Experimenting with the "Baseball" Grip

[stogiesnbogies 19]

Hi folks:

Today I began fooling around with the baseball / ten finger grip and have been rather impressed with some of the results.

I have always played the interlocking grip but decided to give this a try since I came over to golf only 6 years ago after "retiring"  from many years of competitive recreational softball...so I thought maybe the baseball grip would be comfortable to me...

I was introduced to the game by my club teaching pro who has his students use the interlock and I had never tried anything else since it felt OK and I have been able to play myself into a decent "bogey" golfer averaging 88 to 89 regularly...aka a 17 or 18 'cap...

First the good:    More distance with ten finger grip.

Better contact...even the starter mentioned that I was striking the ball more solidly today...then I told him I was practicing with baseball grip ..he laughed and said that he had recently changed from that to the interlocking!!  ah...golf!

I Also get better results with sand wedge shots...higher with more backspin...

Now the bad:  Less control as I tend to hook shots more with the baseball grip -and I am a classic fader/ slicer with the interlock

I would love to hear what your experience might be with these grips ...I would especially appreciate hearing from you experienced players,  club pros and club makers out there about the pro/cons of baseball v interlock grip......or even Vardon for that matter..

thanks in advance.

[longbow 1]

I did the same thing back in the late 90's.  What I found was a much larger grip helped.  Non tapered big grips.  Might cure the hook you are getting now.  Hope this helps.  Never stayed with it, went back to the overlapping grip.  thanks

[Patrick57 0]

I would love to hear what your experience might be with these grips ...I would especially appreciate hearing from you experienced players,  club pros and club makers out there about the pro/cons of baseball v interlock grip......or even Vardon for that matter.. thanks in advance.

I use a reverse overlap grip instead of the ten finger and this gets my hands more in sync. I was never comfortable with the other two grips - overlap or interlock - as I have always felt that my right hand must have more control. Whem I place the index finger of the left hand over the pinky of the right hand, I achieve this.

[Volchok 0]

I played for 2 years with the baseball grip. This year I changed my grip to the interlock, as I feel that I get a better and more solid swing path. I've lost a bit of distance (about 5 yards per iron), but that doesn't bother me, as long as my shots go straight. My average distance for a 7 iron is about 160 yards, give or take. I have a very strong grip (that results in a "chicken wing" from time to time, and I think that the interlock has made my grip more light). I even tried the overlap, but couldn't even get the ball up in the air

[GaijinGolfer 85]

Typically a baseball grip is reserved for women or juniors who lack forearm strength because the baseball grip makes it easier to release the club and close the face.  If it works for you though, nothing wrong with that.

I find it interesting that your instructor taught everyone to use the interlock.  Wow, just wow.  Just goes to show you that you dont need to know what youre talking about to be a PGA professional.

[Volchok 0]

Originally Posted by GaijinGolfer

Typically a baseball grip is reserved for women or juniors who lack forearm strength because the baseball grip makes it easier to release the club and close the face.  If it works for you though, nothing wrong with that.

I find it interesting that your instructor taught everyone to use the interlock.  Wow, just wow.  Just goes to show you that you dont need to know what youre talking about to be a PGA professional.

Read somewhere that people with smaller hands tend to like the interlock grip more. I can relate, as I have a glove size of small that's sits perfectly. I could never go back to the baseball grip anymore, and I wouldn't for that matter. I've dropped about 10 shots from my round after changing it to this season. Sure I've played far more, but last season my record was 96 strokes, and last week I played a round of 80. The back nine was a 37.

When I worked at my local course for a few years, we had our head pro teaching Tigers swing to everyone. I'll remember the advice he gave me when I first came to the range. He went to his backroom and came back with pictures of tigers swing, and said that a swing should look like this. Including his grip, stance, movement, the works. Now that I think about it, I don't know what he was thinking...

The point being, a lot of pros teach the stuff they're doing, and what they are comfortable with. Just my experience.

[benredik 7]

I use a 10 finger grip. If I don't, I keep pushing the shots..

My HCP is still dropping, so I won't consider changing my grip until my progress stops.

[Maverick 2]

I really do enjoy how the 10-finger feels..feel s great..but it seems it's difficult to keep both hands in unison..at least for me..

[ejimsmith 24]

i moved from the overlap grip, to the 10-finger grip about a year ago.  i've liked it a lot, it feels real natural to me.  i don't see myself moving off of it.

[David in FL 2,294]

I find it interesting that your instructor taught everyone to use the interlock.  Wow, just wow.  Just goes to show you that you dont need to know what youre talking about to be a PGA professional.

Not sure I understand your point. Can you clarify? Thks.

[camper6 10]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Not sure I understand your point. Can you clarify? Thks.

It's a shot.  Don't bother answering.

By the way.  The ten finger baseball grip has been used on the PGA Tour.

I can remember Rosburg and Estes using it.

[David in FL 2,294]

It's a shot.  Don't bother answering. By the way.  The ten finger baseball grip has been used on the PGA Tour. I can remember Rosburg and Estes using it.

I know it was a shot, I just don't understand why.

[camper6 10]

"I know it was a shot, I just don't understand why."

Don't try to figure it out or you will go crazy.

These are the same type of people who come to a party and if everything is going well they stir up trouble to get some attention or for some other strange reason that I haven't been able to figure out for close to 3/4 of a century.

They are not happy until they make someone miserable.

[xmanhockey7 10]

Been interlocking since I started starting golf seriously at around the age of 11 and I'm 20 now. I use 10 finger for around the green but full shots I like interlock the best.

[GaijinGolfer 85]

Originally Posted by David in FL

Not sure I understand your point. Can you clarify? Thks.

It wasnt a shot so much as it was just stating the truth.  The vast majority of golf instructors will try to steer you away from the interlock for the reasons that I stated above.  Most high handicappers dont use their hands enough and an interlocking grip is only going to limit their wrist action, so its not a good grip for them.

Im sorry that some people cant accept the fact that the interlock isnt the end-all, be-all despite the fact that Jack and Tiger use it.

[ditchparrot19 18]

Back in the late 1990s, I went from a 20-handicap to a 12 rather quickly after switching to the baseball grip. I'm 6'2", 260 pounds, but my hands aren't real broad or thick.

I just had an inspiration to try it one day, and it worked out well.

[stogiesnbogies 19]

To all who use the ten finger grip:  Do you place your backhand (left) thumb around the grip (like a baseball bat) or under the thumb pad of your right hand? (More like a golf grip)

I seem to have better control when placing it under the right hand thumb pad area...

[stogiesnbogies 19]

Yeah....I know what ya mean...my limited experience with PGA Teaching Pros is not positive....took 8 lessons at the outset- just for the basics about hitting each club... and decided correctly that the best and fastest way to learn this game was to play often and experiment on the course in practice rounds... ... and get yourself in and out of trouble....I find the "in" part the easiest though   :)