Overlap vs. Interlock Grip

[teebuck911]

it is all down to what feels comfortable, i inter lock 2 fingers when i putt and not many people do that and i am know to be on of the best putters in the junior sections, so it is all down to feel,

[Jeepthrills]

I taught my 12 year old son the interlock when he started playing a few years ago. Over the weekend we were on the course and he was struggling to get the ball in the air. I looked at what he was doing and realized that his hands were interlocked, but at the wrong place. Instead of right pinkie and left index he was right pinkie and between the left middle and ring finger. No no wonder he was having a hard time. As soon as we fixed it, he started to hit the ball much better. My 9 year old tried the interlock and struggled. He switched to a baseball grip and did fine.

I figue I will slowly try to switch him to an interlock as he gets older.

[mkoreiwo]

I started with an overlap, went to an interlock.... Played that way last season and start of this one. I've been struggling with slicing, and decided to try the overlap again. It seems to have helped. At the range the rigt side was pretty much not a factor. We'll see if it lasts LOL.

[Norm66]

I started with the overlap, read Hogan's book, switched to overlapping until yesterday. I cut the top of my index finger on a piece of broken concrete with my new 3wood sitting on the porch and a round this evening with guys from work.

So I had to switch back to the interlocking grip at the range. Not a huge change since I used to use it, but still an adjustment. I was pushing a lot of balls out to the right, I wonder if that had something to do with the grip change.

[golfchief]

Any time you change your grip it will have an effect on the ball flight.

Harvey Penick said if you have long fingers you should use an overlapping grip and short fingers should use an interlocking grip. The baseball grip is good for women and seniors who lack strength.

[Jwat381]

I searched the site for something relating to this topic rather than starting an entirely new conversation.

I've used an interlock since I started playing, and I haven't used a glove in quite a while either. Starting yesterday, my left hand has gotten so raw and torn up (I'm swinging a club to some effect every day, so my hands get chewed up) that I had to pull the glove out of the bag. Only thing is when I put the glove on, the interlock becomes painfully uncomfortable, so I switch to the overlap. I feel like I get more club head speed out of the overlap because my hands aren't locked together. Does anyone else feel that way or have any insight to share? Both grips are close enough that I could pretty much switch between the two mid-round if need be, but I would like to really stick to one for good.

[StrikeOne]

Originally Posted by niblick

I used to use the overlap. Last fall I injured my left index finger playing football, and after that found the overlap grip too painful. I switched to interlocking so I could continue to play and practice without pain, and never went back.

I had the exact opposite happen.  When I was playing frequently in the past I always used the interlock grip.  In college I wound up with what they call a "boxer's fracture, in the upper knuckle of my right pinkie (I'm right handed).  That knuckle is actually shifted back about half an inch now.  When I recently got back into golf I was still using the interlock, but the pain in my knuckles after playing was unbearable.  I switched to an overlap, and it seems to have alleviated the pain.  It took some getting used to, but now I don't really notice much difference in my play between now and when I was using an interlock grip.

[BuckeyeNut]

I've always used an interlocking grip...My ring finger has taken a beating over the years, but I continue to use it.  It doesn't hurt.....it just calcified and grew. LOL

After 20yrs of playing 'a lot' of golf, the entire ring finger and knuckle is noticeably larger than the same finger on my other hand......and it's 100% due to golf.

[zipazoid]

I learned the game with an interlock grip. I have pics of me like 18 years old & my lower hand was waaaaay too strong, way under the shaft. Picture Ed Fiori. Not surprisingly I fought a snap hook, but I compensated with a violent lower-body move thru the ball & delaying the release...but as I would get fatigued during the round & my lower body would slow down I'd snap hook.

When I was about 25 I got with a pro. He asked my handicap. I said 5. He said 'I'm surprised you're that good with that grip. There's no way you will get any better until you weaken that lower hand (I'm left-handed so we're talking about the left hand). He then suggested the Vardon/Overlap grip, which in my case immediately weakened my lower hand - it got more 'on top' of the club. For a year I couldn't hit the ball worth a damn, but I stuck with it. My snap hook turned into a fade, and I got down to a 3 handicap. I would have gone lower if I worked more on my game, but life intervened.

Point in all this, for me at least, is the interlock resulted in too strong of a grip & the overlap fixed it.

[NuclearMike]

Quote:

Originally Posted by $2 Nassau

None

Correct (for righties obviously).

Overlap: Your left index finger remains on the club, right pinky finger overlaps the left index, resting against your left middle finger as well. Here's a pic: http://z.about.com/d/golf/1/0/x/E/vardon_overlap.JPG

I used a baseball grip my entire golfing life but recently switched to an overlap, only to find that I've been doing it wrong, putting the left index over the right pinky.  Since I've had some improvement with the incorrect grip hopefully more gains will be made if I finally get it right.  I have to admit, the right way to overlap just feels strange to me but I'll give it my best effort.  Maybe it's because I have relatively small and arthritic hands.

