Getting the perfect golf swing is all about holding the club in the right way. In this guide, I’ll give you detailed advice on how to hold a proper golf grip easily in five minutes or less.
Specifically, I’ll go over the three main types of golf grip:
- Overlap
- Interlock
- Baseball
For each, I’ll show you step by step instructions on how to hold your club. In addition, I’ll also go through weak grips and strong grips and how to avoid common mistakes.
In the end, you’ll be able to have a correct golf grip that allows you to get extra power, distance, and consistency in your swing.
If you have any of your own advice to share, comment down at the bottom of this guide and let us know!
Why is Proper Golf Grip Important?
There are many different reasons why a proper golf grip is important. Today, I will go over those reasons and explain some of the most popular grips used by golfers around the world. Without a proper grip on the golf club, the club will go flying out of your hands on your backswing. Therefore, it is essential to have a good grip when swinging your club.
There is no universal way to grip a golf club and it mostly comes down to personal preference and comfort. There are however different grips you can use to do different things with the ball, such as turning the ball different ways and offsetting swing flaws.
Controlling Your Club
Having a proper golf grip will help in giving you full control over the golf club you are swinging. Your club should not move or slip at all during the swing because this will throw off the face of the club at impact. Your grip pressure should be firm, but not too hard because gripping the club too tight will cause you to hit thin and weak shots that will not go straight.
A lighter grip pressure will help enhance your wrist hinge, which is a vital source of providing power on your shot. Lighter grip pressure will also increase the clubface rotation, which will help you in squaring up the ball at impact.
Controlling Ball Flight
Another reason to have a proper grip in golf is to allow you to affect the flight of your ball on any given shot. Being able to hit a draw or fade can be encouraged by the position of your hands on the club.
If you are a golfer that struggles with a slice (like most amateur golfers do), you may want to change from a neutral golf grip to a stronger grip, which should help you straighten out your shots. To have stronger grip, you will twist your bottom hand to the right as a right handed golfer and to the left as a left golfer. You should then be able to see more of the top of your hand.
If you struggle with a hook, you try weak grips, which means be turning your bottom hand the other direction to “open” your grip.
Types of Golf Grip
There are 3 main golf grips that are used by golfers around the world.
- Interlock
- Overlap
- 10 Finger (Baseball)
Interlock
The interlock grip is the most common grip used by golfers. It starts with the 10-finger grip, but you then interlock your top pinky finger with the bottom index finger to get your hands closer together.
The big advantage to this grip is that it locks your fingers together, which allows both hands to work together to add some power in your swing.
The interlock grip is used by most golfers, including Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus. If you have small hands, the interlock will feel mostly natural. Learning proper golf grip with the interlock style can be a big advantage to your game and help you score lower on the course.
Overlap
The overlap grip is the other most common grip used in golf. The overlapping grip is when you position the pinkie finger of your top hand into the ridge between your other’s index and middle finger.
The pinky finger overlaps the the left index finger (for right-handed players) and sits nicely during the swing. Golfers with larger hands will find the overlapping grip easiest to perform.
10 Finger (Baseball)
Lastly, there is the 10-finger grip, otherwise known as the baseball grip. This is usually used by beginner golfers when they first pick up a club. You basically grip the golf club as if you were holding a baseball bat. All 10 fingers are on the club and visible. Your club sits in the middle joint of both hands all the way down the club.
Very little golf professionals will use this grip, but a lot of beginner golfers will find it the most comfortable. It is a very powerful grip because all 10 fingers are on the grip, but that can then lead to swing and club impact issues down the road.
Step-by-Step on How to Use Each Grip
Interlock
- Grab the club with your bottom hand (left for a right-handed golfer and right for a left hand grip).
- Have the palm of your bottom hand about a half-inch from the end of the club.
- Shift your bottom hand to a stronger grip.
- Bring your other hand onto the grip.
- Interlock your bottom index finger with your top pinky finger, which should bring your hands/fingers closer together.
- Pinch the golf grip with the top hand’s thumb and index finger.
- Easy grip pressure.
- Swing away!
The video below shows you how to set up proper golf grip with an interlocking style:
Overlap
- Grab the club with your bottom hand (left for a right-handed golfer and right for a left-handed golfer).
- Have the palm of your bottom hand about a half-inch from the end of the club.
- I recommend a stronger grip to offset a slice. For a right handed golfer, that means turning your bottom hand to the right and as a left handed golfer to the left.
