Sisterly Swing Secrets: How a Simple Grip Change Ignited Nelly Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open Charge

Look, not everyone digs getting advice from family. Especially when it comes to the game. Sometimes it’s just… noise. But Nelly Korda? The undisputed queen of women’s golf? She swallowed any pride, took a damn simple tip from her sister, and it completely flipped her U.S. Women’s Open script. Went from looking like she’d miss the cut to being right back in the thick of it. That’s golf for you, man. One little tweak can change everything.

And it’s not like she got advice from some random weekend warrior. Her sister, Jessica Korda, is a legit winner. Six LPGA titles. Two top-10s at this very event. So when Nelly was scratching her head after a rough opening round, Jessica swooped in. A tip. Simple. Effective. Boom. World No. 1 back in contention.

The Riviera Rough Patch: When Everything Felt Off

Nelly came into this major with all the hype. She’d already bagged the Chevron Championship, the year’s first major. Plus, a couple other wins and three runner-up finishes. The narrative was set: this was her year to finally snag the U.S. Women’s Open. You could feel it. Then came Thursday. And it all went sideways.

Riviera. Not exactly a walk in the park. And Nelly? She was fighting her swing. A terrible strategy on a course like that. Four bogeys. Just two birdies. Ended up two-over par. Suddenly, contending for the lead looked like a distant dream. The new goal: just making the cut.

She was obviously pissed. You could see it. All that momentum, all that confidence, just… gone. Like a bad dream you can’t shake. Hitting it all over the place. Driver going right. Irons not feeling right. Just one of those days where you question everything you thought you knew about your game.

The Range Session That Saved the Weekend

But here’s the thing about elite golfers. They don’t just pack it in. Thursday night, after that brutal round, Nelly was out on the range. Trying to figure it out. And wouldn’t you know it, Jessica was there. And she had the answer. Or at least, an answer.

Nelly herself said it. She was hitting it great Monday through Wednesday. Felt solid. Then Thursday happened. “I just really didn’t — I had no idea what was going on yesterday with my driver,” she admitted. “So tried to figure it out on the range after the round and kind of got a little bit of something kind of going.”

The problem? She was “laying it off at the top.” What does that even mean? Basically, the club was getting into a position at the top of her backswing that was making it impossible to hit the ball consistently. Drives going wayward. Mishits. The whole damn package. It’s the kind of thing that can plague you for weeks if you don’t find the fix.

Jessica’s Simple, Bloody Brilliant Tip: Strengthen the Grip

So, what was the magic bullet? The secret sauce? Get this: Jessica told her to strengthen her grip. That’s it. No complex swing theory. No fancy drills. Just… adjust your hands.

“Actually, a big shout out to my sister because she helped me. I just tried to strengthen my grip a little bit,” Nelly explained. She’d been grinding on this “laying it off” issue for five weeks. Five weeks of frustration. Five weeks of feeling lost. And a simple grip change was the key.

It’s almost laughable, right? You’re struggling for a month, questioning your entire game, and then your sister walks up and says, “Try gripping it like this.” And it works. That’s the beauty and the madness of golf. It’s so technical, yet so simple.

The “Funky” Feel That Led to a Fire Round

Now, here’s the kicker. This new, stronger grip? It felt weird. “It felt super funky today,” Nelly confessed. Like, really unnatural. Most people would have bailed. Gone back to what felt comfortable. But Nelly? She trusted it. She went with it. That’s the mental side of golf. You gotta have faith, even when it feels like you’re playing with someone else’s hands.

And the results? Holy hell. Round 2 was a completely different story. Five birdies. Just one bogey. A four-under 67. Six shots better than her opening round. And this was despite switching golf shoes mid-round. Can you even imagine? Your game is on the line, you’re making a comeback, and you’re messing with your footwear. But hey, whatever works, right?

This turnaround put her at two-under for the tournament. Just two shots off the lead. From fighting to make the cut to being a genuine contender. All thanks to a sister’s advice and the guts to trust a weird feeling.

Why the Grip Matters More Than You Think

It’s easy to dismiss the grip. It’s just how you hold the club, right? Wrong. Your grip is the direct link between your hands and the clubface. It dictates how the club rotates through impact. A weak grip, where your hands are too much on top, can lead to the clubface opening up through impact. This is often why you see shots going left (for a right-handed golfer) or shots where you struggle to square the face. Conversely, a grip that’s too strong can lead to the clubface closing too quickly, causing hooks or pulls.

Nelly’s issue was “laying it off at the top.” This often happens when the trail wrist gets too flat or even flexed at the top of the backswing. This position can make it difficult to deliver the club on the correct plane through impact, often leading to an out-to-in swing path and blocks to the right. By strengthening her grip, Nelly likely encouraged a more neutral or even slightly cupped position in her lead wrist at the top, which helped her get the club in a better position to release through the ball. This fundamental adjustment can be a game-changer for many golfers struggling with consistency.

Think about it. If your grip is off, even the most perfect swing thoughts and athletic movements can be undone. It’s like trying to drive a car with a wobbly steering wheel. You can step on the gas, but you’re not going to get anywhere straight. This is why so many golf instructors emphasize getting the grip right from the start. It’s the foundation of everything else.

Lessons for Your Own Game: Trust the Simple Fixes

So, what can we, the average weekend warriors, learn from Nelly’s experience? First, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Even from family. Second, sometimes the fix is incredibly simple. We tend to overcomplicate things. We think we need a complete overhaul, a brand-new swing. But often, it’s one small adjustment that makes all the difference. For Nelly, it was the grip. For you, it might be ball position, your posture, or even just taking a breath before you swing.

Second, when you find something that feels a bit off but produces good results, stick with it. That “funky” feeling is often your body adapting to a better, more efficient movement. Don’t let discomfort or unfamiliarity derail you. Trust the process. Trust the results you’re seeing. It might feel weird now, but it could be the key to unlocking a more consistent and powerful game.

And finally, remember the mental game. Nelly’s comeback wasn’t just about a physical adjustment. It was about her mental fortitude. She took a bad round, didn’t let it crush her, and went to work. She trusted her sister, trusted the tip, and trusted herself to execute under pressure. That’s a mindset we can all strive for. The ability to reset after a mistake and focus on the next shot, the next hole, the next opportunity.

The Road to Her First U.S. Women’s Open Title

Now, the pressure is on. Nelly Korda is right there. She’s got the momentum. She’s got the confidence from that incredible turnaround. And she’s got a secret weapon: a simple swing tip from her sister that’s put her back in the hunt for her first U.S. Women’s Open title. It’s going to be fascinating to watch. Will this sisterly advice carry her all the way? Golf is a crazy game, but if anyone can do it, it’s Nelly. And it all started with a simple adjustment to how she held the club. Who knew?

For more on how grip changes can impact your game, check out this guide on proper golf grip technique from the PGA of America. It breaks down the fundamentals that can make a real difference.