[Andrew Gibson]

I learned with the interlock, which seems to be the norm, I would expect learning the game while still growing makes sense as the hands are small.

about the time I was 18-20 I switched to the overlap because I had a blister on one of my fingers... I cant remember which, but switching to the overlap helped and I was able to play that day, never switched back.

[NuclearMike]

Originally Posted by NuclearMike

I used a baseball grip my entire golfing life but recently switched to an overlap, only to find that I've been doing it wrong, putting the left index over the right pinky.  Since I've had some improvement with the incorrect grip hopefully more gains will be made if I finally get it right.  I have to admit, the right way to overlap just feels strange to me  but I'll give it my best effort.  Maybe it's because I have relatively small and arthritic hands.

Today I made my first trip to the range since I realized the error of my ways regarding my grip.  Unbelievably, making the correction to the proper position of my hands and how to overlap felt like second nature within about five minutes.  My grip feels more stable and my hands less likely to separate, and I made some really good progress in making more solid iron contact.  Thanks for the help.  That's part of why I come here to TST.   You guys are great.

[Motley01]

Overlap for me. I've learned it that way a lot of years ago, anything else feels bad.

It's a personal thing, like putting and putters.

[Motown88]

Originally Posted by jeffr92

Interlock for me, but I'll overlap when chipping. I've always played with an interlock grip and it just feels natural to me.

I second this.

I can't play with overlapping my fingers, it just doesn't feel right and I feel I don't have as much control of the club.  When it comes to my short game though I will sometimes switch to the overlap grip, I don't know why though.  It feels natural with short chips when I'm just off the green for some odd reason.

[ApocG10]

Overlapping for irons and wedges, interlocking for hybrids and woods on the ground, overlapping on the tee

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

I learned the game with an interlock grip. I have pics of me like 18 years old & my lower hand was waaaaay too strong, way under the shaft. Picture Ed Fiori. Not surprisingly I fought a snap hook, but I compensated with a violent lower-body move thru the ball & delaying the release...but as I would get fatigued during the round & my lower body would slow down I'd snap hook.

When I was about 25 I got with a pro. He asked my handicap. I said 5. He said 'I'm surprised you're that good with that grip. There's no way you will get any better until you weaken that lower hand (I'm left-handed so we're talking about the left hand). He then suggested the Vardon/Overlap grip, which in my case immediately weakened my lower hand - it got more 'on top' of the club. For a year I couldn't hit the ball worth a damn, but I stuck with it. My snap hook turned into a fade, and I got down to a 3 handicap. I would have gone lower if I worked more on my game, but life intervened.

Point in all this, for me at least, is the interlock resulted in too strong of a grip & the overlap fixed it.

I guess I don't understand why you couldn't weaken the grip while still using the interlock. I can rotate either hand quite a bit and still use the interlock.

I've always used a neutral interlock grip.  It's not something that I was really taught (my cousin actually showed me the interlock when I was still in about 7th grade, long before I ever played golf), but from the first time I ever held a club the interlock felt right, and the neutral hand position just seemed to come naturally.  Unlike a lot of comments here, I have never had a problem with my hands getting blistered or callused, and I never wear a glove.

[zipazoid]

Originally Posted by Fourputt

I guess I don't understand why you couldn't weaken the grip while still using the interlock. I can rotate either hand quite a bit and still use the interlock.

Remember, a pro suggested going to overlap instead of moving my hands with interlock. So I did what he suggested. That's basically the reason. Everyone's different, and I guess he saw the interlock wasn't good for me.

And the thing with overlap versus interlock is I found with overlap you can more freely adjust the lower hand from strong to neutral to weak with having to move the upper hand. With interlock both hands have to move since they're more 'joined'. That was my experience with it. Results may vary with others.

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by zipazoid

Remember, a pro suggested going to overlap instead of moving my hands with interlock. So I did what he suggested. That's basically the reason. Everyone's different, and I guess he saw the interlock wasn't good for me.

And the thing with overlap versus interlock is I found with overlap you can more freely adjust the lower hand from strong to neutral to weak with having to move the upper hand. With interlock both hands have to move since they're more 'joined'. That was my experience with it. Results may vary with others.

I guess maybe I prefer the interlock because I don't want it to be that easy to reposition.  I've had to reassess my grip only a couple of times in the 40 years I've played golf, usually after I've struggled with my swing and unconsciously changed my grip in compensation.  I've found that it's harder to bring my grip back to a good neutral position than it is to just deal with the actual cause of the swing issues, so now I never mess with my grip.  I think that it's the most important part of my setup, so keep it as simple as possible.