Choking Up When gripping the Club

[Hoganman1]

I've been having a problem recently making solid contact with my irons. I noticed that a lot of tour players "choke up" on their clubs. I have an unconscious tendency to grip the club very high. I actually have a callous on the heel of my left hand and my golf gloves have a worn spot there too. I'm thinking "choking up" will help my ball striking. I plan to make a conscious effort when I practice and play to give this a try. Do any of you do this or have suggestions? Thanks

 

[BubbaP]

I'm only familiar with "choking down", i.e. moving the hands down the grip so giving the effect of shortening the club. Can reduce the distance and help with control.
Is that what you mean?

https://www.hittingthegreen.com/what-does-choking-down-on-a-golf-club-do

 

[Hoganman1]

I'm only familiar with "choking down", i.e. moving the hands down the grip so giving the effect of shortening the club. Can reduce the distance and help with control.
Is that what you mean?

Yes. I guess "choking down" is a more accurate description of what I mean. I know Sergio does this with every club. I know it shortens the club which usually means the ball flying shorter, but I'm thinking better contact will compensate for losing a few yards. I'm going to give it a try. As I said, I probably grip too high at times causing contact problems.

 

[TheJezster]

I naturally grip down the club. Never at the end, it doesn't feel stable.

You can only do what feels natural to you.

 

[Hoganman1]

I naturally grip down the club. Never at the end, it doesn't feel stable.

You can only do what feels natural to you.

I think that's the problem. Gripping at the top of the grip feels natural to me, but you are right; it's not stable. It's hard to make changes at my age. However, I think I have to try if I want to improve my ball striking.

 

[jim8flog]

Nicklaus did it to great effect.

 

[Hoganman1]

I tried it yesterday and it worked really well. I lapsed back to my old grip a couple of times with my fairway woods and mis-hit them. It's going to take some time to make it a habit, but I think I can get there. Shot 81 yesterday. That's my second lowest score this year.

 

[chrisd]

I always grip too high up and I'm sure it was from my tennis days when we did the same to get more whip on the racquet

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I grip the club at the very end of the handle - and I've known from a long time that most players don't do that. But it was comfortable and my swing worked so I didn't change.

However as a result of another batch of unmentionables I have decided last couple of times out to try gripping down the club a bit - maybe 3/4"-1" of handle showing when previously none was showing - and the difference in the feeling of my address position is huge. Indeed it feels 'right' when for a good number of years it's been feeling a bit 'wrong'. And the result seems to be a more upright stance and swing, and a much better strike. Not difficult given how flat my stance and swing felt and how awful my striking was.

I can't believe that such a small thing can make such a huge change in feeling, but I am going to persevere. Who knows...

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I've gripped down as a) that's what my teaching pro wants me to do and b) gripping at the end caused glove wear on the palm

 

[Hoganman1]

I grip the club at the very end of the handle - and I've known from a long time that most players don't do that. But it was comfortable and my swing worked so I didn't change.

However as a result of another batch of unmentionables I have decided last couple of times out to try gripping down the club a bit - maybe 3/4"-1" of handle showing when previously none was showing - and the difference in the feeling of my address position is huge. Indeed it feels 'right' when for a good number of years it's been feeling a bit 'wrong'. And the result seems to be a more upright stance and swing, and a much better strike. Not difficult given how flat my stance and swing felt and how awful my striking was.

I can't believe that such a small thing can make such a huge change in feeling, but I am going to persevere. Who knows...

We're in the same boat. I don't know when I started gripping too close to the end, but I'll bet it corresponds with when I started having issues with off center strikes. Also, like HomerSimpson my gloves started to show wear on the palms.

 

[SocketRocket]

You may be changing the lie angle of the club when gripping the end, this can cause poor contact.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

You may be changing the lie angle of the club when gripping the end, this can cause poor contact.

I think it definitely was. And the ever so slightly shorter grip makes it dead easy to take a less 'stand-offish' stance. Just feels much more upright. It probably isn't - but simply how the smallest changes to grip, stance and swing can feel really weird when you have had things engrained for decades.

 

[Lump]

Won’t be the only one, but I have to be very conscious of hitting big draws when I choke down.
I do feel I strike it better but I tend to only hit 9/10th swings when doing it.

 

[SocketRocket]

Won’t be the only one, but I have to be very conscious of hitting big draws when I choke down.
I do feel I strike it better but I tend to only hit 9/10th swings when doing it.

Lower hands tend to make the heel of the club dig which will hit a pull.

 

[DanFST]

I was choking down considerably without realising. Was hitting out of the toe a lot.

Back up to the butt now, striking much nicer now the face is flatter