Activities Sports & Athletics 3 Main Types of Golf Grips Share PINTEREST Email Print Sam Greenwood/Getty Images Sports & Athletics Golf Basics History Gear Golf Courses Famous Golfers Golf Tournaments Baseball Basketball Bicycling Billiards Bodybuilding Bowling Boxing Car Racing Cheerleading Cricket Extreme Sports Football Gymnastics Ice Hockey Martial Arts Professional Wrestling Skateboarding Skating Paintball Soccer Swimming & Diving Table Tennis Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Other Activities Learn More By Michael Lamanna is the director of instruction at The Phoenician Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona. He is rated by Golf Magazine as one of Arizona's top golf teachers. our editorial process Michael Lamanna Updated October 02, 2018 The hands must work together as a single unit when striking a ball with power. There are three common and fundamentally sound ways of gripping the golf club. Be sure to consider what material you're gripping! 01 of 04 Three Common and Fundamentally Sound Golf Grips Kelly Lamanna / Getty Images Those three most common types of golf grips are: Overlapping Grip (also called the Vardon Grip or Vardon Overlap)Interlocking GripTen-Finger Grip (also called a baseball grip) 02 of 04 Vardon Overlap Grip (Overlapping Grip) Fuse/Corbis/Getty Images The Vardon Overlap grip, sometimes called the Overlapping Grip, is the most common grip among great players. Harry Vardon popularized this grip around the turn of the 20th Century. This grip places the club in the fingers and is the grip most likely to be taught by golf instructors. To place your hands on the handle using the Vardon Overlap, take the little finger on the trailing hand and place it between the index and middle finger on the lead hand (for right-handed golfers, the lead hand is the left). The lead hand thumb should fit in the lifeline of the trailing hand. 03 of 04 Interlocking Grip Sam Greenwood/Getty Images The next most common grip is called the Interlock, or Interlocking. This grip is very popular on the LPGA Tour and has been used by many top male players including Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. This grip locks the hands together, but the golfer also runs the risk of having the handle stray into the palms of the hands. People with small hands, weak forearms and wrists, and beginners in many cases prefer this style of grip. To use the Interlock grip, take the little finger on the trailing hand (the trailing hand for right-handed golfers is the right hand) and intertwine it with the index finger on the lead hand. The lead-hand thumb should fit in the lifeline of the trailing hand. 04 of 04 Ten Finger Grip (Baseball Grip) Sam Greenwood/Getty Images The Ten Finger grip, sometimes called the Baseball Grip, is the least preferred grip among teachers. It does, however, have its advantages. Hall of Fame Member Beth Daniel, PGA Tour members Bob Estes, Scott Piercy and Dave Barr and Masters champion Art Wall Jr. have all used the Ten Finger grip. Teachers often suggest this grip to beginners as it simplifies early instruction. People who experience joint pain, have arthritis or small, weak hands often benefit by using the Ten Finger grip. To position your hands properly using a Ten Finger grip, start with a perfect lead hand grip, then place the little finger of the trailing hand close against the index finger of the lead hand. Cover the lead-hand thumb with the lifeline of the trailing hand. Watch Now: Learn the Correct Grip for Golf