How to Grip a Golf Club

The grip of the club is one of the most important parts of getting a great shot. This is the only part of your body connected to the club. A good grip gives you a better golf swing and the best chance of finding your target. The amount of pressure you apply by holding your club will affect the flight and height of your shot. The perfect grip allows you to comfortably keep control of the club and helps you feel the connection of your hands and the club head.

Ten-finger / Baseball Golf Grip
Your right hand rests next to the side of your index finger of your left hand. All your fingers should be resting on the club. This is a great grip for golfers with hands that are not that strong. The grip will become firmer with the support of all your ten fingers on the handle. You will be able to lock your wrist in the swing to give your more force in the shot. However you will have less control over your shot and club head.

Interlock Golf Grip
In this type of golf grip the pinky of your right hand is inter locked with the index finger of your left hand. This keeps your hands connected during the swing. The fact that this grip requires less strength than the overlapping golf grip makes it ideal for women golfers and those with small hands or short fingers.

For the interlocking golf grip, hold your club with your left hand - three of your knuckles should be visible and your left thumb should be slightly at the right of the center of the Grip. Then place your right hand. The index finger middle finger and ring finger should touch the end of the club handle and the pinkie of your right hand should interlock with the left index finger.

Overlap Golf Grip
This grip is also called the Vardon grip and was popularized by Harry Vardon. In this golf grip the pinky of your right hand rests on the top of the index finger of your left hand. The ring finger of your right hand will also touch the index finger of your left hand. This kind of grip gives you the feeling that your hands are connected and are working together during the swing. This grip is mostly used by professional golfers and requires strong hands since you will be using fewer fingers to control your club.

The overlap golf grip is almost the same as the interlock golf grip. The main difference is that for the overlap golf grip the pinkie of your right hand should be under the index finger of your left hand.

Effective Grip Pressure
Holding your club too tight may cause you to slice the ball leaving you with a difficult shot from the rough or woods. You will not get the desired distance. A lighter grip will give more chance of hitting your ball squarely. Let the club rest on your finger and not in the palms of your hand. Most people will tell you on a scale of 1 to 10 the best pressure will be a 4 to 5.