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2 October 2026 · 7 min read

How to hold the golf grip: overlap, interlock or baseball, and how tightly

The PGA says there is no single right grip. What it says instead: three grips, four steps, one sentence on pressure, and a test with numbers.

How to hold the golf grip: overlap, interlock or baseball, and how tightly — post image

The grip is the only connection between you and the club. Everything your body produces in the swing passes through these two hands. That is why it comes first in every beginner's book. And it is why it is worth knowing what the professionals really say about it: not that there is a single right grip, but that there is a suitable one.

There is no single right grip

PGA Germany states explicitly in its training document that there is no single right golf grip. Grips cannot be sorted into right and wrong; the trade speaks of functional, suitable and effective or of unfavourable and non-functional. A grip keeps developing and adapts to the demands. Beginners and children mostly start with the ten-finger grip, and over time it can develop into a different grip structure (PGA Germany).

The document names the adjustment screws of gripping: the rotation of hands and forearms, the bending of the wrists, where the club's grip lies in the hand, how far down you grip, how the hands are joined and grip pressure. That is the list by which a pro assesses your grip. The question is never whether it looks nice but whether it suits the shot you want to play.

The three grips

GripHow the hands are joinedWhat it is named for
Ten-finger (baseball)All ten fingers are on the club, no overlapbeginners, children, players with little grip strength; Foresight Sports calls it natural in feel but with a lot of wrist freedom
Overlap (Vardon)The little finger of the trail hand rests in the groove between the index and middle fingers of the lead handthe majority of golfers, especially with larger hands
InterlockThe little finger of the trail hand hooks between the index and middle fingers of the lead handsmaller hands; joins the hands into one unit, but takes getting used to

The PGA of America guide calls the Vardon grip, the overlap, the most widespread today. It also names the reverse overlap, in which the index finger of the lead hand lies over the little finger of the trail hand. It is used mainly in putting (PGA of America). How putting works in the bay and at home is in Putting in a golf simulator and Practising putting at home.

Foresight Sports, the maker of launch monitors, lists pros and cons for each grip. With the ten-finger grip all fingers are on the club, which feels natural, but the hands work independently and the wrist has a lot of room. The overlap combines freedom and control. The interlock holds the hands together but feels strange at first (Foresight Sports).

How to set the grip

The German Golf Association's beginner pages give a hint many beginners never hear: build the grip in the air, not with the club on the ground. The club lies in the fingers, not in the palm. Four knuckles of the lead hand should be visible, and the V between thumb and index finger points to the rear shoulder (golf.de).

The PGA of America describes the same sequence in four steps (PGA of America). First, standing upright, hold the club in front of your body at an angle of 45 degrees, the trail hand on the shaft just above the grip. Second, shake hands with the grip with the lead hand, so that it lies diagonally across the base of the fingers. Third, slide the trail hand down the shaft until the lead thumb sits in the lifeline of the trail hand and is covered by its thumb pad. Fourth, hold the club firmly, but do not squeeze.

Grip pressure

The last sentence is the most important. The PGA of America says it without a number: firm, but not squeezed. PGA Germany counts grip pressure among the adjustment screws of gripping and lists as things the grip influences the hinging and unhinging of the wrists, the face angle, the club head speed, the angle of attack and the address position (PGA Germany). The grip, and with it the pressure, therefore plays a part in several places in the swing.

I am deliberately not giving you a number for grip pressure. Scales from one to ten are plentiful, they come from courses and blogs, and neither of the two teaching documents I read for this post contains one. Use what you feel as the test: if your forearms are tired after the shot or your knuckles go white, the grip is probably too tight.

What the grip changes in ball flight

Because the grip influences the face angle, it turns up in every ball flight diagnosis. The ball goes right, and the number that explains it is the face relative to the path. How to read it is in Correcting a slice with numbers, the nine ball flights with their angles in Draw, fade, hook and slice.

A change of grip can alter the ball flight at once, and that is the reason never to change it without numbers. Ten shots with the old grip, ten with the new one, face angle and smash factor beside them: then you know whether it got better and do not have to guess.

Which grip for whom

For a start the ten-finger grip suits, PGA Germany says so, and that applies to children too (Golf for children in Switzerland). If you notice it holds you back, try the overlap, with small hands the interlock. Never change in the middle of a round. And keep in mind that the hands only determine the grip as long as the club fits them: the thickness of the grip and the age of the rubber play a part (Changing grips).

If you play left-handed, mirror everything: the lead hand is then the right one. That includes the glove, which belongs on the lead hand (Golf glove: which hand).

Testing the grip in a bay

A bay is the fastest place to test a grip, because it measures every shot. Take the 7 iron, hit ten shots with your grip and note the face angle, the face relative to the path and the smash factor. Then the same series with the other variant. The grip that gives the smaller dispersion at the same smash factor is the better one for you. What the numbers mean is in Understanding launch monitor numbers.

An hour costs a median of CHF 50 per bay, usually shared by up to four people. 80 of the 110 indoor venues in the directory publish their hourly price. The map shows venues near you, and 95 of the 126 venues offer coaching: anyone who wants a pro to look at the grip finds them on the training page.

The grip is one of four basics. The other three, aim, stance and posture, are in The golf address position; the whole swing is described in The golf swing for beginners.

Frequently asked questions

Which golf grip is best for beginners?

The ten-finger grip, also called the baseball grip. PGA Germany writes that beginners and children mostly start that way and the grip can develop later. According to the document there is no single right grip, only a suitable one.

How do I hold a golf club correctly?

Build the grip in the air: the club lies in the fingers, four knuckles of the lead hand are visible, the V between thumb and index finger points to the rear shoulder. The lead thumb sits in the lifeline of the trail hand.

How tightly should I hold the club?

Firmly, but without squeezing. That is how the PGA of America puts it. Neither the PGA of America nor PGA Germany gives a number for grip pressure in its materials. If your forearms are tired after the shot or your knuckles go white, the grip is probably too tight.

What is the difference between overlap and interlock?

In the overlap the little finger of the trail hand rests in the groove between the index and middle fingers of the lead hand. In the interlock it is hooked there. The overlap is the most widespread grip today; the interlock is named for smaller hands.

How do I hold the club as a left-hander?

Everything mirrored: the lead hand is the right one and the glove belongs on the right hand. The rules for setup and pressure stay the same. Left-handed rental clubs are not at every venue, so ask before booking.

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