Thinkin' about going SUPER weak grip.

[Fuscinator]

Please don't  put this in "Instruction", it's just a hobby.😏

I think I've finally had my fill of pulls and pull hooks, and since I pretty much get "handsy", anyway, this might be what I need. Anyone else gone super weak with delightful results?

Edited June 2, 2023 by Fuscinator

[Billy_shears]

I just had a lesson today and weakened my grip. I mean strong or weak grips just work for some folks so it’s worth giving it a shot 

[Socrates]

My grip (hands) are very neutral, but since I use a grip with a reminder rib, I have to have them set up a little open (about 10º).  I find the rib fits into my fingers better in this position.  If I put them on square, I will hook everything.  When I put them on open, I will hit a very straight ball.  

[bobfoster]

Just my opinion. I use a mostly neutral grip (slightly strong, because I like a slight draw on irons). 

 

But the basics of the modern golf swing has three components that all interact: Grip, stance/setup, and swing path. Been like this for a century. If you are going to an extreme in any of them (like a super weak grip), it is because you are compensating for being way over in another variable. 

[enfuego]

I played a pretty weak grip for a while and played some great golf with it. It can be really consistent. It felt the most natural to me and worked well enough. I have recently tried to get more neutral because of some downsides I experienced. Weak grips will add loft and spin and cause you to lose distance/struggle into a head wind. To try and counter it, I played strong lofted irons and went 2* upright in lie angle for irons and upright in woods. I naturally played a little cut but when my swing was really on I could hit a tight draw.

[jordan2240]

Just do it and ride it as long as it works.  If it's anything like the changes I constantly make, that'll be about 3 rounds.

[Fuscinator]

3 hours ago, jordan2240 said:

Just do it and ride it as long as it works.  If it's anything like the changes I constantly make, that'll be about 3 rounds.

3 rounds?!? If this lasts 3 holes, I'll be stunned.

[Socrates]

Played with a guy today who had a really weak top hand.  His bottom hand was equally strong.  He hit it okay but lost a lot of distance because he expended a lot of energy trying to get the face somewhere square at impact.  Very unnatural wrist action (couldn't c0ck his left wrist because of it).

[rkodavey]

I have a neutral to slightly strong grip and I too suffer from hooks and pull hooks. I’ve tinkered with going weak but it never lasts long because I lose about a club of distance (30ish yards with the driver) and start to hit it all over the face. My suggestion would be to check your release pattern. Some here may disagree with this idea but what helped me not hit it left was to feel a later release by holding on to my wrist angles a bit longer from the top. People say that holding the lag is a terrible concept, but when your first move down from the top is a violent lash at the ball with your hands, you need to quiet that down a touch. For me, it synced up my rotation and now I feel like I can turn hard through the ball and it won’t really go left. 
 

There’s a reason why so many pros play with strong grips. Not saying it can’t work if that’s your natural way of gripping it, but going from strong to weak usually ends up bad. 

[Valtiel]

18 hours ago, Socrates said:

I have to have them set up a little open (about 10º).  I find the rib fits into my fingers better in this position.  If I put them on square, I will hook everything. 

Same, and i'd be curious if it was for the same reasons as me. I accidentally discovered that a reminder rib sitting the crease of the first knuckle on my left index finger (right handed, overlap grip) feels really comfortable and repeatable, but in order for that to result in a "square" face at address with a neutral-ish grip I basically have to rotate the grip counter clockwise (looking down from address) to around 11 o'clock. If I put the grip on "standard" and align the rib with that crease it produces a clubface that is extremely shut, around that 10*+ you mentioned. 

I only do this with woods though, irons get normal grips. 

[mattwood]

It could actually make your pulls and pull hooks worse.   My guess is that they are stemming from something other than your grip.

[golfarb1]

Strength of the grip not only affects the clubface at impact , but alters the range of motion of the 4 movements of the wrist 

[Mrgreen36]

If I slowly get stronger I actually tend to flare stuff to the right. I have been conscience to weaken it every time I grab a club now. It feels really weak to me, but is probably very neutral.

[aggiegolfer21]

Scottie scheffler has a relatively weak right hand and I would say his results are better than delightful.

 

Golf is about what works, if a weak right hand works for you then it is correct.  Just keep in mind you'll likely hit a little more down on the ball, hit it a little lower on the face, and hit it with more loft.

[LKNgolf]

I will throw the monkey wrench in the discussion.  This is just my opinion based on personal experience.  But I would say any grip that deviates too far from whatever is your neutral grip is very quickly going to build compensations into your swing.  Just sayin because I’ve done it.  Went down a season of hellacious hooks and came out with a grip that Ben hogan would envy.  Of course then I learned to hook that too.  For me it was all in the hands.  Way too much hands and rolling them over instead of releasing them like bowler or a basket ball player.  This was the key feeling for me.  The weak grip can be magic on certain short game shots where you favor the bounce…and I hit a few memborable long irons that way.  But I also went rounds yes rounds with two way misses off the tee and no end in sight.  That’s a hard way to score.  Just sayin 

[RobertBaron]

On 6/3/2023 at 3:15 PM, mattwood said:

It could actually make your pulls and pull hooks worse.   My guess is that they are stemming from something other than your grip.

Yea those pulls and pull hooks will turn into pretty nasty slices mighty quick

[Fuscinator]

On 6/3/2023 at 6:15 PM, mattwood said:

It could actually make your pulls and pull hooks worse.   My guess is that they are stemming from something other than your grip.

My super strong grip used to hit the ball dead straight, but for a long time it was paired with a pretty closed foot line. The ball was back too, so by the time my lead arm started to rotate, the ball was long gone. Essentially, I was pulling the ball dead straight.

 

It would've been fine if I had just left it alone, but what kind of hobbyist doesn't tinker with things they shouldn't? l started getting enamored with an open stance (amongst a host of other foolish things) and that's when the hook showed up. Unsurprisingly, the more I opened the face, the worse the hook got. I ended up taking a couple of lessons for the very first time. I prefer to teach myself, but I was really worried about hurting someone. 

 

At my first lesson, he put me in a parallel stance, put an 8-iron in the middle of my stance, had me take a "Y" grip on the club (which ended up being a very weak grip) and just make my normal swing. The first shot was a two yard fade. Long story short (well...shortER😏), after 18 holes (par 3 course) of misery yesterday, we played another nine. I used the setup I just described. Every ball had the same pretty little fade to it. It was the most pleasant golf I've played in a while. We'll see if I stick with it. My guess is it'll last three holes into my next round.

[alittleoverpar]

I've played with a weak/neutral grip since I started playing almost 50 yrs ago.  I tried going strong a few times, but just lost the feel of the clubhead.  With my standard grip I see 1 knuckle.  While I do have to be aware of closing the clubface, I find it gives me a lot more flexibility to hit "shots".  It's much easier for me to move the ball either direction or hit high or low shots with a weak/neutral grip.  Everyone is different.  Give it a try.  You may like it!

[me05501]

I took a lesson with a good pro several years ago who advocates a weak lead hand grip. He said the back of the lead hand should be aligned with the clubface. I could never make it work for me unless he was right beside me.