Whether you’re a PGA Tour professional, major championship winner, low-handicap amateur, or someone who has just started playing golf, the fundamentals of a golf swing remain the same.
Whether it’s grip, ball position or alignment, there are basic parts of the golf swing which often get wholly overlooked by amateur players.
Some of the world’s elite golfers focus on the fundamentals when looking to solve issues in their golf swing. Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele use a grip training aid, and LIV Golf star Patrick Reed always uses alignment sticks when practicing.
Jack Nicklaus’ ‘fundamental’ grip advice
18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus has also highlighted the importance of basics within the golf swing.
In his ‘Golf My Way’ YouTube series, the Golden Bear spoke about the importance of grip.
“The grip is the simplest and easiest fundamental and also the most important fundamental in the game of golf,” Nicklaus said.
“A good grip allows everything in the swing to happen naturally. Whether you use an interlocking grip, overlapping grip or a full-finger grip, I don’t think it makes much difference. It’s a matter of personal preference. The golf club passes diagonally across the palm of your left hand.
“The right hand is exactly the opposite. It applies the hit and I want to use the fingers of the right hand. The combination of strength and hit are the two elements of the right and left hand that are put together straight on the golf club to produce a good grip.
“The most common fault of a golfer with a bad grip is his inability to get a complete release and full extension at the time of impact. Remember, you want to keep your hands straight on the golf club so you can apply the face squarely at impact.”
What are the differences between a weak and a strong grip?
Every golfer will grip a club slightly differently, which can lead to ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ positions at the top of the backswing. But what exactly are ‘weak’ and ‘strong’ grips?
A weak grip – right-handed golfer – will see the left hand (top hand) barely showing knuckles with the thumb pointing almost straight down the grip. The right hand will also be covering most of the club. Bryson DeChambeau is a good modern-day example of an elite-level golfer with an extremely weak grip.
A strong grip is the exact opposite. Two or three knuckles will be shown on the left hand, and the right hand will be protracted with the thumb pointing down instead of across. A stronger grip will typically promote a draw, whereas a weaker grip can make it easier to hit fades.
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