Why do I still slice with a strong grip?
Daniel Johnson
Updated on June 03, 2026
The most common cause of a slice is an open club face. This open club face will give you contact that isn't square and often feels like a “side swipe.” The most common cause of an open club face is an incorrect grip as your hand position will directly reflect in the face.
Can grip cause a slice?
You might have a so-called "weak grip," which means your thumbs are more at the top of the club. When you swing with this type of grip, your hands resist their natural tendency to return the clubface square at impact, and instead, they leave the clubface open which causes a slice.
What happens if golf grip is too strong?
When a strong grip is used, the left wrist often snaps the clubface shut just before making contact with the golf ball. This causes the ball to go left most of the time and results in inaccurate shots and lots of frustration.
Can too strong of a grip cause a hook?
If a player's grip is too strong, meaning their bottom hand is rotated too far underneath the club, they will likely flip or turn the clubface shut at impact. This closes the clubface too quickly or easily and results in a hook.
What is the invisible knuckle rule?
A sure sign that you have this fault is a wear mark on your glove at the heel of your hand. To improve your grip, adjust your left hand until you can see two knuckles at address. If you see only one knuckle, your grip is too weak. If you see three or four, you've overcooked it.
30 related questions foundDo pros use a strong grip?
Yes. Many pros use a strong grip on the PGA Tour. Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Zach Johnson, and Bubba Watson are all known to use a strong grip. Compare this to the time of Jack Nicklaus when a more neutral grip was the predominant grip style on tour.
What grip does Bubba Watson use?
Watson uses a Ping Gold grip, which is 1/32″ larger than a standard-sized grip. When he re-grips Watson's clubs, Udd cuts the old grips off carefully so he doesn't damage the tape underneath.
How tight should you hold your golf club?
You should be holding the golf club with the same pressure you would hold a small bird: tight enough so it doesn't fly away, but soft enough so you don't crush it. You don't want to choke your club to death.
Why do I slice with my driver but not my irons?
Honestly, it all comes down to one simple concept: You can't use the exact same swing for both your irons and your driver. Those two types of clubs are designed differently, with different shaft lengths and different lofts. They are made to achieve different goals.
Does a weak golf grip cause a slice?
SET YOUR HANDS SO THEY CAN RELEASE
Two grip mistakes make a slice almost inevitable. Many players use a grip that's too weak--with the thumbs pointing straight down the handle. Make your grip stronger, so your hands are turned away from the target and your palms are parallel with each other.
Can standing too close to the golf ball cause a slice?
Standing too close to the ball causes a loss of posture, reduction in arm extension, loss of balance, loss of speed, toe hits, slices, low hooks and a change in swing path. Always check you setup first when you start hitting errant shots.
Do jumbo grips cause a slice?
Grips too big
Instead of engaging the smaller muscles, a bigger diameter grip restricts and slows the hands down — often causing you to lose both swing speed and the ability to square the clubface fast enough through impact. Meaning, you're prone to slice it a whole lot more if your handles are too big.
What causes a driver slice?
A slice shot is caused by a poor grip and setup, an outside-to-in downswing path and an open clubface. An outside-to-in path occurs when the golfer reaches too far on the downside, bringing the club down to the right of the ball (outside), relative to the target line.
What grip does Dustin Johnson use?
Dustin Johnsons utilizes a strong grip. A neutral grip is when the lead hand and trail hand evenly meet on each side of the club. A weak grip is when the lead hand is turned away from the trail hand. When the golfer looks down at this style of golf grip, they may see one or barely two knuckles on that lead hand.
What grip does Rory McIlroy use?
McIlroy's grips are Golf Pride's Tour Velvet with two wraps of tape under the left hand and three wraps under where McIlroy places his right hand.
What grips do Tiger Woods use?
Tiger Woods doesn't necessarily have small hands, but he also uses the interlocking grip. Nicklaus was Woods' idol when he was a kid, so that's why he started using the interlocking grip.
What grip does Bryson DeChambeau use?
There are many different quirks to Bryson DeChambeau's game and one of them is the size of his JumboMax JMX Ultralite grips throughout his bag. These grips are unorthodox but they are typical of DeChambeau. They are helpful for amateur golfers and professional golfers.
What grip does Adam Scott use?
He uses the left hand to anchor the top end to his upper chest. His right hand points downward, open and facing the target, gently holding the club between thumb and forefinger while the other fingers dangle to the side. This nearly pressure-free grip allows Scott to sweep the putter effortlessly back and through.
What grip do most PGA players use?
Golf pros use the overlap grip most commonly. The overlap grip helps golfers who have larger hands, and it helps to eliminate some grip pressure as well. If you are a player who struggles to get the grip pressure down, the overlap grip could be a good choice for you.
Does tee height affect slice?
Tee height can reduce a slice as it can make you improve your swing path into the ball. By concentrating on hitting up on the driver, you will reduce sidespin and this may reduce your slice.
Does a cupped wrist cause a slice?
If it's vertical (or perpendicular) to the ground (top inset), you're cupping your left wrist and opening the face. That can result in a slice.