Ten finger / baseball grip

[DirtyDan]

I play on high school golf team and have been golfing for around five years. I haven't taken a real lesson, but my average score is around 80. Most of the people I play with haven't even realized that I use a ten finger grip. I don't feel like it affects my wrist rotation or club head lag. I have hit around 200 balls with overlapping with no improvement to my game. Overlapping and interlocking just hurt and keep my from making good contact because I focus on my grip. What I want to know are 1. Do you have any tips for comfortably changing grips? 2. How much do you think my grip is keeping me from reaching my potential? 3. How much do you think it lowers my credibility? For example would you trust a teaching pro who uses a ten-finger grip?

[rob0225]

There is nothing wrong with a ten finger grip.

[MS256]

I played that way for quite a while and the only reason I changed it was just to see if everybody else was right and I was wrong. ;-) Didn't make me any better or any worse so the jury is still out on that one.

[mpb1472]

Recently, went to the 10 finger grip from the interlock. Ball striking has improved enormously. I am not not fiddling with my grip as much and can stay connected through the ball better.

As for you. 1. You may want to add wraps under the right hand. For comfort, or maybe to lessen right hand release. 2. Potentially. There is no hindrance to your game using this grip other than what others think or that it did not work for them.  I don't know how old you are or how much time you have to improve but you can experiment enough to know if its the one for you. 3. Credibility? If you are hitting the ball well, everyone will know it. That is all that matters. What they think or do should not matter to you if you are better with it. 4. Yes, I would trust a teaching pro who uses the 10 finger grip. Three of the best players I know use it. My friends don't even know I switched to it a month ago, but they are noticing how well I am striking the ball.

[Hammer 4]

There is nothing wrong with a ten finger grip.

Ding, ding...we have a winner.  Whatever you feel comfy with, and if it's working for You then it's all good. I have a interlocking grip, have tried all the rest, but didn't have good results, I'm sure other players hate the interlocking grip, but like you, it works for me.

BTW, Welcome to TST to the OP..

[dchoye]

I play with interlock Lately I been experimenting with full finger grip. I always found I was more prong to hooks/slices with full fingered grip in the past. However I found with severe side hill lies when I switch to from interlocking to non interlocking I can hit a control hook/slice by either delaying release or early release with my hands easier by non interlocking

[MrDC]

I like the feeling that both hands are working as one, and the ten finger grip feels like there's a separation there, which may cause me to grip tighter, also I feel like the muscles in my right arm are tighter at impact, because the right hand is a bit further away.

[MikeRanaldo]

when i was much younger (around 12) i used an interlocking grip, but now (25) i use the ten finger grip. i feel like i can control the club more, and i can swing harder because i have all of my fingers on the club

[brice]

I used the ten finger grip when I was a kid. I switched to the interlocking grip because my high school coach pretty much forced me to. At first it was uncomfortable, but once I got used to it I felt like it helped me have a more comfortable release through the ball. Also it makes it harder to use your hands in your swing, which I like

[dchoye]

Been trying ten fingered grip this past two weeks and feel when my right little finger is touching the shaft it's easier to intentional slice the ball. I think that why I prefer interlock or overlap.

[Hogan1949]

I've been toying with the 10 finger grip because I've some arthritis going on in my hands and I seem to be losing my grip pressure in the last 3 fingers of the left (lead) hand during the swing. Anybody else have the same problem and, if so, did the 10 finger grip help? Thinking about also getting smaller grips.

[Pretzel]

I used to play with a ten finger grip because my hands weren't physically large enough for an overlap or interlocking grip. I then switched to a reverse overlap grip because I didn't understand which hand was supposed to be on top in the overlap grip. It started hurting (my hands didn't fit right into it and would wear through the skin on my right ring finger) and I switched the interlocking grip which felt nice and tight to me.

Which grip you use is really a matter of personal preference. I love the interlock grip because it feels secure to me, is easy to replicate (at least for me, I can feel when it's off in the two interlocking fingers), and is something I have practiced with for many, many, many hours.

