This poor grip habit is costing you strokes. Here’s how to fix it

By: Jonathan Yarwood, Top 100 Teacher , Nick Dimengo February 16, 2024

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood says this common golf grip habit is causing mishits, and offers a tip to improve your ball contact

If your golf grip's out of whack, you have no chance at hitting it flush.

Getty Images

Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com series in which we’re sharing improvements, learnings and takeaways from amateur golfers just like you — including some of the speed bumps and challenges they faced along the way.

The great Jack Nicklaus once said that “the [golf] grip is the most important thing in the game of golf” — and with good reason! Once you dial in your grip, you can play your best and eliminate common mistakes, such as opening or closing the clubface.

Added Nicklaus: “A good grip allows everything in the swing to happen naturally.”

On that note, I had a conversation the other day with a high school golf coach about the most common issues he sees with young players. Without hesitation, he said: “Their grip is so out of whack, they have no idea how to control the clubface.”

As you address the ball, an easy hack to confirm that your clubface is square is by using this golf grip hack - here's how it works — Use this simple grip hack to confirm your clubface is square at address
By: Nick Dimengo

So for all you mid-to-high-handicappers who spend hours beating balls around at the driving range, until you master the golf grip, you’re going to continue to see inconsistent results.

But what’s it take to find the perfect golf grip in order to hit better shots more consistently? I reached out to GOLF Top 100 Teacher Jonathan Yarwood to get his expert advice.

In the video below, Yarwood describes a common grip issue he sees with many of his students. He then describes an easy feel to fix the problem that can instantly improve your ball-striking ability. Check it out!

The correct golf grip for flusher, longer shots

“If you get a wear mark in your glove, you’re holding the club way too much in the palm,” says Yarwood. “When you hold it in the palm, you immobilize the wrists and take the power out.”

Outside of sacrificing power, Yarwood says the other issue with gripping the club in the palm is a lack of control. This is why using your fingers is important.

“You can’t control the club when it’s in the palm,” he adds. “So put the club in the fingers of your left hand so that the fleshy heel pad sits on top of the grip when you close your hand on the club’s grip. Now you can articulate your wrists and create more power.”

The image below shows the wear mark on a glove from a bad golf grip.

Jonathan Yarwood shows the wear mark that every golfer should avoid seeing from their golf grip. — Yarwood shows the wear mark that every golfer should avoid. Image via YouTube/jonathanyarwoodgolf

When I reached out to Yarwood to elaborate more on this grip issue, he described the following drill — which enables you to control the clubface and strike point.

“A great drill to do is to take your thumb and three fingers off the club’s grip, leaving only the heel pad and lower finger to support the club. It should stay there,” Yarwood says. “If it’s in the palm when you do this, it will clatter to the floor!”

By following this golf grip tip from Yarwood, not only will you hit flusher shots, but you’ll save yourself from buying a new glove every few months!

“So if you see a wear mark on your glove, alter your grip and you’ll be a much better player,” Yarwood adds.