Golf fans are undoubtedly familiar with Tiger Woods’ various swing changes he has undergone through the years. But a slightly more underrated aspect of all those changes has been the tweaks Tiger has made to his grip. It’s been a subtle yet ongoing evolution, with each change informing the next one.

Woods burst onto the scene with a strong grip, which he employed as a junior golfer through his win at the 1997 Masters. You can see the left wrist is more cocked in the picture above. That’s because his left hand is in a stronger position more on the side of the grip. His right hand is basically neutral — maybe on the slightly strong-side of neutral. Combined, those two forces push the shaft toward the target.

This grip resulted in a swing in which the club was across the line at the top of the backswing with a closed clubface. It was an immensely powerful move, but one Tiger himself said he struggled to repeat, leading to his first major swing change.

The Butch Years