- You should be able to lift the club and smash it into the ground with just the bottom hand (strong grip).
- Bring your other hand onto the grip.
- Overlap your top pinky finger into the ridge of the other’s index and middle finger.
- Pinch the golf grip with your top hand’s thumb and index finger.
- Don’t grip the club too hard.
- Swing away!
If you want video instructions, here is a guide on how to use the overlap grip:
10 Finger (Baseball)
- Grab the club with your bottom hand (left for a right-handed golfer and right for a left-handed golfer).
- Have the palm of your bottom hand about a half-inch from the end of the club.
- Bring your other hand onto the grip.
- Wrap your top fingers onto the grip and around your bottom hand’s thumb.
- All 10 fingers and knuckles should be visible.
- Try not to grip the club too tight.
- Swing away.
Use the video below to set up a 10 finger grip:
What is The Best Golf Grip?
The best grip to use is the Interlock grip. It may take some getting used to with your fingers being interlocked, but once you get over that you will have the most control over your club. You can shift your grip to a stronger or weaker grip to influence the flight of the ball. With the interlock grip, you definitely get some added power on your shots when your hands and fingers are so close together.
My experience with the Overlap grip was that sometimes my top hand was slipping and I wasn’t able to get the best grip on the golf club.
I wouldn’t recommend going with the 10-finger baseball grip unless you are just starting out golf and it is the most comfortable. The 10-finger grip doesn’t allow you to change your grip up to be stronger or weaker and also makes you grip the club a little too hard. This will throw off your entire swing and cause you to hit weak, thin slices all over the course.
The interlock is the perfect golf grip.
Golf Grip Training
If you want a little extra help getting proper golf grip, you can buy a golf grip trainer which has grooves to help you hold the club. There are two styles of trainer: one that replaces the ordinary grip on any golf club and one with a weight on the end to help you stretch and practice.
Both options are listed below to buy!
Proper Putter Grip
When it comes to the putter, you open yourself up to quite a few more types of golf grip than a regular club. The regular club grips still apply, but there are a few additional putter grips that golfers are using. The reason for this is that there are more actual grips used on a putter as well as a jumbo grip size option (SuperStroke) and long forearm-anchored grips.
There isn’t necessarily a proper golf grip or best way to grip a putter, but I will go over the different ways below. The best thing to do would be head to a putting green and test out the different grips and see what is most comfortable for you. The golf game is all about feel and what feels best for you and that is no different when it comes to gripping a golf club.
Different Ways to Grip a Putter in Your Hands
Below, I will go over a few different ways that you can grip the putter. I won’t include the Overlap, Interlock and Baseball grips as those will be the exact same as above when using a regular club.
Claw Grip
The Claw putting grip is becoming a popular style of grip on the PGA tour over the past couple of years. It helps to align the upper wrist with the putter to ensure minimal wrist action and a natural pendulum motion.
To perform the claw grip with your putter:
- For right-handed golfers, you first grip the club with your left hand.
- With your right hand, you sit the putter grip in the ridge between your thumb and index finger with your fingers pointing down the putter shaft.
- For a lefty, your right hand is the bottom and left is the “claw” so the putter grip sits in the ridge in between your thumb and index finger on your left hand.
- This grip should evenly distribute the pressure between both hands.
The Claw grip will definitely take some getting used to on the putting green, so try it out.
Cross-Handed Grip
The Cross-Handed putting grip is also becoming one of the more popular putting grips. Cross handed is where you swap lead hands on the putter grip.
This means as a right handed golfer your left hand would be on top and right on bottom. For a lefty, your right hand is the top hand with your left on the bottom.
The purpose of a cross handed putting grip is that it keep the wrists locked during your putting stroke and ensures you stay straight and steady throughout. It should keep your club face square at impact as well.
This putting grip will also take a little getting used to before using out on the green.
Forearm Anchor
The forearm anchor type of putting grip actually comes with a different grip on your putter altogether. This grip was made popular by PGA Tour golfer Matt Kuchar. The grip is longer then a normal grip and is at an angle where the grip is anchored to your forearm.
As a right handed putter, it will anchor to the left forearm and as a lefty it will anchor to your right forearm. This is just another type of grip where it gives you complete control and stability over the putter during your putting stroke. This one may cost a bit more though, because you need to have a new grip installed on your putter or else purchase a new putter altogether that has the grip and club face adjusted already.
