Split Grip โ€” Golf Drill

The split-grip drill has become a game-changing technique for golfers struggling with club release, stuck downswings, and inconsistent ball striking. Leading instructors like Alistair Davies Golf and Matt Baker Golf | Malaska Certified Coach have popularized this simple yet powerful training method that separates your hands on the club to isolate critical swing mechanics. Whether you're fighting hooks and pushes from getting stuck underneath the ball, or simply can't feel the proper club release

How to practise it

  1. Set up the split grip position Take normal grip with lead hand, then place trail hand 6 inches down the shaft in normal grip position. Feel the separation between your hands.
  2. Practice the release motion slowly Make slow swings feeling the clubhead rotate past your hands through impact. Focus on the trail hand helping square the clubface as Alistair Davies teaches.
  3. Work the downswing path Feel the clubhead stay outside your hands on the downswing, then pivot over them through impact. This prevents getting stuck underneath.
  4. Build to full speed swings Increase tempo while maintaining the proper release feel. The split grip exaggerates the correct motion you'll use with normal grip.
  5. Transfer to normal grip Take 5 swings with split grip, then immediately switch to normal grip and replicate the same release sensation.

What exactly is the split-grip drill and how do I do it correctly?

The split-grip drill involves taking your normal lead hand grip, then flipping the club and taking an underhand grip with your trail hand, creating separation between your hands on the club. As demonstrated by professionals like Rory McIlroy, this setup helps you feel proper club release and prevent

I keep getting stuck in my downswing and hitting pushes and hooks - how can the split-grip help?

According to Matt Baker Golf, the split-grip drill helps golfers who get caught underneath themselves by teaching you to keep the clubhead outside your hands and pivot properly. This prevents the tendency to drive your hands at the ball and helps you get the club back out in front of you for better

How does the split-grip drill help with proper club release through impact?

The split-grip drill teaches the proper arm and wrist rotation that Alistair Davies emphasizes for consistent ball striking. With hands separated, you can better feel how the arms should rotate so the pit of your arm faces up and around rather than back at the ball, preventing scooping and promoting

How each of them teaches it

Coaches who demonstrate the split grip drill, each linked at the second they start.

  1. Matt Baker Golf | Malaska Certified Coach: The Malaska Move Explained: The Downswing Finally Makes Sense (from 6:23). Separate hands wide apart on the club handle and swing to feel how the lead hand works down while the clubhead tips out and rotates square into impact without pulling the handle.
  2. Athletic Motion Golf: Unlock Hidden Speed Hiding Inside of You! (from 16:27). Separate your hands on the handle to feel how the trail arm rotates and transfers leverage to the clubhead at impact rather than shoving the handle.
  3. Golf with MAGS : The NEW Ridiculously Effortless Way To Stop Early Extending (from 2:09). Slide your trail hand all the way down onto the shaft during your grip setup to feel the exaggerated posture of keeping your hips back and chest lower to the ground.
  4. Alistair Davies Golf: Almost No Golfer KNOWS This But It's The Key To COMPRESSION (from 7:20). Separate your hands on the handle to feel how forearm rotation squares the clubface while preserving dynamic loft and shaft lean through impact.
  5. Alistair Davies Golf: Get More Distance With This Simple Golf Release Fix (from 3:16). Place lead hand at top and trail hand at bottom of grip to feel how body rotation and forearm turn square the clubface with forward shaft lean.
  6. Golf with MAGS : The NEW Ridiculously Easy Way To Create Width In The Backswing (from 9:42). Slide your trail hand down to the top of the shaft (or use a cross-handed grip) during rehearsal swings to pre-lengthen your arms and feel maximum backswing width.
  7. Matt Baker Golf | Malaska Certified Coach: Struggling to Strike It? Youโ€™re Getting Stuck (from 0:08). Grip the club with hands separated on the handle to feel the club head pivot over the lead hand and stay in front of the body during the downswing.
  8. Matt Baker Golf | Malaska Certified Coach: Stuck in the Downswing? Do This Simple Drill (from 2:02). Separate the hands on the grip to feel the clubhead stay outside the hands during the takeaway and pivot correctly during the downswing.
  9. Malaska Golf: Never Get Stuck With the Driver Again (from 3:46). Separate your hands on the grip to feel how the handle must move down and in while the clubhead moves out to reach the ball.
  10. Meandmygolf: Stay Wider in the Takeaway #golfswing #golftips (from 0:45). Choke down on the shaft and use a split grip to feel the right arm staying straight and the torso rotating early in the takeaway.
  11. Alistair Davies Golf: How To Release The Club Through Impact In Golf (from 0:22). Separate your hands on the grip to feel how the arms and wrists must rotate to square the clubface through impact without scooping.
  12. Matt Baker Golf | Malaska Certified Coach: โ›ณ๏ธWhy Your Golf Swing Feels Weak (Fix This Fast). A drill where the hands are separated on the handle to help the golfer feel how the wrists hinge, unhinge, and re-hinge throughout the swing.
  13. Meandmygolf: Stop Early Arm Rotation #golfswing #golftips (from 0:11). Separate your hands on the club with the trail hand placed on the steel shaft to feel the torso and arms work together in the takeaway.
  14. Alistair Davies Golf: This Easy Drill Fixes Your Golf Swing Fast!. Separating the hands on the club to exaggerate and isolate how the lead and trail wrists move independently through the downswing.
  15. Meandmygolf: Fix That Armsy Backswing Move #golfswing #golftips (from 0:45). Split your hands on the club (choking down with the trailing hand) to force the right arm to stay straight and engage the torso during the takeaway.
  16. Matt Baker Golf | Malaska Certified Coach: Fix Your Stuck Downswing FAST! (Split Grip Drill for Better Path & Face Control)๐Ÿ‘๐Ÿš€ (from 1:45). Also known as the Hockey Drill, this involves separating the hands significantly on the grip to feel the independent roles of the lead and trail arms during the downswing.
  17. AlexElliottGolf: This is Why I Told Him NEVER Start with the Club Behind the Golf Ball (Simple Driver Golf Tips) (from 0:55). Widening the gap between your hands on the club to force the right hand lower, making it mechanically easier to release the toe over the heel.
  18. Golf with Aimee: ๋‹จ 2๋‹จ๊ณ„๋กœ ์•„์›ƒ-ํˆฌ-์ธ ํ•ด๊ฒฐ!! ๋“œ๋ผ์ด๋ฒ„ ์ •ํ™•๋„, ๋น„๊ฑฐ๋ฆฌ ๋™์‹œ์— ์žก๊ธฐ | ๊ตฌ๋…์ž ์Šค์œ™ ๋ถ„์„ (from 1:12). A 2-step split grip drill that uses left shoulder pressure to achieve proper backswing coiling, wrist structure, and a shoulder-led downswing path.
  19. SM Golf Coaching: RORYโ€™S SPLIT GRIP DRILL (from 0:24). A drill where the trail hand takes an underhand grip further down the shaft to help sync the arms with the body and prevent the club from getting 'stuck' behind.
  20. Alistair Davies Golf: I wish I knew How to Release The Golf Club Like This THOUSANDS Of Balls Ago (from 2:30). Hold the lead hand at the top of the grip and the trail hand on the metal shaft to feel the independent rotation of the arms and wrists through the hitting zone.

Expert Tips