Pinky finger soreness with interlacing grip

[QWKDTSN]

Hi all, I've had a golf club in my hands for at least 2-3 hours every day for the past couple of weeks, sometimes as much as 6-8 hours on the weekend when I play 18 and then hit the driving range and practice greens.

I'm experiencing some distracting soreness around the base joint of my right pinky finger - I use an interlacing grip - it's the only grip that I feel comfortable and controllable with. I feel like I have a good grip without any white-knuckling going on. The pinky doesn't seem swollen but it aches enough that I'm a little worried about it affecting my learning curve (or being a serious problem that I need to correct for reasons other than golf).

Has anyone experienced this after a day swinging the club (or when you first started playing often) and is it anything to worry about? It feels like I'm giving tendons a workout that they've never had before due to my pinky finger being splayed out from my hand while being laced up with my left index finger.

Any thoughts?

[kregan]

Funny you should mention that....

Last year I injured my ring finger on my right hand. I was holding a part that I was running through a table saw. I was holding the part tight and without realizing the fleshy part of my finger had lodged into a hole in the part. Well the saw grabbed and ripped that part out of my hand and in the process of letting go I think it pulled the finger straight forward out of the knuckle joint a little. It was painful but I still had my finger! ;) Anyway that ring finger had been getting sore after a round of golf with the overlapping grip. So a couple week ago I decided to switch from the overlap to the interlaced. That solved the sore ring finger but now m pinky finger started to hurt! I also found myself gripping the club to tight with the interlock so today I want back to the overlap and felt it felt much better. I would imagine your pinky finger will get used to it over time.

Hi all, I've had a golf club in my hands for at least 2-3 hours every day for the past couple of weeks, sometimes as much as 6-8 hours on the weekend when I play 18 and then hit the driving range and practice greens.

[QWKDTSN]

Thanks Kregan, I imagine it will, too... I was just worried that I might be doing something wrong since I've never heard anyone else complain about pinky joint pain.

I've tried the overlapping (Varden) grip and it only works for me when chipping (but not actually better than interlacing). Playing irons or woods is too awkward and I lose control. All I can think about is how weird my grip feels. Interlacing is the only one that feels natural.

[JYB]

i've been having a tough time with the interlocking grip even though it's the only one that feels natural for me.

the problem is that my coach wants me to hold the club out in my fingers of the right hand yet when i interlock and do this, it just doesn't work out.

[marpr]

Hi all, I've had a golf club in my hands for at least 2-3 hours every day for the past couple of weeks, sometimes as much as 6-8 hours on the weekend when I play 18 and then hit the driving range and practice greens.

i personally haven't experience it. I would look at the strength your holding the grip too. if your too tight your fingers/hands/wrists/arms will tense up. try to lighten the grip. if it still persists, perhaps another (of many) grip?

[Parpy]

I have exactly same issue. I feel that I can control the clubs better with interlocking grip but I get sore pinky finger after a few swings with this gripping method. Unfortunately, to avoid the pain I use the less preferred ten-finger (baseball) grip.

[Zippo]

I also use an interlocking grip. Like you, it's the only one that gives me the feeling I have some control. I have some arthritis and some tendon damage from the years I spent welding (in my youth). I found that a cloth type glove - like the Finger 10 glove - seems to give my interlocked fingers a tiny bit more room. It doesn't feel now like I have a slab of leather in between the fingers and the grip with the glove feels very secure. They are pretty inexpensive and might be worth a try.

[Patch]

The interlocking, and the 10 finger grip both gave me soreness in my pinkies when I first started out. The Vardon grip seemed to feel like it gave me less control when swinging.

My swing instructor at the time said something that made no sense at all. He asked me what my ball flights were, while having the feel of no control with the Vardon grip. I told him they were not that bad. He then said "what's the problem then?". His point was that feeling in control during the golf swing may not be that big of deal. Results were what mattered. Just "swing the club head" he said. 

Later on I tried Furyk's double over lapping grip to no avail. I mean it felt alright, but there was not much  improvement in my ball flights. So, I left it at that. 

[Buckeyebowman]

Played my first round of the year last weekend. Some time in the off season I decided that I might give the interlocking grip another try. I played with it many years ago, then switched to the overlap. The weather has been pretty crappy around here, so i had no chance to take this change to the practice tee. 

After hacking the crap out of the first hole, I went back to the Vardon. The interlock felt completely foreign to me! And I remembered why I had given it up in the first place. It wasn't the pinky finger on my right hand, it was the pocket between my index and middle finger on my left! I was gouging a hole in it!