‘Nobody noticed!’: Padraig Harrington reveals his secret speed-boosting trick

Padraig Harrington might be my favorite golfer, for two reasons.

First, because he’s an unapologetic golf swing nerd. He doesn’t just play the game, he loves it. He dives deep into rabbit holes, and then shares with the world everything he’s learned.

And second, because if Harrington thinks something is good for his game, he’ll do it. He doesn’t particularly care what it looks like, and certainly what you think of it.

Both those things came together this week when the three-time major champion stopped by Me and My Golf’s YouTube channel and dropped a series of fascinating “secrets” about clubhead speed. It’s been a subject dear to Harrington’s heart in recent years, who currently leads the PGA Tour Champions with a 302.6 yard average.

Paddy’s grip ‘hack’

A common theme in Harrington’s advice is learning to use your hands to release more energy into the club. That means feeling like you’re throwing the club, as hard as you can, and not trying to “hold the lag” (as he talks about here).

Which leads to his secret: A different grip he uses only for his driver.

“Nobody has ever noticed it and I’ve been doing this for three years,” he says. “Every other club I use a single overlap grip. On my driver, I use a double overlap.”

An overlap grip, in case you’re not familiar, is when you place the pinky finger of your trail hand on top of the index finger of your lead hand. A double overlap grip is when both the ring and pinky fingers of your trail hand sit on top of your index and middle fingers of your lead hand. Like this.

It’s a small adjustment, but which allows him to release a little extra energy into the clubhead for more power overall.

You can watch the full clip below: