Experimenting with the "Baseball" Grip

[c peterich]

Check out Cmotion golf on YouTube. All baseball grip swings via a good chap name Lee Comeaux

[theworldengine]

ive never tried the baseball grip, but intuitively there cant be much wrong with using it.

[Krooz]

I've been playing around with the baseball grip as well and like it. When using the overlap I played my irons shots forward - ala Ben Hogan. I've noticed with the baseball grip I have to play the ball back closer to the middle of my stance. Is that typical when changing grip styles? It works so I'll do it but was just curious ....

[Augustabound]

My Grandpa put a club in my hand when I was about 4 and just let me swing it.  The only things he tried to correct was to keep my thumbs away from the top of the grip and not to drop my rear shoulder. (Like others have mentioned, my left thumb is along the lifeline of my right hand.  The left thumb is equal distance on the left side of the shaft).

A 10 finger was normal for me and at 39 I can't see changing.

My cousin is a CPGA pro and asked me to switch a couple of years ago.  Both interlocking and overlapping just seem too flimsy and I don't feel I have a solid grip on the club.

I asked him why I should change.  His answer was, "it solidifies your hands".

I told him they already are and that they feel as though they work together as one.

Then he said it's a more stable grip. I replied the same as the first question.

When I asked again why I should switch, basically his answer was, "cuz".

When he worked towards becoming a CPGA pro, he changed his grip from 10 finger to overlapping. He was taught that so I think he believes that is the only way.

My putting grip is more traditional I think. The thumbs are on top of the shaft and my left index finger over my pinky, ring and middle finger of my right hand.

Edited to say, I thought I was the only golfer in the world who used this grip. :)

[stogiesnbogies]

Hi fellow posters, I've been away from this board for some time and truly enjoyed getting caught up on your many constructive and insightful posts regarding the baseball grip.

First, I wish to thank all the posters who have expressed appreciation for my OP here. Fascinating to see how many golfers have indeed tried and succeeded with the "baseball grip" despite conventional wisdom's admonishments  against it.

I believe that good golf boards should support threads where individuals are encouraged to explore new ideas and approach them with a sense of openness .....unlike Gaijingolfers' unhelpful and snarky comments here about yet another club he ridicules, namely the Cleveland Niblick..These kind of comments only serve to inhibit the very purpose of the discussion board  as a place where" thinking aloud" and "thinking allowed" may thrive.

From his closed minded, hyper critical tone and attitude one would be surprised to learn that he's a less than modest  20 handicap according to his own admission....meanwhile this past year my handicap has dropped from 18 to 15 -thanks in large part to remaining open to new ideas and approaches including the baseball grip and the Cleveland Niblick amongst others.

The overwhelmingly favorable response to this thread and the discovery that many other golfers have succeeded with this "unconventional" grip only underscores the fact that conventional thinking is merely the consensus of conventional minds. And as Emerson aptly pointed out: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines". ...

as well as some narrow-minded, mean spirited posters stuck at 20+ handicaps.

Fairways and Greens, mates.

[GaijinGolfer]

Hi fellow posters, I've been away from this board for some time and truly enjoyed getting caught up on your many constructive and insightful posts regarding the baseball grip.

First, I wish to thank all the posters who have expressed appreciation for my OP here. Fascinating to see how many golfers have indeed tried and succeeded with the "baseball grip" despite conventional wisdom's admonishments  against it.

I believe that good golf boards should support threads where individuals are encouraged to explore new ideas and approach them with a sense of openness .....unlike Gaijingolfers' unhelpful and snarky comments here about yet another club he ridicules, namely the Cleveland Niblick..These kind of comments only serve to inhibit the very purpose of the discussion board  as a place where" thinking aloud" and "thinking allowed" may thrive.

From his closed minded, hyper critical tone and attitude one would be surprised to learn that he's a less than modest  20 handicap according to his own admission....meanwhile this past year my handicap has dropped from 18 to 15 -thanks in large part to remaining open to new ideas and approaches including the baseball grip and the Cleveland Niblick amongst others.

The overwhelmingly favorable response to this thread and the discovery that many other golfers have succeeded with this "unconventional" grip only underscores the fact that conventional thinking is merely the consensus of conventional minds. And as Emerson aptly pointed out: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines". ...

as well as some narrow-minded, mean spirited posters stuck at 20+ handicaps.

Fairways and Greens, mates.

I show respect to those who show me respect.  Youve shown me none, thus you get what you get and have no one to blame but yourself.  You can look up all the great quotes that you want in an attempt to make yourself seem superior but the simple fact is that youve had a history of an arrogant, know-it-all attitude where youve made it clear that you know more than anyone else does.

Perhaps instead of attacking, insulting and name calling; you should make some clear, valid, logical points to support your beliefs.

[14ledo81]

Hi fellow posters, I've been away from this board for some time and truly enjoyed getting caught up on your many constructive and insightful posts regarding the baseball grip. First, I wish to thank all the posters who have expressed appreciation for my OP here. Fascinating to see how many golfers have indeed tried and succeeded with the "baseball grip" despite conventional wisdom's admonishments  against it.  I believe that good golf boards should support threads where individuals are encouraged to explore new ideas and approach them with a sense of openness .....unlike Gaijingolfers' unhelpful and snarky comments here about yet another club he ridicules, namely the Cleveland Niblick..These kind of comments only serve to inhibit the very purpose of the discussion board  as a place where" thinking aloud" and "thinking allowed" may thrive. From his closed minded, hyper critical tone and attitude one would be surprised to learn that he's a less than modest  20 handicap according to his own admission....meanwhile this past year my handicap has dropped from 18 to 15 -thanks in large part to remaining open to new ideas and approaches including the baseball grip and the Cleveland Niblick amongst others. The overwhelmingly favorable response to this thread and the discovery that many other golfers have succeeded with this "unconventional" grip only underscores the fact that conventional thinking is merely the consensus of conventional minds. And as Emerson aptly pointed out: "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines". ... as well as some narrow-minded, mean spirited posters stuck at 20+ handicaps. Fairways and Greens, mates.

You have not been around for awhile, but came back to pick a fight??? Bored??

[stogiesnbogies]

~~You said: ." I show respect to those who show me respect. Youve shown me none, thus you get what you get and have no one to blame but yourself. You can look up all the great quotes that you want in an attempt to make yourself seem superior but the simple fact is that youve had a history of an arrogant, know-it-all attitude where youve made it clear that you know more than anyone else does. Perhaps instead of attacking, insulting and name calling; you should make some clear, valid, logical points to support your beliefs."

Fact is that your initial unfounded, mean-spirited and over-the-top criticism of my Original thread praising the Cleveland Niblick back in 2011 !! was my "introduction" to the kind of arrogant, surly behavior which you continue to display -absolutely uninvited and unwarranted to this very day. That was one of my very first posts on this board and that was the manner in which you "welcomed" me to thesandtrap !!!!!  But worse yet, you never, ever let the thread go as you insist with a troll-like attitude to invoke unprovoked digs at me such as the niblick comment in this unrelated thread!

Your comments in this thread -some three years later -are equally mean spirited , non-constructive, and continue to attempt a bully-like approach of yet again harping back to the Niblick thread without any provocation or even reference to the Niblick in my "Baseball Grip " Thread.

You claim that it is I  who"~~should make some clear, valid, logical points to support your beliefs."...and that is precisely what all the other posters who responded positively to this thread essentially said I had done when expressing their appreciation for it's existence since it is something that they too have been experimenting with and enjoyed sharing. And indeed I enjoyed sharing it with them as I previously said.

Fact is that the "History of arrogant, know-it-all attitude posts where "you've made it clear that you know more than anyone else" is a projection from your own feelings of insecurity and are not in any way substantiated by facts .....provide some archive threads that YOU think demonstrate this behavior and you will discover that the snarky, arrogant "know-it-all, mean spirited posts are no one elses but YOURS !  You have not only initiated them but continue to post them to this very day.-In totally unrelated threads which only underscores the severity of your condition.

And once you are capable of acknowledging that this has indeed been the case for some many years now, you will then perhaps explain how your comments here in this thread, were in any way valid, constructive and added value to the thread.

Then I would suggest you simply follow your own much needed advice that you've falsely projected upon me: you said: "~~ Perhaps instead of attacking, insulting and name calling; you should make some clear, valid, logical points to support your beliefs."   and if you find yourself incapable of doing that I would request that you simply ignore my threads in the future and leave them to those who wish to add value and constructively share their experiences.  If you are not capable of this , then I shall indeed need to alert the moderator of your continuous harassment -for there is simply no other description befitting your behavior.

" It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."

Mark Twain

[stogiesnbogies]

"~~ You have not been around for awhile, but came back to pick a fight??? Bored??

FYI: This is my original thread....I'm checking back after being away for a while as I mentioned, and commenting on comments.....as is appropriate.

