GETTING A GRIP

“My teenage son has been playing golf for nearly a year now and still grips the club with a 10-fingered grip, which does seem to cause him to close the clubface down with his right hand at impact. To help improve his game, I would like to steer him towards either an overlapping or interlocked grip. Which one would be best?” Darren Nichols Hornsby, NSW

The overlap grip is used by more than 90 percent of Tour players and a vast majority of amateurs worldwide. It is also known as the Vardon grip, named after Harry Vardon, who was the first player to win major championships using an overlap grip.

In the overlap grip (pictured below), both hands are connected with the right pinky finger (for righthanders) sitting on the depression between the left index and middle fingers. The interlocking grip, as the name suggests, sees the hands connected with the right pinky finger and the left index finger crossing over each other, which secures one hand to the other. This is the grip used by Jack Nicklaus, Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods.

The grip your son should use depends on two things … the size of his hands and which of the two grip-types feels most comfortable.

Most kids start with the 10-finger or baseball grip like your son and then progress to either the overlap or interlock.

The interlock grip (inset above) is useful for golfers with smaller than average hands and fingers. An overlap grip does require long fingers so the little finger can wrap around the index finger enough to be a solid anchor. If the pinky finger is not long and strong enough, the right hand can move during the swing.

Spend some time on the range hitting shots with both grips and see which one produces the best results and is comfortable for your son.