How to hold a Golf Club the Ben Hogan Way
Whether you are just beginning the game of golf or have been playing for several years, it is important to know all of the fundamentals around how to swing a golf club. This includes knowing how to hold a golf club and how to grip a golf club as well. One golfer in particular who is known for having some of the best fundamentals of all time is Ben Hogan. Among his list of achievements are winning nine major championships and 64 PGA Tour wins over the course of his hall of fame golfing career. His book on golf, Ben Hogan’s Five Lessons, is considered as one of the seminal works of golf instruction and shows all golfers how to swing a golf club the right way, starting with the grip.
How to hold a golf club
As Hogan states in his book, “Good golf begins with a good grip.” It is the foundation of a good golf swing and yet is overlooked by many when trying to improve at the game. The reason as to why the grip is so important is that the power generated from a golf swing goes from the entire body through the arms to the clubhead as it is hitting the golf ball. If the grip is not correct, then the swing will not be as effective as it could be. Hogan recommends using the overlapping grip when it comes to how to hold a golf club.
For a right-handed golfer, first grip the left hand on the golf club with the back of the left hand facing the target. The left thumb should be facing straight down the club with the last three fingers holding the main pressure points. For the right hand, the palm should be facing the target. It is important to keep in mind that the right hand is more geared towards the fingers, with the most pressure put on the middle two; for the right hand the club must not be on the palm area. The little finger on the right hand should overlap on top of the index finger of the left hand, and the left thumb should fit into the right palm.
How to grip a golf club
One of the main tendencies of newer golfers is to grip the club as hard as they can to ensure it doesn’t go anywhere during the course of the golf swing. What they do not realize is that doing this restricts the golf swing and does not allow it to flow freely, thus costing distance and accuracy. It should not be firm to the point of restricting the golf swing, but it should be firm enough to swing the golf club without fear of the club moving around or slipping away. In other words, the grip should be firm but not too firm. An easy way to tell if the grip is too firm is if the arms are stiff on the backswing. The arms should be able to flow freely from the backswing to the downswing, and if there is a bit of restriction in place the grip of the club may be too tight.
