Holding the club vs gripping it
To truly grip the club, it needs to feel like an extension of your hands and arms. Giving lessons has shown me how often I grab the club to illustrate what I mean. I feel comfortable with a golf club in my hand. I feel at home. When you watch artists and musicians, they have a way of holding their equipment that looks natural, like it’s a part of them. It doesn’t look awkward or weird.

I remember when I was making a grip change early in my golfing journey. I had enough swing quirks and was trying to tighten my swing to be more consistent and repeatable. When I made the grip change, it felt like I was holding a lunch box. It was so weird; I couldn’t even take the club back, and I was convinced it was a bad idea. I had already lost because I knew my grip wasn’t the best it could be, and I knew I had to change it.

So, what I did was grab a club while at home on the couch or walking around and just gripped it. I did this for an entire weekend. The more time I spent holding my club with the new grip, the less strange it felt. This helped me turn something that felt very weird into something that feels comfortable and looks like it’s meant to be.