How Should I Grip a Golf Club? A Simple Guide

Updated October 12, 2026 · Written by the Your Golf Plan team · Written for right-handed golfers; if you play left-handed, flip left and right.

The grip is the only connection between you and the club, and it has a big effect on the clubface. Many slices and hooks start here. This is how to check yours in a minute.

This is written for right-handed golfers. If you play left-handed, swap left and right.

Your lead hand (left hand for righties)

The club sits diagonally across your fingers, from the base of your little finger to the middle of your index finger. It is not in the palm.
Close your fingers around the grip, with the pad of your thumb on the top of the club, slightly on the right side.
At address, looking down, you should see about two knuckles of that hand.

Your trail hand

Place it below the lead hand so the lifeline of your trail palm covers your lead thumb.
Choose how the little finger sits: overlap, interlock, or ten-finger. All are fine. Pick the one that feels secure.
The V between thumb and forefinger of each hand should point toward your trail shoulder.

How tight?

Hold the club firmly enough that it will not slip, but not so hard that your forearms tighten. A tense grip locks the wrists and kills lag and release.

What the grip does to the ball

A weak grip, with the hands turned toward the target, tends to leave the face open and creates slices. A strong grip, with the hands turned away, tends to close the face and create hooks. A neutral grip is where the face squares most easily. Most golfers who slice do better with a slightly stronger grip.

Drills that help

Mirror check

Hold a club in front of a mirror or take a photo from the front.
Check the knuckles you can see and where each V points.
Make small changes, then check again.

What you should feel: The hands feel like one unit, with the club in the fingers and the pressure light.

Three-quarter test

Hit ten balls with three-quarter swings using your usual grip.
Then hit ten with a grip one notch stronger or weaker, depending on your miss.
Compare the ball flight. Change only the grip so you can see its effect.

What you should feel: The face closes or opens more easily without extra effort.

Not sure this is your problem?

Drills only work if you are fixing the right thing. Film your swing from down the line and face-on, and a PGA coach will tell you what is actually happening and give you one drill to work on.

Get a coach to look at your swing · $35

What a coach looks for on video

Knuckles visible and the position of each V
Where the club sits in the lead hand
Trail hand placement and the position of the trail wrist
Grip pressure and tension in the forearms
How the grip matches your miss

That is the difference between guessing from a guide and knowing from your own swing. Two short videos are enough for a coach to check all of this.

Keep going

Common questions

Which grip is best: overlap, interlock, or ten-finger?

None is better. Choose the one that feels secure and lets your hands work together. Smaller hands often prefer interlock or ten-finger.

Should I change my grip if I slice?

Often a slightly stronger grip helps. Check alignment and path too, because a grip change alone rarely fixes everything.

Have a coach look at your swing

Send two short phone videos and tell us what you are working on. A PGA coach sends back a video review and a drill built around your swing, usually within 24 hours and always within 48.

Get your swing analysis · $35