The Best Free Golf Video Lessons565 Free Golf Lessons from the Best ProsOver 120,000,000 views
565 lessons from professionals, selected and summarizedOver 120,000,000 views across all videos
Grip All clubs Beginner ⏱ 11 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Golf Grip Based on Body Type: Ma's Method

Is a neutral grip absolutely necessary? Ma, a golf instructor and founder of Les Golfiteurs, demonstrates the effect of a strong, weak, or neutral grip on the clubface and ball flight. He then shares a simple test—with your arms at your sides—to help you find the grip that best suits your body type.

▶
Ma Chun Teng Chan
Ma Chun Teng Chan · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

2 minSame problemHank Haney's Loop Exercise to Correct a SliceHank Haney · Beginner / Intermediate4 minSame problemNelly Korda's Left-Hand-Low Putting: Interlocked GripNelly Korda · Beginner / Intermediate5 minFrom the same proHalf-series or full series: When Should You Make the Leap?Ma Chun Teng Chan · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

I'll start with the three grips. The strong grip: Left hand turned sharply to the right, left thumb clearly visible; on the upswing, the clubface closes and points toward the ground, causing the ball to curve left if the hands relax. To work with this, like Dustin Johnson, you need to rotate your body and keep your hands passive. Weak grip, holding the club in the palm like a hammer—a common mistake among beginners: the clubface opens on the upswing, points toward the sky, and remains open at impact, which forces you to rely heavily on your hands to avoid hitting the ball to the right. The Neutral Grip, in the fingers, with the right hand covering the left thumb, keep the face square as the club rises.

But depending on body type, A strong or weak grip can also result in a square face.. The test: Let your arms hang down at your sides and look at the orientation of the palms. Palms facing backward, like Ma’s: tendency toward a strong grip. Palms opening forward: a rather weak grip, in the palm. Palms facing toward you: neutral grip. With a neutral grip that doesn’t suit him, Ma opens his clubface and has to compensate. He then advises to’to experience the opposite trend to see the effect on the trajectories.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Release the club and let your arms hang down by your sides without thinking.
  2. Look at your palms: are they facing backward, toward you, or open toward the front?
  3. Swing the club according to this guideline: a tighter, neutral, or weak grip.
  4. Take a swing and check the clubface: it should remain fairly square.
  5. With a strong grip, keep your hands relaxed at impact and let your body rotate.
  6. Try the opposite trend to see how it affects the ball's spin and trajectory.

Key Takeaways

There's no one "ideal" grip—everyone has their own.
Strong grip: closed face on the upswing, tendency to curve the ball to the left.
Weak grip: open-faced on the upstroke, tends to drift to the right without using the hands.
Neutral grip: square face on the upswing, without compensation.
With your arms relaxed at your sides, the direction your palms are facing indicates your natural grip.
Be sure to check the clubface as you swing up.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Require everyone to use a neutral grip, even when it causes a player's clubface to open.
  • Use a strong grip and relax your hands at impact: the ball will curve to the left.
  • If you use a weak grip without closing the clubface, the ball will go to the right.
  • Never check the clubface on the upswing.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Check your palms, with your arms at your sides, before picking up the club
  2. Slow reps in front of a mirror to check your form
  3. A few shots with the natural grip, then with the opposite grip
  4. Analysis of the trajectories obtained with each grip

Your Questions

How do I know which golf grip is right for me?

I suggest letting your arms hang down at your sides. Palms facing backward: tends to be a strong grip. Palms facing toward you: neutral grip. Palms facing forward: tends to be a weak grip.

Is a strong grip a bad grip?

No. He closes the clubface on the upswing and tends to curve the ball to the left, but by rotating your body and keeping your hands passive, you can play very well this way—just like Dustin Johnson.

Why do teachers recommend the neutral grip?

Because it keeps the clubface square on the upswing, without any adjustment at impact. But according to Ma, a strong or weak grip can also result in a square clubface if that’s your natural swing.

Should you try out several grips?

Yes. I suggest you try the opposite grip from your natural one to see how it affects your swing and ball flight; for him, experimentation is the key to developing a feel for the game.

Learn More

All “Grip” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Hank Haney's Loop Exercise to Correct a SliceThe slicer makes a counterclockwise loop; Haney has him repeat the reverse loop, then roll his hands to the 3 o'clock position. Lee Trevino's Swing: Clubface Control on the RangeThree surfaces to align (club, back of the left hand, right palm), a right hand that acts as a steering wheel, and a ball that is moved to choose between a draw or a fade. Nelly Korda's Left-Hand-Low Putting: Interlocked GripNelly Korda putts left hand low, fingers interlocked, so she moves the putter with her chest rather than her hands, especially under pressure. Ma Chun Teng ChanAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Ma Chun Teng Chan). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

* Amateur competitions with guidance from the pros