Ten-Finger Grip
The ten-finger grip, also called the baseball grip, is a way of holding a golf club in which all ten fingers rest directly on the handle, with no overlapping or interlocking between the hands.
What is a ten-finger grip?
The ten-finger grip is the most straightforward of the three standard ways to hold a golf club. Both hands sit on the handle so that every finger makes contact, and the two hands press together without any finger linking or resting on top of another. That single trait separates it from the interlocking and overlapping grips, which each join the hands by linking the trail-hand pinky with the lead hand.
The name comes from baseball. The arrangement is close to how a batter wraps both hands around a bat, so a golfer who has swung a bat tends to find it familiar right away. It is also the hold most first-timers reach for on their own. Hand a club to someone who has never played, and the ten-finger grip is usually what appears, which is why it turns up so often in beginner instruction.
For a right-handed golfer, the lead hand (the left) sits near the top of the handle, and the trail hand (the right) sits just below it. Because nothing binds the hands together, they keep a bit more independence than they would in the other grips. That freedom is the defining feature of the ten-finger grip, and it shapes both what the grip does well and where it runs into trouble.
How the ten-finger grip works
Picture the two hands stacked on the handle with no gap between them. The lead hand goes on first, near the top; the trail hand settles directly beneath it so the lead-hand index finger and the trail-hand pinky sit snugly side by side. Every finger touches the grip, and the lead thumb runs down the handle where the trail palm can cover it.
What makes the grip behave the way it does is that the fingers stay separate. In an interlocking or overlapping grip, one finger links or laps over the other hand, which ties the two hands into a single working unit. The ten-finger grip skips that connection, so the hands are freer to hinge and rotate on their own. That extra freedom is why the grip is often linked with more wrist action and more clubhead speed for certain players, and also why the hands can drift out of sync if they are not working together.
Ten-finger grip vs. interlocking and overlapping grips
Most people searching for the ten-finger grip are trying to sort out how it differs from the two grips they see more often. The difference comes down to one thing: how the hands connect. The ten-finger grip leaves them separate.
The overlapping grip, also known as the Vardon grip after six-time Open champion Harry Vardon, rests the trail-hand pinky in the groove between the lead hand’s index and middle fingers. The interlocking grip threads that pinky and the lead index finger together.
| Grip | How the hands join | Often suits | Tour use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ten-finger (baseball) | Hands touch, no fingers linked | Beginners, juniors, smaller or weaker hands, arthritis | Rare |
| Overlapping (Vardon) | Trail pinky rests over the lead index/middle gap | Average to larger hands | Most common |
| Interlocking | Trail pinky and lead index finger interlock | Smaller hands | Common |
Linking the hands helps a golfer square the clubface more consistently, which is why the overlapping and interlocking grips dominate professional golf; Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus both built their careers on the interlock. The ten-finger grip goes the other way. It trades a measure of that consistency for a simpler, more comfortable hold that plenty of players find easier to live with.
Who uses the ten-finger grip
The grip is most associated with players who benefit from its simplicity and comfort. Beginners like it because it removes one thing to think about while the rest of the swing is still new. Junior golfers and players with smaller hands often find it easier to get a secure hold when their fingers cannot comfortably reach around to interlock or overlap. Golfers with arthritis or joint pain tend to prefer it too, since the fingers rest naturally side by side instead of being woven together or stretched over the other hand.
It carries a reputation as a beginner-only grip, but that label is not quite accurate. A small number of professionals have won with it, and some older players switch to it to relieve joint strain without giving up much performance.
The reason it stays rare at the top level is control. With nothing tying the hands together, the trail hand can take over during the downswing, which throws off the timing and tends to produce hooks. For a player who keeps the hands moving as a unit, that is manageable; for many, the connected grips make consistency easier to find.
Related Golf Terms
- One-plane swing — A swing where the arms and shoulders move on a single inclined plane.
- Weak grip — A grip rotated toward the target, often promoting a fade.
- Neutral grip — A balanced hand placement that promotes a square clubface.
- Two-plane swing — A swing with a steeper shoulder plane and flatter arm plane.
- Strong grip — A grip rotated away from the target, often used to fight a slice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the ten-finger grip the same as the baseball grip?
Yes. They are two names for the same hold. It is called the baseball grip because the hands sit on the club much as they would on a baseball bat.
Do any professional golfers use the ten-finger grip?
A few. Scott Piercy has won multiple times on the PGA Tour using it, and Hall of Famer Beth Daniel used it across a career with 33 LPGA Tour wins. It remains the least common grip in the professional game.
Why don’t more golfers use the ten-finger grip?
Because the hands are not connected, they can slip out of sync during the swing and let the trail hand dominate, which costs control. Most instructors teach the overlapping or interlocking grip for that reason.
What is the reverse ten-finger grip?
It is a putting variation in which the lead and trail hands swap positions on the handle, with all ten fingers still on the club. Some players feel it gives them steadier control on the greens.
Sources
- Gears Sports. “The Ten Finger Golf Grip: How To + Advantages & Disadvantages.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.gearssports.com/articles/ten-finger-golf-grip/ - Foresight Sports. “Three Common Grips in Golf (with Pros and Cons for Each).” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.foresightsports.com/blogs/golf-tips/the-3-common-grips-in-golf-with-pros-and-cons-for-each - Golfspan. Brendon Elliott, PGA. “10 Finger Golf Grip: Pros, Cons & How-To.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfspan.com/10-finger-golf-grip - Golf Guidebook. “The 10 Finger Golf Grip: What Is It And Which Pros Use It?” Accessed July 2026.
https://golfguidebook.com/the-10-finger-golf-grip/ - Caddie AI. “What Is a 10-Finger Grip in Golf?” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.caddiehq.com/resources/what-is-a-10-finger-grip-in-golf - Golf Distillery. “Benefits of the Vardon, Interlock and Baseball Grip in Golf.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.golfdistillery.com/tweaks/setup/grip/grip-type/ - ESPN. “Piercy’s grip good enough for victory.” Accessed July 2026.
https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/8212387/scott-piercy-grip-good-enough-victory-canadian-open
