How do you grip the club?

[kc8kir]

Didn't see this as a previous thread, so here goes.

Many sources still say the Vardon, or overlapping grip, is the most common grip. I wonder how much this has changes with the influence of Jack and Tiger.

If you use a hybrid grip style, just pick the closest one. If you use one grip for driver, and one for irons, pick the one that you think is most comfortable.

I grew up playing interlock, now play vardon, but am switching back to interlock. Just feels like the hands can work better together.

I'll state for the record that all grip styles are fine. The choice is player dependent. I have even heard of people successfully golfing with reverse grips!

[MunkeyGolfer]

Interlocking grip for me. It is what I grew up on and everything else just feels unnatural.

[chingali]

  MunkeyGolfer said:

Interlocking grip for me. It is what I grew up on and everything else just feels unnatural.

Nothing at all wrong with the interlocking grip however if you change to the vardon grip and stick with it for a few months - it feels natural and the interlocking grip will feel odd. I'm not expressing an opinion as to which is better or suggesting you change, I'm just trying to point out that what feels natural can and does change.

I grew up using an interlocking grip and managed to get down to scratch by the time I was 17. At that point I began working with a different teaching pro and he had me switch to a vardon grip and at first it felt like the strangest thing ever, within a short time it began to feel natural. 20+ years later if I pick up a club and try to hold it using an interlocking grip I wonder how it ever felt good at all.

[lolzzlolzz]

Vardon is the best grip, because you have more fingers on the club than in the interlocking grip. 10 finger grip is just terrible because there is no unity in the hands.

But don't take my word for it... listen to Ben Hogan.

[BSweet]

It's funny how the baseball grip is an accepted grip now.

[GOLFSALOT00]

i played baseball for 6 years and when i took up golf it felt natural but then i changed to interlocking and it feels better

[QWKDTSN]

I actually just had a poll thread about this recently, but no worries. :)

I started with an interlocking grip but switched to overlapping recently.

[teal]

Always did the interlocking - maybe I should try the overlapping?

[kekoa]

started with interlocking, but switched to overlap about 10 yrs ago. It feels the most natural to me.

[kc8kir]

Um... In regards to the post that said "Hogan said the vardon grip is the only correct grip"...Don't really want to start any sort of argument as towards "this grip is better than that grip".

But, last time I read Hogan, the fingers where he wanted the pressure in the swing were served well by both grips (actually, if you have the control and capacity, any of the three grips). Actually, from my perspective, the interlock removes the index finger of the left hand from pinching the grip and tensing the wrong muscles, and the pinky of the right from pinching the grip to stay connected on the club. This is why they warn players with the interlock to avoid gripping the interlock too tight, as it negates this.

I'll have to pull out "Five Lessons" again. With the overlap, players can also get into the habit of pressing down really hard with the right pinky, resulting in additional grip pressure where it doesn't belong (according to Hogan). More about disciplining yourself to use the grip and the club correctly than an argument of "this grip is better than that grip".

[sonicblue]

I was interlocking when I started and used it for years. I made my biggest strides after I went overlap, but that may be more coincidence (I practiced more efficiently and more consistently after switching). Interlocking feels foreign to me now. I like how the overlap unifies the hands, making it easier to be less active in the hands, yet it doesn't create the additional pressure points that interlocking does (for me, at least).

[Lefty39]

I use the interlock grip because it feels more natural, and I have small fingers, which interlock grips helps.

[Stuart]

I started off with the overlapping grip but switched to the interlocking because it just seemed so easy to repeat. It feels completely natural to me now. The only thing is that my grip still isn't perfect as there is still room between my hands. I just need to figure out if I'm going something wrong with both hands or just one. Just started taking lessons a month ago, so hoping to get these things ironed out over the course of the next few months.

[JackieTreehorn]

Interlock...

QUESTION: when you interlock, how snug do you put your R pinky into your L fingers? Are your V's (between fingers) pressed into contact (FULL LOCK)? Or is there a little space there (PARTIAL LOCK)?

I think I read someone caution about the full lock but I try to do that since it gives me a more secure feeling.

[CoolBreeze20]

Are there any pictures of the more popular grips? I use interlock, but would be open to switching or at least trying a different one. Interlock has been the only one I have been shown or tried other than the "baseball" grip. Thanks!

[bogeyhitter25]

Before I used an overlapping one. But then I realized that many pros interlock, so I'm making the transition to interlocking.

[Three Putt]

Interlocking

was 10 finger for some time, liked it for short shots, interlocking has been much better throughout the set. Never could get used to the overlap grip.

[deepseaman]

Trying to change from overlab to interlock.