Common Golf Grip Mistakes
While it sounds straightforward, there are some common mistakes that average golfers make when trying to get the correct grip.
Grip Pressure
One of the most common mistakes that golfers make in their grip is gripping the club too hard. Most people think that a strong golf grip will help you hit the ball further, but that is actually the complete opposite.
If you are grip the club to death, it will cause you to hit weak, thin shots that will most likely slice all over the place. Gripping the club too hard doesn’t allow full rotation of the club face and gives you weak wrist action, which is what causes a slice. You will not get solid contact of the clubface at impact.
By having a lighter grip pressure, it actually allows your wrists to hinge better which helps provide extra distance on your shots.
Club Position in Palm of Hand
Another common golf grip mistake is holding the golf club in the palm of your hands. If the club is sitting in the palms of your hands, you are limiting the amount of power and control at impact. You want to make sure the club is sitting nicely in the base of the fingers as that will provide the best control and power during your golf swing.
You also want to check your grip to see if it is too weak or too strong as that will have an effect on hooks and slices.
Trying Too Hard
Lastly, a common mistake that a lot of golfers are making is trying to grip like their favorite golfers and trying too hard on the course. Golf is a game about feel.
You want to grip the club for what is most comfortable to you.
Everyone is different out on the course, so how your buddy grips the club might be completely different than you. Try out a few different variations and find out what works the best for you.
Videos on How to Get the Perfect Grip
If you are a visual learner, use the videos below to learn how to properly hold a golf club.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is the most popular golf grip for a golfer?
The most popular grip is an interlock grip, where you interlock the pinkie on your bottom hand inside the index finger of your top. This will give you the strongest hold of your golf club and minimize slipping during your entire golf swing.
What is a neutral golf grip?
A neutral golf grip is one where you can see two knuckles on your lead hand when you take your regular golf stance. For most golfers, neutral is the correct golf grip that will allow you to square the club at impact and hit the ball straight.
What grip should you use if you have a natural hook?
If you have a natural hook, you should use a weaker grip, which means that you rotate both wrists towards your target. This will lessen the amount you can rotate your club and give you a natural fade. Jordan Spieth is one golfer who uses a slightly weak grip.
What grip should you use if you have a natural slice?
If you have a slice, you can fix it by taking a stronger grip and rotating your hands away from your target. This will allow for more club rotation during your swing path and a more natural hook.
How do you get the perfect golf grip?
To get the perfect grip, grab the golf club with your bottom hand (left for a right-handed golfer and right for a left-handed golfer) and shift your bottom hand to a stronger grip (away from the target). Bring your other hand onto the grip. and interlock your bottom index finger with the top hand’s pinky finger. Pinch the golf grip with your top thumb and index finger and apply a natural pressure. If you need more help, follow the Youtube video below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-DqORzPMjY
Do you hold a golf club in the fingers or the palm of your hand?
You should hold the club in the fingers of the top hand on your club. This will give you stronger control during your swing and allow for a straight ball flight.
Should you use the same grip for driver and irons?
In general, you should use the same grip type for drivers and irons. Experienced players can however manipulate shot shape by rotating your wrists either towards or away from your target to add more hook or slice into your shot.
How does golf grip effect your shot?
Power and accuracy in a golf shot is determined by sound mechanics during your golf swing. The grip you take connects to your arms, which play a huge part in the rotation of your body and how to square yourself when you make contact with the golf ball. If your grip is too weak, your swing path with be outside-to-in, leading to glancing blows and a slice. Too strip of a grip will set an inside path and lead to a hook.
How can I learn how to change my golf grip?
A new grip might be a little bit uncomfortable at first, but it is not that hard to change. Follow the text steps in this guide along with the instructional videos to learn how to hold your club properly. With a little bit of practice, things will start to feel natural.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are a lot of types of golf grip you can use, plus more when you think about your putter. We’ve gone over many kinds, including:
- Overlap
- Interlock
- Baseball
- Claw Grip
- Cross-Handed Grip
- Forearm Anchor
With correct position, you can get a more consistent ball flight and improve your golf shots. A sound grip will help you create power in your golf swing with minimal effort.
Try a few out today and see what gives you a successful golf swing.
If you feel passionate about a specific grip, comment down below and let us know what you use today.
Last update on 2024-11-23 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
