Grip
In golf, “grip” refers to two related things: the rubber handle at the top of a golf club, and the way a player places and positions their hands on that handle.
What is a grip in golf?
The word “grip” carries two meanings in golf, and both come up constantly. The first is a piece of equipment: the covered section at the top of every club where the hands go. The second is a technique: how the player actually holds the club, including which fingers connect, how the hands sit relative to each other, and how firmly the player squeezes.
Both meanings matter for the same reason. The hands are the only physical link between the player and the club, so anything that affects that link affects the shot. A worn rubber handle slips. A poorly positioned set of hands sends the clubface to impact at the wrong angle. Either one shows up in the ball flight.
Golfers and coaches usually mean the technique sense when they say “your grip needs work,” and the equipment sense when they say “I need to regrip my clubs.”
The grip as part of the club
The grip is the material wrapped around the top portion of the club shaft. It is usually a single hollow piece of rubber, slid over the shaft and held in place with adhesive tape. The job is simple: give the hands something they can hold without slipping.
Per the USGA’s equipment rules, the grip must be straight, plain in form, and fixed to the shaft, and for clubs other than putters, it must be circular in cross-section. Putter grips are allowed to be non-circular, which is why putters often have a flat surface where the thumbs rest.
Grips come in several sizes (undersize, standard, midsize, and oversize or jumbo) and in different textures, from smooth tour wraps to abrasive cord grips that hold up better in wet conditions. Adding extra layers of build-up tape under a grip is a common way to fine-tune the diameter when standard sizes do not fit a player’s hands well. Most golfers replace their grips every 40 to 60 rounds, or about once a season for regular players, because worn rubber forces the player to squeeze harder to keep the club from twisting.
The grip as how you hold the club
The technique sense of “grip” covers two separate things, which often get mixed up.
The first is how the hands connect to each other. This is the choice between an overlap, an interlock, or a ten-finger style.
The second is how the hands sit on the club. This is the choice between a strong, neutral, or weak grip, meaning rotated, square, or rotated the other way relative to the target line.
A player might use an overlap grip in a strong position, an interlock in a neutral position, or any other combination. The two dimensions are independent.
The three main grip styles
Almost every golfer uses one of three styles, and the difference between them comes down to what the trail-hand pinky and the lead-hand index finger are doing.
| Grip style | Hand connection | Often used by | Common fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlap (Vardon) | Trail-hand pinky rests on top of the gap between lead-hand index and middle finger | Phil Mickelson, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson | Medium to large hands |
| Interlocking | Trail-hand pinky and lead-hand index finger weave together | Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy | Smaller hands, shorter fingers |
| Ten-finger (baseball) | All ten fingers on the club, no overlap or interlock | Rare on tour; common among juniors and beginners | New players, players with arthritis or weak hand strength |
Overlap grip
Also called the Vardon grip after Harry Vardon, the six-time Open Championship winner who popularized it in the early 1900s. Golf historians actually credit Johnny Laidlay, the British Amateur champion in 1889 and 1891, with using it earlier. The overlap is the most common grip among adult golfers worldwide and the most common on the PGA Tour.
Interlocking grip
The pinky of the trail hand hooks together with the index finger of the lead hand, locking the two hands into a single unit. Tiger Woods has used the interlocking grip since childhood, and Golf Digest reported during its 2024 PGA Championship grip audit that he has hit so many shots with it that the shape of his right pinky finger has visibly changed over time.
Ten-finger grip
All ten fingers contact the rubber with no interweaving, which is why this style is often called the baseball grip. It resembles the way a hitter holds a bat. The ten-finger style is rare on tour but common among beginners, juniors, and golfers with arthritis, weak hand strength, or wrist injuries, since none of the fingers are bent into unfamiliar positions.
Strong, neutral, and weak grips
The terms “strong” and “weak” do not refer to how hard a player squeezes the club. They refer to where the hands sit on the handle.
