How to get the perfect golf grip with Padraig Harrington

Every good golf swing starts with a good grip, so to teach you how to get one of those, Padraig Harrington has put together a very handy guide. 

According to the three-time major champion, starting with a bad grip will lead to a life full of heartache. 

So, in order to make sure you are perfectly set up, he has provided a checklist of tips to get you gripping the golf club right. 

A good golf grip will ensure you can play the game late into your life, so without further ado, here are Harrington's tips for getting one.

1. Grip the club with your fingers

You need to grip the golf club the same way you would grip anything for strength. Be it a deadlift or even a handshake. 

You want to grip the golf club with your fingers as that's your strongest position. 

So, what does that look like in golf?

You want to have the grips resting in your fingers rather than tucked up in the palms of your hands.

You can achieve this in step two.

2. Don't grip the club on the ground

Never put the club on the ground and then grip it. 

The moment you do that, the wrist will lock, which is great for putting but not a full swing. 

In order to prevent this, you want to hold the club out in front of you with your elbows locked to your side.

This creates a bit of an angle on both wrists.

From this point, if you open up your hands, you will see the grip is firmly in the fingers rather than resting in your palms. 

This will leave you in the ideal position to be able to achieve step three.

3. Up, down and figures of eight

Once you have the grip in your fingers, you should have a complete range of movement with your wrists.

You should be able to move the club left or right, up and down and in a full figure of eight without any issue. 

4. The two Vs

Once you have correctly gripped the club, you should have created two Vs between your thumbs and index fingers. 

When you address the ball, both Vs should point between your chin and your right shoulder to ensure your hands are in the right position. 

And if you are still struggling to get your grip right...

You may need to change the grips on your clubs in order to get the correct feel.

You can do this by buying a moulded training aid or even changing the actual grips you have on your clubs. 

One of Harrington's quick fixes that you can also try is wrapping a towel around your grips to quickly change the feel and sensation you get when holding your clubs. 

Once you remove the towel, the sensation your grips provide should be completely different.

See the demonstration below:

“There is no point in playing this game unless you have a good grip.”@Padraig_H shares the fundamentals on gripping a golf club @HoagClassic. pic.twitter.com/eM9h6HCX9u

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) March 20, 2024

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