When I first switched my grip, I would hit it like a flying turd and would end up with bloodied hands after a long range session (even with athletic tape) just because neither I nor my hands were used to it. I would only switch if there's something that you can't do with your current one that you feel a different grip could help you accomplish.

[MS256]

I started out using ten fingers because that's the only way I had ever held anything that I was swinging.

After a few years I decided to switch to something else because I figured the rest of the golfing world couldn't be wrong. Tried overlapping and didn't like the feel of my right little finger not being on the club. Tried interlocking and that felt pretty good so I decided to go with that.

Took a while for it to feel completely natural and hit the ball as well but now it seems like I've always gripped that way.

Funny thing. A few weeks ago I picked up a baseball bat without thinking and then realized I was holding it with an interlocking grip.

As many baseballs as I hit in my life I would have never thought that mistake was even possible for me.

Can't say that changing grips made me any better or any worse.

[Moleman]

Resurrecting an old thread here..

I've never been truly happy with my grip, I've always used the vardon but I find it very difficult to keep my right hand in place, after the shot more often than not i notice that my right palm has slipped off to the right = closed club face = pulls&hooks; = :(

Spent a while experimenting with the interlock and while this made a huge difference to my pulls/hooks it also really hurt after a while..

Just last week I had a go with the 10 finger grip, my brain told me that this would make my hooks worse and that every shot would head towards OB left however to my amazement after a bucket to get comfortable Ive never hit the ball straighter!?!  Even my 3-wood off the deck which is normally snap hooked to the left was going high and straight!

This may be the usual honeymoon period but I'm really encouraged so far, Ive done a lot of research online and have been amazed reading through forums that there are a lot of decent low and scratch handicap golfers using the 10-finger grip.

(please let this last)

[trickyputt]

Pros: Comfort, resistance to face rotation especially off plane, grip can be used from putter,chips,through driver for consistency, to name a few. Cons: Width of hands grip size down the shaft can decrease the marginal hinge rotation speed, drops the right shoulder at address. Grip can handle more swing forces, which also can be indicative of mid swing corrections occuring.

[RussUK]

I use the 10 finger grip for a number of reasons. I have diddy hands making overlap uncomfortable and the interlock causes so much chaffing i used to finish a round bleeding.

I have played better golf since switching fully at the start ofthis year.

With regards to trusting a teaching pro who uses a 10 finger grip? well if he is a certified teaching pro then yes as the grip must work for him at a high standard of golf. If you feel and play better with a 10 finger then why change?

[Patch]

I have used the 10 finger (base ball) grip in the past. I actually started out with it. I was a baseball player before I took up golf, and the 10 finger grip felt comfortable. Shot decent scores with it. I played with it for several years before switching to the Vardon grip, which I have used for the past 30+ years or so. When I switched, it was because I felt like the Vardon grip gave me a better release into, and through impact. About 10 years ago I gave Furyk's grip a go, and liked it, but for some reason gravitated back to the Vardon grip. I suspect it was a lack of confidence in holding onto the club, and club face control. I even tried Moe Norman's grip which I thought had some merit. I still mess around with his palm grip from time to time for some of my shorter shots. I never tried the interlocking grip for any length of time due to it feeling really uncomfortable, and I do mean uncomfortable. I suspect my fingers were not geared for that grip.

I guess my point is that any grip is fine, as long as it gets the job done. I also think that those folks just starting out with their golf game, should try  the different grips just to get an idea of what might work best for them. Problem is, that most golfers won't give a new grip enough time to make a qualified decision. I used the interlocking grip for about 6 months before casting it a side.

One of the other things I like about the Vardon grip is that I also use it when putting. I don't have to switch grips in different situations.

[Moleman]

Pros: Comfort, resistance to face rotation especially off plane, grip can be used from putter,chips,through driver for consistency, to name a few.

Cons: Width of hands grip size down the shaft can decrease the marginal hinge rotation speed, drops the right shoulder at address. Grip can handle more swing forces, which also can be indicative of mid swing corrections occuring.

Your cons points are interesting, for me the move from vardon to 10-finger means my right hand is approx 2cm lower than it used to be, do you think thats enough to make a difference to hinge, plane, etc?

thanks