. Be sure that the pad of your hand is on top of the shaft— leaving your fingers to do most of the grip work. This is your leading hand.

Complete your grip by positioning your trail hand so that the club grip is exclusively in the fingers, aligned with the lifeline in that hand.

4. Keep your hands together on the club.

The choice is yours— interlock or overlap your fingers, it doesn’t matter to Thurm. It is most important that you feel comfortable and confident.

5. Strong grip or a soft grip?

The terms “strong” and “weak” do not refer to the value of the grip, as in one is better than the other. They instead refer to whether the hands turn more to the trail side (stronger) or the lead side (weaker).

However, Thurm believes a stronger grip may be beneficial for a novice golfer. New golfers tend to swing down with a more open clubface that produces less accuracy and power. By strengthening the grip and adjusting the delivery position, players can set a baseline for a more accurate swing and a longer, more powerful shot.

If you want to learn more about the perfect golf grip, take a look at the video below. Thurm will demonstrate the fundamentals of gripping the golf club, and he will show you how to get the most accuracy and flexibility out of your swing.

Updated September 20, 2023