What grip should you use to play a draw in golf? The complete step-by-step guide

Why the grip is the starting point of the draw

The club path and the clubface are the two factors that determine the ball's trajectory. But the grip is what conditions the face's ability to close naturally upon impact, without active manipulation of the hands.

A neutral or weak grip forces the clubface to remain more open throughout the swing. To still achieve a draw, the golfer must then "save" the face with an active hand movement at impact — an unreliable movement, difficult to reproduce, and a source of inconsistency.

A slightly reinforced grip fundamentally changes this mechanics. It pre-positions the clubface in a more closed orientation from address, reducing the forearm rotation needed to close it at the right moment. The draw then becomes a natural consequence of the swing, rather than a forced movement.

This is a crucial distinction: the grip alone does not create the draw, but it does create the mechanical conditions which make drawing accessible without excessive manipulation.

How to recognize a grip that is too weak, neutral, or strong

Before making any changes, you need to know where you stand. The most reliable indicator remains visual: the number of phalanges (joints) visible on your left hand when you look down at address, in a normal playing position.

• Weak grip: You can't see any or just one phalanx. The face remains open longer in the swing, which promotes a slice or a push.
• Neutral grip: You can see approximately two phalanges. This is a decent starting point for most amateur golfers, but often insufficient for a clean draw.
• Slightly reinforced grip (for drawing purposes): You can see 2 to 3 phalanges. The face closes more easily upon impact.
• Grip too strong: You see 4 or more phalanges. The face closes too early and too violently, which produces a hook rather than a controlled draw.

A second reference point complements the first: the position of the "V" formed by the thumb and forefinger of the left hand. For a draw-oriented grip, this V should point between your right shoulder and your chin — not towards your left shoulder (too weak a grip) nor towards the outside of your right shoulder (too strong a grip).

How to strengthen your grip step by step

Strengthening your grip isn't about abruptly rotating both hands at once. Controlled progression avoids the classic mistake of gripping too hard too fast, which can turn a slice into a hook overnight.

1. Start with the left hand alone. Place the club on the ground, arm extended, and simply close your hand without forcing the position. Then slightly rotate your knuckles to the right until you see 2 to 3 phalanges.
2. Add the right hand in a consistent manner. The right hand should naturally "cover" the left hand, without crushing the shaft in the palm. Both hands should work together, never in opposition.
3. Check the pressure. Applying too much pressure prevents the wrists from naturally releasing and negates the effect of the reinforced grip. Aim for moderate pressure, as if you were holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing out the contents.
4. Test it on the practice range before the round. Hit a series of balls with swings of 70 % power. The objective is not distance but observation of the trajectory: the ball should start slightly to the right of the target then gently return to the left.
5. Adjust in small increments. If the ball veers too sharply to the left or dips (hooks), slightly loosen the grip. If it stays straight without curving, tighten it one notch further.

This progressive method, tested on the multi-level driving range at Golf du Belvédère with players of all levels, avoids the most frequent pitfall: changing the grip and the club path at the same time, which makes it impossible to identify what actually works.

Mistakes to avoid with a reinforced grip

Strong grip or club path: which should be corrected first?

This is one of the most frequently asked questions at the Belvedere Golf Academy. The answer depends on the starting problem.

If your ball consistently goes to the right and never comes back (slice or push), the grip is often the simplest and quickest starting point to correct: slightly strengthening the grip allows the face to close more naturally.

If you already have a very inside-out club path and your shots are hooking left, the problem rarely stems from the grip alone. In this case, adding more grip reinforcement will only worsen the situation—you should first work on your club path with a coach, and then adjust the grip as a secondary step.

In summary: the grip is the primary lever for a player who slices and is trying to hit a draw. For a player who already hooks, the club path is the first thing that needs correcting.

Also read:

• Alignment and grip for playing a draw

Exercises to permanently integrate the new grip

A modified grip only becomes reliable after repetition. Three simple exercises can accelerate this integration without increasing practice hours.

The mirror exercise. Assume your address position in front of a mirror or reflective glass, without a ball. Check the number of visible knuckles and the position of the V with each club grip, until the movement becomes automatic.

Left-hand swings only. Hit small balls while holding the club only in your left hand. This exercise develops the feel of the clubface and reinforces the memory of the new grip, independently of the right hand.

The series of ten grips. Before each practice session, pick up and put down the club ten times in a row, systematically checking your grip each time. This short but daily repetition will establish the new reflex faster than a long, occasional session.

Summary table: grip and effect on trajectory

This table is a starting point, not an absolute rule: hand morphology, wrist flexibility and club path cause these reference points to vary slightly from one player to another.

Does the type of grip (interlocking, overlapping, baseball) make a difference?

Beyond the degree of hand rotation, there are three main types of finger grips: the overlapping grip, the interlocking grip, and the baseball grip. These three variations relate to how the fingers articulate with each other, not the orientation of the hands on the handle—therefore, they do not replace the strengthening exercises described above, but they can make them easier or more difficult depending on your hand shape.

The cross-hand grip, popularized by players like Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy, slightly accentuates the pronation of the front hand on the backswing. This characteristic can promote a more natural clubface closure on the downswing, making it a popular choice for some players seeking a draw. The straddle grip remains the most common among players with larger hands and offers good balance between both hands. The baseball grip, less frequent among experienced golfers, is best suited to beginners or players with less hand strength, but it can make fine clubface control more difficult.

Regardless of the grip family chosen, the principle remains the same: it's the rotation of the hands on the handle—the degree of "reinforcement"—that controls the face closure, not the type of finger interlacing. Don't change your grip family while adjusting your reinforcement: this mixes two variables and makes it impossible to know what has actually changed your trajectory.

Do you need a different grip depending on the club when playing a draw?

A question that often comes up at the Belvédère practice range is: should you keep exactly the same grip from the driver to the wedge? In practice, the majority of players looking for a draw mainly reinforce their grip on the long clubs — driver and fairway wood — where the swing speed is highest and where a few extra meters of bend have the most impact on the total distance.

On mid and short irons, an overly stiff grip can compromise the accuracy needed on approach shots, where the goal is often a more neutral and predictable trajectory to the flag. Many players therefore maintain a moderately stiff grip on their irons and revert to a neutral, or even slightly soft, grip for putting and pitching shots, where consistent contact is more important than ball curvature.

This nuance explains why copying a professional player's grip exactly, which is often identical on all clubs, is not always the best strategy for an amateur who is primarily looking for consistency across their entire bag.

How long does it take to stabilize a new grip?

The adaptation period varies from player to player, but it generally follows a predictable pattern. The first few sessions often feel unpleasant, almost foreign, even if the grip is technically correct. This phase is normal: it corresponds to the time needed for the brain to integrate a new reference position.

Generally, expect two to four regular practice sessions before the new grip starts to feel natural, and several weeks before it becomes completely automatic on the course, especially under pressure. It's perfectly normal to temporarily "lose" some accuracy during this transition phase—it's a sign that the change is real, not a failure.

To speed up this integration without getting discouraged, it's best to keep the new grip even when playing outside the driving range, rather than switching back to the old grip "to secure the score." This constant switching prevents muscle memory from solidifying and unnecessarily prolongs the adaptation period.