1. Always set up your golf grip correctly

A good grip will provide feel and allow you to create power in the swing. Many players make the mistake of gripping the club incorrectly in terms of its position in the hand. There are some basic set up rules to follow:

• Ensure the lead hand (the top hand on your club) takes the club handle diagonally across the fingers; if the handle sits more in the palm than the fingers, you will slice shots and lose power
• As your lead hand wraps around the club handle, the forefinger and thumb should make a ‘V’ around the shaft which points back to the opposite shoulder
• The trail (lower) hand should also have the club handle positioned across the fingers and, when in place, the trail hand should cover the lead hand thumb
• The ‘V’ created by the trail hand should also point to the opposite shoulder i.e. parallel with the lead hand ‘V’; this ensures you and your club are correctly aligned.

2. Use the Interlocking Grip for more stability

One golf grip tip you’re likely to get from many pro’s is to adopt the interlocking grip as this can help with grip stability during the swing. This is achieved by:

• Intertwining the little finger on the trail hand with the index finger on the lead hand
• In this position, the thumb of your lead hand will sit in the ‘life line’ crease of your trail hand

3. Holding versus Gripping

How tightly you grip the club handle can also have a major impact on ball strike quality and the power achieved from the swing. The essential pointers on pressure of grip include:

• Avoid gripping too tightly with your dominant hand (trail hand); this tends to make the player cut across the ball during the swing
• Pressure on the club handle from the lead hand should be coming from the last three fingers; the forefinger and thumb should not be applying any force
• Gripping tightly increases tension in the muscles and actually slows down your golf swing.

4. Make sure your equipment is up to scratch

• The key contact surfaces in the golf grip are, of course, the club handle and your lead hand golf glove; both should be in good working order.
• Make sure your club (handle) grips are not worn or slick. Smooth, worn-out grips encourage the golfer to grip too aggressively and can easily slip during the swing phase
• Your golf grips should be the right size for your hands: too large, and your hands tend to react too slowly to your swing; too small and the opposite will occur
• Wearing a good quality golf glove, preferably leather, will help provide swing consistency as it reduces the chance of the handle slipping.

5. Beef up a bit

At the end of the day, golf is a physical sport and you will have a more efficient golf grip if your wrists and forearms are strong.

• Try to put some workout time into your forearms and wrists to improve their flexibility and strength
• Gym work will obviously help but simple exercises you can do on the practice ground will deliver benefits; try holding your club in front of you with just the last three fingers of your lead or trail hand and use your wrist to elevate the club up and down. It’s a cool golf grip tip and a few sets of these will set you on your way to a great grip!

You can get more tips to improve your grip in my free report. You’ll also discover heaps of information to improve your golf swing and get your game moving forward. All you need do is insert your name and email address below and we will email the report to you.