Learn the Different Golf Grips and the Best Ways to Hold a Golf Club

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.

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Three Common and Fundamentally Sound Golf Grips

Side-by-side look at 3 most common ways golfers grip the club — Kelly Lamanna / Getty Images

Those three most common types of golf grips are:

Overlapping Grip (also called the Vardon Grip or Vardon Overlap)
Interlocking Grip
Ten-Finger Grip (also called a baseball grip)

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Vardon Overlap Grip (Overlapping Grip)

The Vardon Grip in golf, also called the 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.

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Interlocking Grip

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.

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Ten Finger Grip (Baseball Grip)

Close-up of the 10-finger, or baseball, grip used by PGA Tour golfer Scott Piercy — 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.