How to hold a club

[jreed]

I use a basball style grip and would like to change. Its an old habit that I cant seem to get away from. Should I attempt to change to an overlapping and interlocking grip?

[Pa Jayhawk]

Hard to say what is the right grip. But if you are comfortable and consistent, I doubt I would change. Just a few things I have consistently heard over times, and may or may not apply to you. Baseball grips sometimes favor people with slower speeds and who lack distance, not saying that is the only reason to use one. They are also prefered by people with joint pain. One of the newer teaching theories I have heard are that women may benefit from switching to a baseball grip, I believe it allows for more arch and a delayed release, again, more power.

Interlock grips favor people with smaller hands.

Overlap grips favor people with bigger hands.

I have Bigger hands and use an interlock, as it is the more comfortable for me, so again these are not set in stone, just commonalities.

[limpalong]

Originally Posted by jreed

I use a basball style grip and would like to change. Its an old habit that I cant seem to get away from. Should I attempt to change to an overlapping and interlocking grip?

To me, there is a difference between a "baseball" grip and a 10-finger grip. Typically you see the Vardon (overlapping), the interlocking, or the 10-finger grip. There are many who have played lots of baseball/softball that actually do have a baseball grip. With that, the club grip is held down in the palm, not up in the fingers.

Many players do employ the 10-finger grip. (That is what I have used for years and, as Jayhawk says, am comfortable with.) Some folks have trouble with the right hand turning over too much with the 10-finger and can become hookers. And, I do have to be careful or I'll play from the trees on the left of the fairway! But, that is the only grip that feels good to me and I'm too old to learn a new grip.

If you are actually holding the club down in the palms, as you would a baseball bat, you will definitely restrict your ability to swing the club. The easiest way I have been able to explain it to those fighting the transition from baseball to golf is as follows. Toss them a golf ball. Have them hold the golf ball in the palm of their hand and toss it back. Takes a lot of effort and the ball doesn't go far. Now, take that same golf ball and put it up in your fingers. Now, a simple "flip" sends the ball a longer distance with more finese. That is what you need to work on with the 10-finger grip... the club needs to stay up in the fingers!

Good luck on finding the grip that works best for you!

[JEFF4i]

Whatever works, really. I use an interlocking because when I started with baseball(I used to play baseball), my dad told me to change it.

I did, and now it's all I use, even with putter.

[jreed]

I played baseball for nearly 15 years so that kind of grip kind of is done by habit. I do put with an interlocking grip and would like to switch to that for all clubs. I was just curious to see what everyone else though.

[Davebud]

I also played baseball for many years, the switch to interlocking grip was not hard, and it is working for me. I also have medium large hands, wear and XL glove and my fingers tip out. So the whole thing about should use a Vardon doesn't work for me either.

[Phil]

I used the interlocking for years but switched to the Ben Hogan overlap a couple years ago. I found it made a difference at the top of the swing. Recently I switched back to the interlocking and found that the large knuckle on the right hand pinky finger was getting pretty sore. So....I instantly went back to the overlap.

[JEFF4i]

Actually, the best way to hold your club is to have someone else do it for you.