Why A Proper Golf Grip Is The Most Important Part Of Your Game

The first kind of golf grip, and probably the most popular (especially with touring professionals) is the overlap golf grip. The reason it's called the overlap grip is because the pinkie finger on the lower hand overlaps the index finger on the upper hand. For right hand golfers, this means that the right pinkie finger overlaps the left index finger.

To start the overlap grip, place your left hand at the top of the club similar to the figure at the right. Your thumb should be pointing pretty much straight down the grip. The tips of your other fingers should come close to, if not, touching the pad of your thumb as they wrap around the grip.

Some golf instructors will tell you to vary how far your thumb extends down the grip depending on the length of the club. In other words, a pro may tell you to extend your thumb longer down the grip for your driver and shorter for your pitching wedge.

Honestly, you have enough to think about as it is. All you need to do is make sure your thumb is pointing down the center of the grip.

Next, place your right hand over your left hand so that the dimple just above your right wrist cups the bottom knuckle of your left thumb.

Wrap your right pinkie around the grip so that it overlaps snugly between your left index finger and middle finger.

Your right thumb will end up resting just to the left of the center of the grip

In the figure to the right, notice how the red "V" that is formed by the right hand moves straight up both arms. When you're learning this grip, it's sometimes hard for beginners to visualize this "V" as they're standing over the ball. This simple trick will help you...

If you can see more than your index finger knuckle on your right hand or your index finger knuckle on your left hand, your "V" isn't formed properly. Simply adjust the positioning of your hands so that you only see your index finger knuckles.

The figure to the right is what the proper overlap golf grip looks like from the bottom of the grip. Notice how the pinkie finger is resting, or overlapping, between the left hand index and middle fingers.

There you have it! That's all there is to the overlap grip. While this grip is certainly a proper golf grip for most golfers, those of us with smaller hands may need to tweak this grip slightly.

The instructions below show you how to modify the overlap grip. This modification helps those with smaller hands or shorter fingers maintain a firmer grip on the club.

The interlocking golf grip is identical to the overlap golf grip with one exception. Instead of the right hand pinkie overlapping the left hand index and middle fingers, the right hand pinkie actually interlocks with the left hand index finger.

The interlocking grip is especially good for golfers with smaller hands or shorter fingers. With this grip you essentially "lock" your fingers together which helps prevent your hands from separating during the swing.

Golfers with smaller hands or shorter fingers who use the overlap grip often find their hands separating during the swing. This separation can cause a host of shot making errors. The interlocking grip solves this problem.

For the interlocking grip, you'll follow the same steps as outlined in the overlap grip example above.

The only difference between these two proper golf grips is that you will interlock the right pinkie finger with the left hand index finger.

To see what the interlocking golf grip looks like, refer to the picture to the right.

Notice how the pinkie and index fingers lock together.

The last kind of golf grip we'll review is called the baseball golf grip. It's called this because the way your grip the golf club is pretty much the same as the way a baseball player holds a bat.

Just like the overlap and interlocking golf grip, the first step is to place your left hand at the top of the club similar to the picture at the right.

While the baseball grip isn't really considered a traditionally proper golf grip, it does work for some golfers. This grip can help some golfers generate more power in their swings. It's also a little easier to roll the wrists which helps fight a nasty slice.

The problem with the baseball grip is that it's prone to inconsistency. Since both hands are separated from one another, there's a tendency to overcock the club at the top of the swing. When this happens, it's harder to make consistent contact with the ball.

With the left hand in position, simply grip your right hand on the club below the left hand. Although both hands are "disconnected", make sure they fit together snugly.

The picture to the right shows what this proper golf grip should look like.

To avoid problems down the road, I'd suggest trying to adopt either the overlap or interlock grip before settling on the baseball style. While the baseball grip may be easier at first, it can lead to recurring problems down the road.