A neutral grip places the hands square to the target. The “V” shapes formed by the thumb and forefinger of each hand point roughly toward the player’s trail shoulder, and a right-handed player typically sees about two knuckles on the back of the lead hand at address.
A strong grip rotates both hands away from the target, so the lead hand sits more on top of the club. Three knuckles become visible on the lead hand. This grip tends to close the clubface at impact and produces a draw or, when overdone, a hook.
A weak grip rotates both hands toward the target, with the lead hand more under the club and only one knuckle showing. This grip tends to leave the clubface open at impact and produces a fade or, when overdone, a slice.
None of the three is correct or incorrect on its own. Which one suits a player depends on their swing path and the shot shape they are trying to produce.
Putting grips
On the putting green, players often use grip styles unlike anything seen in the full swing, because the goal shifts from generating power to keeping the putter face stable through a small motion. The common putting grips include the reverse overlap, where the lead-hand index finger rests over the fingers of the trail hand. This is the conventional putting grip and the most widely used.
The cross-handed grip, also called left-hand low for right-handers, places the lead hand below the trail hand on the handle. Jordan Spieth uses this style, and many players adopt it to combat the yips. The claw grip, where the trail hand holds the handle with the fingertips rather than wrapping around it, was popularized on tour by Mark Calcavecchia in 2001, and Tommy Fleetwood is a current user.
Grip vs. grip pressure
These two terms get confused often. The grip refers to the position and connection of the hands, while grip pressure refers to how firmly the player squeezes the club. They affect the swing in different ways.
The most repeated framing comes from Sam Snead, who described ideal grip pressure as holding the club firmly enough that a baby bird could not escape but softly enough that it would not be harmed. On a 1-to-10 scale where 10 is maximum squeeze, coaching guides such as HackMotion’s place that target around 4 to 6. According to HackMotion, gripping too tightly creates forearm tension and limits the wrist’s natural hinge, both of which cost distance and consistency on full shots.
Related Golf Terms
- Greenies — A side bet for hitting the green in regulation on par-3 holes.
- Greenside — The area immediately adjacent to the putting green.
- Green fee — The charge for playing a round of golf at a course.
- Greens in regulation — Reaching the green in the expected number of strokes minus two putts (GIR).
- Green speed — How fast a ball rolls on the putting surface, often measured by a Stimpmeter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the grip the most important fundamental in golf?
Many coaches think so, because it is the only physical link between the player and the club. Bobby Jones called a correct grip “a fundamental necessity in the golf swing,” adding that it was arguably the first necessity, since a player has to hold the club before swinging it.
Which grip is best for beginners?
There is no universal answer, but the ten-finger grip is often easiest for new players because it feels closest to holding a baseball bat. Many beginners switch to an overlap or interlock once their hands strengthen and they want better hand unity.
Do most pros use the overlap or the interlock?
The overlap is more common on the PGA Tour overall, although the interlock has high-profile users, including Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Rory McIlroy.
What does it mean to “regrip” a club?
It means replacing the rubber handle on the club, not changing the way the hands are held. Worn grips lose tackiness and force the player to squeeze harder to keep the club steady.
Sources
- PGA of America. “Golf Dictionary, Glossary and Golf Terms.” Accessed May 2026.
- USGA. “Equipment Rules, Part 2, Rule 4 (Section 3: The Grip).” Accessed May 2026.
- Wikipedia. “Glossary of Golf.” Accessed May 2026.
- Golf Digest. “Interlock? Overlap? We ran a golf grip audit on the entire 2024 PGA Championship field.” May 2024.
- Golf Monthly. “What Methods Do Tour Players Use To Grip The Golf Club?” November 2025.
- HackMotion. “Golf Grip Pressure Points: Key Things You Should Know.” June 2025.
- Foresight Sports. “Types of Golf Grips: The 3 Best Golf Grips Explained.” April 2020.
