We researched and found Five Golf Grip Test For Beginners for those of you just starting your golfing journey. Now that the rainy season is upon us, you may have to take a break from the course. However, there is no need to despair. You can use the time away from the course to perfect your grip. Your grip is one of the essential components of your game. After all, it controls how good your shot will be. We found Five Golf Grip Tests you can experiment with in no particular order during your downtime to decide which is best for you.
1. The Hammer Grip Test
Recently, Golf Digest recently interviewed Nick Faldo who is a global golf legend. Faldo uses the Hammer Test to make sure his grip is on point. He candidly details his no holds bar method of testing your grip.
” Grab the club with only your lead hand (left hand for right-handed golfers). Then, bang the heel of the club into the ground.”
“Whack the ground a few times, and makes sure it comes back square,” Faldo says.
“If, after a few whacks, the clubface is open or closed, it’s time to adjust your grip.”
“An open clubface means you need to rotate your hand, so you see more knuckles; a closed clubface means the opposite. Rinse and repeat until your clubface is square, then add your trail hand,” Faldo says.
“Fiddle with it a little bit,” Faldo says.” —Golf Digest
2. The Biomechanical Grip Test
GOLF Top 100 Teacher, Jon Tattersal shares a grip test best for golfers whose right hand is higher than their right elbow and golfers whose right hand is even with your right elbow for golf.com. According to Tattersal if your right hand is higher than your right elbow “you’re built to grip the club “diagonally.”” He goes on to state that if your right hand is even with your right elbow “you’re built to grip the club “horizontally.””
Here is how Tattersal outlined his grip test for golf.com
If your right hand is higher than their right elbow do this…
“With your right hand only, hold the club out in front of you at waist height, parallel to the ground. Bring your left hand in behind it—it’ll naturally come in on an angle, setting the handle on a perfect diagonal across your left palm. Close your hold as normal. You’re perfect.”
If your right hand is even with your right elbow do this…
“To nail a horizontal grip, hold the club with your right hand so that the end of the grip points at the ground. Now place your left hand on the grip. The handle should run straight down the finger pads. Extend your left thumb, then cover it with your right-hand hold. Locked and loaded.”
3. The 1 Finger Grip Test
Casey Bourque is a PGA Professional who breaks a grip test down in a few steps. In turn, it’s straightforward to understand hand placement for a proper grip. The 1 Finger Test method that Bourque describes is highly effective yet streamlined to “deliver a square club face without manipulation.” *This grip instruction is geared toward right-handed players.
Start with the top hand placement, which is your left hand. Place the club face at a 45-degree angle from the shaft. Keep the base of your hand sitting on top of the shaft to grip. You should be able to remove all left fingers from the club, except your forefinger, and leverage the club. Plus, you can swing the club with just the left forefinger. Notice your club grip is softer. Put the right hand on the shaft covering your left thumb with your right palm. Now overlap, interlock or use all ten fingers on a tightness level scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the tightest and 0 barely holding. Hold it with a tightness of level 3 grip.
4. The Connect The Dots Test
The Connect The Dots Test was written by Michael Lamanna, Director of Instruction at The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Ariz., for Tripsavvy.com. This grip is best for a neutral position.
“The dots on the glove show the position the club should take in the grip. The club should be held more in the fingers than in the palm.
Hold the club about three feet in the air, in front of your body. With the clubface square, place the club at an angle through the fingers, following the line of the dots pictured in the previous image. The club should touch the base of the little finger and rest just above the first joint of
With the club at an angle and in the fingers, place your left thumb (for right-handed players) toward the back side of the shaft.
In the address position, looking down at your grip, you should be able to see the knuckles of the index and middle finger of your lead (top) hand.
You should also see a “V” that is created by the thumb and forefinger of the lead hand, and that “V” should be pointing back toward your right (for right-handed players) shoulder (the one o’clock position).
Finally, complete the grip by placing your trailing (bottom) hand on the handle.”
5. The Neutral Grip Test
Maria Palozola, a Top 50 Golf Instructor demonstrated the Neutral Grip Test with a friend for mygolfinstructor.com. You can easily find out if your grip is balanced with this fun test.
Find a friend to help you with the Neutral Golf Grip Test
Take a strong grip of the shaft and rotate your hands to the right. Have a friend hold the club head. While your still gripping the shaft, lean back. The club face will close if your grip is too strong.
Next use a very weak grip by rolling your hands to the left. Have a friend hold on to the club face and lean back while still holding on to the shaft. If the club face opens then your grip is too weak.
Finally, center both hands onto the shaft. Have a friend hold the club and lean back while keeping your hands centered. The club face should stay square. This indicates that you have an excellent neutral grip.
Your golf grip will naturally improve over time with practice. You will find the best grip for your hand orientation and swing. Think of this as just part of the journey. Meanwhile, consult this blog for inspiration. There may be a test that works perfectly for you.
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