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How to Grip a Golf Club: Overlap, Interlock or Ten-Finger, the Knuckle Check and How Hard to Squeeze

Learning how to grip a golf club properly is the cheapest improvement in the game. The grip is the only contact you have with the club, so the angle of your hands at address largely decides where the clubface points at impact. A grip that is turned too far one way or the other will produce a slice or a hook however good the rest of the swing is. This page explains the three standard grips, how to build a neutral grip in five steps, the knuckle and "V" checks a coach will use, how tightly to hold on, and how to adjust the grip if your ball curves.

Everything below is written for a right-handed golfer. If you play left-handed, swap left and right throughout. Your lead hand is the one at the top of the handle (left for a right-hander); your trail hand sits below it.

The three standard grips

All three grips put the hands on the club in the same basic position. The difference is only in how the two hands are joined, which changes how they work together.

The overlapping grip

Also called the Vardon grip, after the Jersey-born six-time Open champion Harry Vardon who popularised it around the turn of the 20th century. The little finger of the trail hand rests on top of the gap between the index and middle fingers of the lead hand. It is the most common grip among tour players and suits golfers with average or larger hands, because it takes one finger off the handle and stops the stronger trail hand from taking over.

The interlocking grip

The little finger of the trail hand slides between the index and middle fingers of the lead hand and the lead index finger wraps over it, so the two hands are physically locked together. Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy all use it. It suits smaller hands and shorter fingers and gives a secure, unified feel. Some golfers find it pushes the club too far into the palms, so check that the handle still sits in the fingers.

The ten-finger grip

Sometimes called the baseball grip. All ten fingers sit on the handle, with the trail little finger simply touching the lead index finger. It gives the most leverage and is often the right starting point for juniors, golfers with arthritis or reduced hand strength, and anyone who finds the other two uncomfortable. The trade-off is that the hands can work more independently, which can make the clubface harder to control.

There is no correct grip for everyone. Try each for a bucket of balls at a driving range or practice area and keep the one that feels secure without tension.

How to build a neutral grip in five steps

1. Let the club rest on the ground with the face square. Stand tall and let the lead arm hang naturally. The leading edge of the clubface should point straight at your target.
2. Place the handle in the lead hand's fingers, not the palm. The grip runs diagonally from the base of the little finger to the middle joint of the index finger. Close the fingers, then fold the hand over so the heel pad sits on top of the handle.
3. Check the lead thumb. It should sit just to the right of centre on the handle, not straight down the front.
4. Add the trail hand. Again in the fingers. The lifeline of the trail palm covers the lead thumb, and the trail thumb sits just left of centre. Join the hands with your chosen overlap, interlock or ten-finger connection.
5. Run the checks below, then waggle the club a few times. It should feel like you could swing it without either hand slipping.

The knuckle and "V" checks

Coaches judge whether a grip is neutral, strong or weak with two simple checks you can do yourself while looking down at address.

• Knuckles on the lead hand: two to two and a half knuckles visible is a neutral grip. One or none means the hand is turned too far left (weak). Three or four means it is turned too far right (strong).
• The "V" shapes: the crease formed between thumb and index finger on each hand should point roughly between your chin and your trail shoulder. If the Vs point at your lead shoulder the grip is weak; if they point well outside your trail shoulder it is strong.

Strong, weak and neutral: what each does to the ball

A grip is a starting setting, not a moral choice. Plenty of good players use a slightly strong grip on purpose. What matters is that it matches the rest of your swing.

If you fight a slice, turning both hands a little to the right (stronger) is often the quickest fix, and it pairs well with the swing changes in our page on how to hit a driver straight. If you hook it, turn them slightly left. Move in small amounts: a quarter of a knuckle makes a visible difference.

How tightly should you hold the club?

Lighter than most people think. A common coaching cue is a scale of one to ten, where ten is as hard as you can squeeze: aim for about four to five. Sam Snead's often-quoted image was to hold the club as if holding a small bird, firmly enough that it cannot fly away but not so firmly that you hurt it. Too tight locks the wrists and forearms, kills clubhead speed and usually leaves the face open. Too loose and the club twists in your hands on off-centre strikes. Grip pressure tends to creep up under pressure on the first tee, so check it again just before you take the club back.

Common grip mistakes

• Holding it in the palms. Palms restrict wrist hinge and cost distance. Keep the handle in the fingers, especially in the lead hand.
• A gap between the hands. The hands should touch. A gap lets them work against each other.
• The trail thumb pressing down the front. It encourages the trail hand to dominate. Let the thumb sit slightly to the left side of the handle.
• Re-gripping at the top. If your hands loosen and grab again at the top of the swing, the pressure at address is probably too light or the club is sitting in the palm.
• Worn grips. Shiny, hard rubber slips and makes you squeeze harder. Our golf grips guide covers when to replace them and which size suits your hands.

The putting grip is different

Putting grips are a separate subject because the aim is the opposite: to quieten the wrists rather than hinge them. Most golfers use a reverse overlap, where the lead index finger lies over the fingers of the trail hand, and many use the palms more than in the full swing. Cross-handed (lead hand low), the claw and arm-lock styles are all legal. What is not allowed is anchoring: under Rule 10.1b of the Rules of Golf, in force since 2016, you may not anchor the club against your body, either directly or by using a forearm as an anchor point. Our page on how to read a green covers the rest of the putting basics.

Practising your grip

A new grip feels wrong for the first few sessions, which is why most golfers give up on it too soon. Practise taking your grip at home in front of a mirror for a few minutes a day, then hit half-shots with a short iron before moving to full swings. If you are starting out, a lesson is worth more than any video; our page on golf lessons for beginners explains what a first session covers. When you are ready to try it on the course, the Valley Course at Lullingstone Park is a relaxed place to test it without holding up a full round.

Sources: R&A Rules of Golf, Rule 10: preparing for and making a stroke (anchoring).