How to Handle a Golf Club

Your hands are your one and only connection to the golf club, making the way you hold it the foundation of every single shot you hit. When your grip is right, you can create effortless power and consistency, when it’s wrong, you spend your entire swing trying to correct for a problem that started before you even moved the club. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know, from the different types of holds to the step-by-step process for building a neutral, effective grip that works for you.

Good Grip, Good Golf: Why It Matters So Much

Think of your grip as the steering wheel for your golf club. Tiny changes in how you place your hands have a an enormous influence on the clubface at impact, which is the single biggest factor in determining where the ball goes. A grip that is slightly "strong" (too much rotation of the hands to the right for a righty) can make you hook the ball left. A grip that is "weak" (too much rotation to the left) often leads to a slice.

So many golfers with persistent hooks or slices try to fix the problem by changing their swing path, their posture, or their rhythm. While those are all important, they are often just compensations for an incorrect hold. By starting with a fundamentally sound, neutral grip, you free your body to make a simple, athletic, rotational swing. You stop fighting the club and start working with it. It’s the closest thing to a "quick fix" that actually delivers long-term results.

The Three Core Golf Grips: Finding Your Fit

There isn’t one single "correct" grip for every golfer on the planet. While the principles are the same, the way your fingers connect varies. The three most common styles are the Interlocking, Overlapping, and Ten-Finger grips. Let’s look at each one to help you figure out which is best for you.

The Overlapping Grip (Vardon Grip)

This is arguably the most popular grip among professional and amateur golfers. To create it, you simply rest the pinky finger of your trail hand (right hand for right-handers) in the space between the index and middle finger of your lead hand (left hand).

• Best For: Golfers with average to large hands.
• What it Feels Like: For many, it promotes a feeling of the hands working together as a single unit. It gives you great feel and control, especially with shorter clubs.
• Potential Downside: Some golfers with smaller hands find it feels less secure than other options.

The Interlocking Grip

This grip involves "locking" the pinky finger of your trail hand with the index finger of your lead hand. It was popularized by greats like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. It creates a very secure connection between the hands.

• Best For: Golfers with smaller hands or those who feel they need a more secure connection.
• What it Feels Like: It powerfully unifies the hands, making it feel almost impossible for them to come apart during the swing.
• Potential Downside: Some players feel it can create too much tension in the hands and wrists if you're not careful. Also, golfers with arthritis or thicker fingers might find it uncomfortable.

The Ten-Finger Grip (Baseball Grip)

As the name suggests, this grip is just like holding a baseball bat. All ten fingers are on the grip with the hands touching but not overlapping or interlocking. It’s simple and intuitive.

• Best For: New golfers, juniors, players with hand weakness, or those suffering from arthritis.
• What it Feels Like: It’s the most natural-feeling grip and can help players generate more leverage and clubhead speed, especially if they lack wrist strength.
• Potential Downside: The main challenge is it can lead to the hands working independently of each other, with the trail hand often becoming too dominant and "flipping" at the ball, causing hooks.

Step-by-Step: Building Your Perfect Grip

Alright, let's put this into practice. Grab an iron and follow these steps. Remember, if you’re used to an old grip, a correct grip will almost certainly feel weird at first. That's a good sign! Stick with it for a few range sessions and you’ll start to see the benefits.

Step 1: Get the Clubface Square

Before you even put your hands on the club, place the clubhead on the ground behind an imaginary ball. Make sure the leading edge - the very bottom line on the clubface - is pointing perfectly perpendicular to your target line. A lot of grip mistakes happen because the clubface was already open or closed before the hands ever touched it. Start with a square face.

Step 2: Place Your Lead Hand (Your Left Hand for a Righty)

With the club on the ground, bring your left hand to the side of the grip. The key here is to hold the club in your fingers, not deep in your palm.

• Let the grip run diagonally from the base of your pinky finger to the middle knuckle of your index finger.
• Once the fingers are comfortably wrapped, close your hand over the top.
• Quick Checkpoints: When you look down, you should be able to see the knuckles of your index and middle fingers. The "V" formed by your thumb and index finger should point roughly toward your right shoulder or ear. If you see 3-4 knuckles, your grip is too "strong." If you see only one or none, it's too "weak."

Step 3: Add Your Trail Hand (Your Right Hand for a Righty)

Now it’s time to bring in the supporting actor. As your right hand approaches the grip, think of its palm "shaking hands" with your left thumb.

• The lifeline in your right palm should fit snugly right over your left thumb. This is what unifies the hands.
• Your right-hand fingers will then wrap around the underside of the grip.
• This is where you choose your connection: you can overlap your right pinky onto your left index finger, interlock it, or simply place all ten finders on the club. Choose the one that feels most comfortable and secure for you.
• Quick Checkpoints hCGk_2vUnkn2_S: The "V" formed by your right thumb and index finger should point somewhere around the center of your chin or chest. This ensures your right hand is in a neutral, supportive position and not in position to overpower the swing.

Step 4: Mind Your Grip Pressure

This is where so many golfers go wrong. Out of a desire for control, they strangle the grip with a ten-out-of-ten pressure. This tension runs up your forearms and into your shoulders, killing your ability to generate speed and feel. A tense swing is a slow, jerky swing.

Instead, imagine you’re holding a tube of toothpaste and you don't want to squeeze any out. On a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is barely holding on and 10 is a white-knuckle death grip, your grip pressure should be about a 4 or 5. You want it secure enough that the club won’t fly out of your hands, but light enough that your wrists feel flexible and free to hinge naturally.

Final Thoughts

Building a neutral, effective golf grip is the most important change you can make for a more consistent game. By focusing on a square clubface, placing the club in your fingers, and maintaining light pressure, you give yourself the best possible chance to deliver the club back to the ball properly, swing after swing. It will feel strange at first, but stick with it, and it will soon become second nature.

Mastering the grip is a huge step, but what happens when something still feels off in your swing or during a round? Pinpointing the root cause of a bad shot can be tricky. This is exactly why we created Caddie AI. If you're on the course stuck with a bad lie, you can snap a photo, and our AI analyzes the situation and tells you the best way to play the shot. If a question pops into your head about equipment, strategy, or swing mechanics, you can get an expert answer in seconds, 24/7. We want to take the guesswork out of golf, so you can play with more confidence and clarity every time you step on the course.