Golf IQ Here's what happens when you grip down
8 snips
Dec 1, 2025 Drew Powell, Associate Editor at Golf Digest and the mind behind their Mythbusters series, dives into gripping down on clubs. He discusses its effects on distance, accuracy, and trajectory, contrasting robot testing with human variability. Fascinatingly, gripping down an inch improves control but going two inches worsens dispersion due to altered dynamics. Drew also explores which clubs benefit most and offers alternatives like swing adjustments. His key advice? Grip down about an inch for the best results in your game.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
One-Inch Grip Down Cuts ~5 Yards
- Gripping down shortens the lever and reduces carry distance by about five yards when you go one inch down.
- Gripping down also lowers ball flight and can reduce offline dispersion up to a point before reversing benefits.
Grip Down One Inch For Small Yardage Drops
- Use roughly one inch of grip down as a repeatable way to take about five yards off a short iron.
- Keep your normal swing length and tempo rather than trying to swing slower.
Too Far Down Hurts Accuracy
- Gripping down two inches did not reduce carry further but increased dispersion for tested golfers.
- Excessive grip-down changes impact dynamics and made shots worse offline in the study.