What does choking up on a golf club do?
William Rodriguez
Published Jan 13, 2026
When you shorten the club, the gains that you make in control will be lost in distance. Your overall swing speed will be lowered by choking up, meaning that you won't be able to hit the ball as far as you would making the same swing while gripping the club at the end.
Does choking down on golf club help?
Choking down will reduce swing speed, increase control over the club head at impact, and reduce your shot distance. Choking down on your driver can also help if you need to hit a tee shot into the wind. Your swing speed will decline by choking down and you will put less spin on the ball.
When should you choke up on a golf club?
#1 Reduce the Distance of the Shot
If you need to take a few yards off the typical distance that you would get from a given club, you can choke down. For example, if you usually hit your 7-iron 150-yards, but you need to hit a 145-yard shot, you could choke down an inch or two and make a comfortable swing.
Does choking up on driver Help?
Choking down on your driver is also a good method when you need to play a tee shot into the wind. The speed of your swing will be reduced when you choke down, which means your spin rate should be reduced as well.
Should I choke up on my long irons?
Also, if you're struggling with hitting long irons straight, I also recommend choking up one inch on the club, especially if you're playing in windy conditions. By choking up, you make the club slightly shorter and easier to control which is crucial if you're hitting into the wind.
16 related questions foundHow far can you choke down on a golf club?
The further your grip down the club, the lighter it will feel, and the easier it will be to control. Most golfers will grip the club about ½ inch from the top. When you want to choke down on the club a bit, you can go about an inch or maybe even a little more than an inch from the top of the golf club.
What happens if my golf clubs are too long?
What Happens When Golf Clubs Are Too Long? For most golfers, having clubs that are too long will result in the most inconsistent shots. Clubs that are too long will make you stand too upright, which can cause both heel and toe shots as well as a tendency to pull the ball.
Does choking down change swing weight?
One thing I usually see though is that effective swingweight is often dismissed as negligible when choking down, or acknowledged that it changes a little, but it "shouldn't affect you too much". TXG had a good video called effect of gripping down.
How far down the club should you grip?
How far down the golf club should your hands be? There should be around an inch from the top of the grip to the end of the club. By holding the club right at the top of the grip, it will result in a loss of control and increases the likelihood of shots to come out of the heel of the club.
What does hovering the driver do?
Soling the club in such a lie can set off a chain reaction which could move the ball, incurring a penalty. By hovering the club, you not only eliminate that risk, you reduce the tendency to snag the clubface in the grass, both on the takeaway and on the way down to the ball.
Should I choke down chipping?
of the shaft. Many players immediately grip the club and choke down so their hands are at the end of the rubber and sometimes touching the metal of the shaft. I know you have been told to choke down for control and around the greens control is a must.
How tight should you hold a 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 golfers interlock their fingers?
Interlock Grip
An interlocking grip is where the pinky of your right-hand fits between the index and middle finger of your left hand. This is typically a grip that is used by players with smaller hands to help them feel as though they have control over the golf club.
What is the proper way to hold a golf club?
To hold a golf club, start by placing your dominant hand on the shaft of the club where it connects to the grip. Then, lift the club at a 45 degree angle and place your other hand palm-up beneath the grip. Wrap your bottom three fingers around it and set your thumb across the top of the grip.
How long should my golf clubs be for my height?
Using the ratio of every 6" of height there should be a 1" change in length then there should be a 1 ½" difference between their 5-irons. For example, recommend 36.5" for the lady and 38" for the man (or 36.75" / 38.25").
How long should golf clubs be for 6 2?
For example, for a golfer that stands 6'2” and has a wrist-to-floor of 39”, the recommendation for proper club length would be 1/2” longer than standard length.
What is Tiger Woods golf grip?
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.
How does Jon Rahm grip the club?
Rahm uses a interlocking grip style for woods and irons giving him both control and accuracy. Jon uses a neutral hand position to help prevent hooks and slicing with his driver, fairway woods and irons. Jon uses the the very popular reverse overlap putting grip style to help keep the hands out of his putting stroke.
What happens if you grip a golf club too tightly?
"Gripping the club too tight can cause thin, weak shots that slice. A lighter grip pressure enhances wrist hinge — a vital power source in the swing. This light pressure also increases the amount of clubface rotation, thus improving your chance of squaring the club at impact.
Should golf grip be in fingers or palm?
Grip in the fingers, not the palm
Make sure that the grip is in the fingers of your left hand, not running too much through the palm of your hand. If the grip gets into the palm too much it will make it nearly impossible to use your wrists properly in your swing.
Do you use same grip for driver and irons?
Yes, you should use the same grip for all of your shots with the exception of putting. It is important to have a solid grip and one that returns the clubface to square whether you are putting, chipping, pitching, hitting bunker shots or making full swings with your woods or irons.
Should a golf driver touch the ground?
He says that setting the club on the ground promotes a hands and arms takeaway. Hovering the club, he said, engages your core from before you even hit the golf ball, which promotes a more powerful turn behind the ball.
Should golf club be flat on ground at address?
How should a golf club lie on the ground? The golf club should address the ball with the toe set a few millimetres in the air – the clubhead should never sit flat on the turf. You should be able to fit a small coin under the toe of the club at address, with the heel remaining in contact with the ground.