Reverse Overlap Grip for Full Swing?

[MbolicGolf]

So I wa reading around the net for some advice to fix my grip which falls apart at the top of the back swing. I found the reverse overlap grip for fullswing. I had to try it. I ran to the range at lunch and gave it a shot. And I like it. Alot.

[MiniBlueDragon]

Don't you find it squashes your pinkie?

[MbolicGolf]

No Not at all. I have read that it does but it is actually more comfortable for me. Hard unfeeling pinkies?

[MiniBlueDragon]

Nah more like I have soft, girly, IT guy pinkies and too much grip strength. heh

[Ray1528]

I'm definitely trying this when I get off work tonight.

[Stretch]

Good luck with that.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by MiniBlueDragon

Nah more like I have soft, girly, IT guy pinkies and too much grip strength. heh

Even interlock messes with my joints. I grip the club intending to at some point drive the clubhead through the turf. When doing that I don't find myself re-gripping at the top (or any other point).

[LuciusWooding]

I find I like the grip on my backswing, and it feels very smooth and sturdy, but it takes my right hand out of it because when I release I tend to tweak the hell out of my pinky. It also severely limits the amount I can change my hands around; if I'm too strong or weak by a little bit, I could seriously mess up my pinky. I played a few shots on the course with this grip, and it took 2 weeks for my finger to stop hurting. It does, however, help make your hands feel thinner and knitted together, which I like.

[Wessex]

When reverse overlapping overlap your right ring finger not your right pinkie.  The last three fingers on your left hand grip the club and move the butt of the club nearer the left hand pinkie to get the feeling of grip there.

[migbgold]

I've always thought it was "my" little secret.  Actually, I grew up playing hockey competitively  and played in college at the University of Vermont.  What's interesting to me is that I played left wing and my stick handling was always strong "left" with full slap shots forehanded with a left hand hockey swing.  I picked up golf seriously after my hockey career ended at 23 years old and have been playing regularly at my club in Texas for the past 20 years now.  Naturally, when I started swinging a golf club, my hands seemed to naturally go on  right handed clubs in a reverse overlap to that which the teaching pros were touting.  With my swing speed mostly a converted hockey stroke, I've always been able to power drives over 300 yards - but some interesting work with my grip after a couple of years of getting into golf a couple of decades ago now ... has resulted in a game changer of sorts for me.

In any event, except for my work schedule limiting my competitive and regular golf rounds, I've managed to play about 1x/week and get to a fairly regular 4.0-5.0 index hcp at a very difficult golf course with slope rating of between 137-146 depending on "set up."

What I do, after tweaking around a little, is I hit my driver and fairway metal with a standard reverse overlap where my left index finger overlaps directly on my right pinky finger.  I also adopted about 3 years the "John Daly" standard of taking most of right index finger off the club all together and the right thumb pretty much turned all the way to the left and touching my right swear finger.  I like this overlap for my driver and fairway metal.  And I do the "John Daly" for all my clubs.  For some reason (range work and competitive rounds ingrained the right feel), I sweep better into the ball with the standard reverse overlap.

My 2-iron/hybrid on down to my 60 wedge I do a "reverse Furyk" where I still do the reverse overlap but here with my irons, I actually have my left index finger overlap down further and overlaps onto the knuckle of my right ring finger.  For some reason this "Furyk" reverse seems to provide me with better action coming into the ball on a more aggressive release and downward impact through the ball.  The purse sound of my irons is noticeable if I were to hit shots using the standard Vardon overlap, interlock, and even my driver/FW metal regular reverse.

I know this is atypical -- but the essence of what my club's pro teaches are actually present in my golf grips -- my left hand is proper with the shaft under the fatty pad on my left hand and not in my palm.

Beyond that, I visit with my pro for game/course management tips, sand play, chipping and putting -- but work the full swing using my converted hockey grip and frankly play that aspect of my game without input from a pro.  I feel like my tee and fairway play is pro level -- and my 100 yards and in through putting is where I give away my strokes.

I thought I'd share this having seen the thread -- and whether you're a former hockey player like me or maybe a former baseball player, tweaking the grip can work wonders because of all those years instilling muscle memory and hand eye coordination.

Because I really "sit" on my clubs, I've been reluctant to change what works (except for my wedges and putter) - -hence I play:

Driver: Yonex VMAss with an amazing Japanese stiff shaft called a UL Titanium 7 (proprietary Yonex)

FW: 19 degree R-11

Hybrid: 21 degrees Adams Pro Black

4 Iron through PW: Yonex Tournament SP blades from Japan with TT DG S-400

Nike VR Pro Wedges in 52, 56 and 60 with TT DG S-400

Scotty Cameron Newport w/ a  an oversized Super Slim grip

[Golfingdad]

Didn't Steve Jones (US Open champ - 1996) have a reverse overlap grip?

[JackLee]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Didn't Steve Jones (US Open champ - 1996) have a reverse overlap grip?

I think that was a double overlap.

[Wessex]

Looking at Jordan Speith's grip he is using a reverse overlap with the left index finger over the right ring finger but lifting the right pinkie out of the way. I have used a similar grip but I actually move the hands fractionally closer overlapping the right ring finger with the left index finger and overlap the left swear finger with the right pinkie. This works very well with people with over active hands.

[Runnin]

I've been using the reverse overlap grip (putting version) for chips and pitches 80 yds and in all summer.  Now I'm experimenting with a one finger reverse overlap for full shots as well and love it.  I thought I was the only one in the world gripping this way but not by a long shot, apparently.   Many seem to like it too. 

For short shots I think it's far superior to a normal grip.  It seems to keep the right hand from releasing.  I like to hit a little cut shot on short shots so it's perfect for that.  But I'm really surprised that a reverse overlap feel so good for full shots too.

[Hacker James]

Greg Norman had some variation of this. He was a "picker", seemed to work well for him.

I have found that sometimes a slight grip change, even temporary one, can be helpful.  

[Runnin]

9 hours ago, Hacker James said:

Greg Norman had some variation of this. He was a "picker", seemed to work well for him.

I have found that sometimes a slight grip change, even temporary one, can be helpful.  

The baseball grip has gotten me out of some bad habits.  I think slicers could benefit from experimenting or drilling with this grip.  It will really force you to come more from the inside because if you don't you're gonna get a pull hook.  I think it also guards against early casting for the same reason.

[iacas]

9 minutes ago, Runnin said:

The baseball grip has gotten me out of some bad habits.  I think slicers could benefit from experimenting or drilling with this grip.  It will really force you to come more from the inside because if you don't you're gonna get a pull hook.  I think it also guards against early casting for the same reason.

In my experience slicers can slice with any grip.

And a lot of pull-hooks come from an in-to-out swing.

[Runnin]

1 hour ago, iacas said:

And a lot of pull-hooks come from an in-to-out swing.

You must have been watching me swing.