The Importance of Grip When Hitting Irons

Yesterday, I hit my irons terribly; especially my six iron. This is very rare as this is my favorite club to hit from 145 yards to 175 yards. I hit my driver “ok” and my chipping and putting was on allowing me to keep it under 100; but it was concerning to see my six iron act up. Today, I picked up a club and started to analyze what was wrong with my iron swing. I don’t like to do this much, but by simply picking up the club I figured out exactly what I was doing wrong.

When I grip irons I tend to have a very strong grip meaning the back of my left hand is pointing towards the sky. This allows my club face to come in a little closed which means I will hit the ball harder. I still have a fade, but it is a much stronger power fade rather than a flailing duck up in the wind. My driver grip is a little more neutral as I have a slightly different swing with woods and the driver.

Sometimes, I use my driver grip when I am hitting irons. When I do this I have a terrible slice and I get no distance. In fact, I look like a 25 handicap golfer. It also puts me in very tough situations when trying to get up and down for par or bogey. When gripping my six iron inside today I quickly realized that I had way too neutral of a grip.

Something I think most golfers do not consider when playing on a consistent basis is their grip. This is one of the most important parts of the swing. Even if you have quiet feet and the perfect swing plane, it is not going to matter if your grip is not correct or comfortable. If you are having a round in which you are not striking the ball well with your irons or wedges I would strongly urge you to step back and assess your grip. If your grip is even slightly off it can make a huge difference in your golf game.

I have no idea when I will be able to get out again but I have a sneaky suspicion that I will hit my irons ten times better but my putting and chipping will be a little bit off. This is the challenge of golf and why it keeps me coming back. One day I will put it all together and shoot in the mid 70s but it isn’t coming in December 2014. That said, I will still have plenty of fun when I hit the links this winter.