But you're visiting a thread that you neither originally started nor contributed  to in order to interject yourself into a dispute that is absolutely none of your concern......bored? and rude as well.

[dchoye]

back on topic. I really like the opinions express on the grip as this is very personalize to the player. I was at a PGA event few weeks ago and stood behind Two Goves Gainey and he was smacking his driver with the lead thumb wrap around the handle. I have tried it and it just doesnt feel comfortable for me, How ever I do sometimes like to wrap my thumb and then lift the club in the air and then sorta regrip my thumb closer to 1 oclock position and then swing the shaft. If I dont wrap my thumb first it doesnt feel comfortable. I do this for certain shot, like the bump shot and drive shot. The full ten finger grip with no thumb wrap I also have experimented with and it seems if i want to slice my driver or 3 w I tend to go with that type of hold. Conversely I find easier to hook a wedge with a ten finger grip, so for specialty shots like that I dont see anything wrong with altering the grip.

[tooc]

I used the overlap grip for 10 years before breaking my left index finger playing hurling fairly badly this time , no movement at all in the top joint so had to switch to the interlock, which I think is a better grip, the problem with the baseball grip is the hand need to act as one on the club and for this they need to be a close together as possible

[freedrop]

The ten finger grip king is Moe |Norman who had the grip running along the lifeline of the right hand.I think it may be "a secret" of golf.It is different from a baseball grip.

[jscomp]

Wow. Never thought I'd see e-beef on a golf forum. That was almost as exciting as watching golf.

[stogiesnbogies]

Must have been great to see Two Gloves Gainey swing up close!!   Love effective "home made" swings like Gainey and Bubba...

Absolutely nothing wrong with changing your grip for different shots if that works for you....I've done it in the process of experimenting with the "Baseball style" grip....However mine is not a traditional thumb wrap around baseball grip but more of a "golf style" ten finger grip with both thumbs on top and the butt end hand thumb under the right hand thumb pad....if that makes sense!

Since moving to this grip I have also stopped wearing a glove (a la Fred Couples!) as I like the more natural feel of the club in my hand.

I have virtually eliminated chunks and tops , making solid contact with little or none of my previous fades and slices....in short, methinks I've found my go-to grip at last.

I've only been playing for six years and I'm a senior golfer but as I reflect on my introduction (6 or 8 lessons-beginner series)  to the game with a club PGA Teaching Pro I recall that he immediately made us all use the interlock ...which I think is a big mistake considering my experience with it ....and alas, yet another reason I wince when Golf Channel's Michael Breed closes each show by urging viewers to "see a PGA Teaching Pro" !  LOL

And in contrast to the poster who cites Moe Norman keeping the club in his palms, I find best results are when keeping club in fingers......bottom line : RESULTS are what matters -and we all need to feel free to experiment in order to find our own unique swing that is most effective for us as individuals....

Cheers.

[bob lustig]

yes im going to try the baseball grip  but i would like to know if any pros use this  i also use 2 gloves and i know at least 1 pro uses this    someone at the clubhouse were i golf who is a pretty good golfer said he used the baseball grip and it got my attionionn  som im going to give it a try tommorrow  but i will say practicing in the back yard with the base ball greip didnt like it at first but after about fifteen swings started to like it  well i guess ill find out tommorrow when im on hte coarse   bob   lustig

[John333]

I tried a 10 finger grip at the suggestion of my friend a few years ago (I'm an interlocker). I felt like it was causing me to lose control of my wrists and I also felt like I was forced to palm the club instead of hold it in my fingers, which was a feeling I didn't like. By the way, this was during high school, and this friend had been very short and small his entire golf life up to about a year before that, so that's probably why he learned with a 10 finger grip. Like GaijinGolfer said, juniors learn it because it makes it easier to release the wrists.

[Robert Lustig]

yes i tried the baseball grip didnt like it at first but then hit some very good shots and thought maybe this is it.   but then something strange started happening  i started pulling the ball badly as bad as it gets.  and seemed like it was lacking control.  i came up with this theory  that i think i started to almost got to like i was swinging a baseball bat  like a natural feeling  so my thoughts are to go back to the overlap swing i think this is were i belong

[Rewster66]

I've never had instruction other than "pointers" from my golfing buddies, and everyone of them make fun of me for using the "Ten Finger Grip". I have rather large hands (barely squeeze into a 2X glove), and it feels much more comfortable to me. My drives got longer and straighter and it helped a great deal with my chip shots. As for now I am sticking with it.

God Bless!!! Ray