I'm thinking of switching from interlock to overlap or a baseball grip. I have trouble bringing the club face square at the ball and i'm wondering if the other two grips would help me do that. Has anyone had any success switching grips? Thanks.

Don't do a baseball grip. That's my only input.

I changed from interlock to overlap and tried it for a couple of rounds. I could never get comfortable with it so I changed it back to interlock.

I went from interlock to overlap a few years ago. It helps me keep a looser grip and has allowed me to hold the club in the fingers more than the palm of my hands.

Baseball grip? Not sure if serious.

I didn't change the type of grip, but I did mess with the strength/weakness of my grip last year when I was dealing with some club face issues.

I tried the overlap a couple of times and just couldn't get it to feel right.

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Baseball grip? Not sure if serious.

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What in my post gave you any inclination that I was not serious?

Baseball gripper here. I'm a 6 handicap so I don't think it's killing me too much, especially since it's really my short game costing me most of those strokes. Didn't take up golf until after HS, which was after many many years of baseball so the baseball grip was the only thing that didn't feel crazy. After 10-12 years of playing, I did switch to overlap for about a year, but my game actually suffered a little from it so I switched back. It's rare, but there have been some tour players that have used the baseball grip. I think Bob Estes was one of them.

[This message has been edited by DannyDuberstein (edited 3/8/2012 2:36p).]

I'm willing to play with any and all parts of my game including grip. I started interlock and have tried baseball and traditional overlap.

I'm actually using a grip of my own creation now. I essentially use a stronger version of my putting grip. I'm a righty and I overlap my left index on top of the groove between my right ring and pinkie fingers. My right ring finger was severely broken about 5 years ago and that probably played a role in leading me to my current grip.

My opinion is a "natural" feel can be developed with enough repetition on almost anything. I don't think you should worry about what feels natural. Worry about what works.

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Baseball grip? Not sure if serious.

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There have been pros that have used a 10 finger grip, although I can't think of any famous pros that used it off the top of my head. I'm sure there have been a few though. It seems to me that a baseball grip would encourage proper release of the club, but possible at the expense of one had dominating the other. To me this could be the most powerful grip, however and the expense of as much of a loss in accuracy. That's just my opinion. to me, it seems it would be easier to manipulate the club (a bad thing in golf) with a baseball grip as your hands will cover a slightly larger area on the shaft.

The interlocking grip is probably best for someone that has smaller hands (ie women). It does a great job of fusing the hands together. Nicklaus and Woods have used an interlocking grip. I'm not sure about Woods, but look at any picture of Jack Nicklaus not holding a golf club and just look at his hands. They're tiny. They're porportionally smaller than an average person. The only drawback as that it can lead to you holding the club too much in the palms. I've tried it on the driving range a few times and didn't care for how it felt.

The overlapping or Vardon grip is by far the most popular among pros. It encourages you to hold the club in the fingers and joins the hands as one unit working together better than a baseball grip, but probably not as well as an interlocking. Harry Vardon, the golfer that gave the grip it's namesake (I don't think he was the first to use it though) had huge hands with very long fingers resembling cigars. My understanding was that that was the primary reason he used it.

Interesting cstew. I have large hands with longer fingers. I also have a weak right wrist due to losing a bone in it. Sounds like if I try anything it should be the overlapping grip.

I went from interlock to overlap a few years ago and didn't get any worse (~ fluctuate from 12-15 hcp).

So if not getting worse is a 'successful' change, then yes.

Make sure it is actually a grip problem before you do it.

Im sorry. I 03killag, I thought you just said it out of frustration. My bad.

For what its worth, Bob Estes did use that grip for a while and win with it. But he does not anymore and only did for a short time. I have never met or heard of a any good player amateur or pro other than Estes using a baseball grip. I doubt that will ever change.

[This message has been edited by agsalaska (edited 3/8/2012 4:08p).]

Beth Daniel used it, and she was a great player - and kind of a man.

List I found just googling around and found some others:
Bob Estes
Bob Rosburg (PGA winner)
Dave Barr
Beth Daniel
Art Wall (Masters winner)


[This message has been edited by Jimmie Dimmick (edited 3/8/2012 4:24p).]

Harvey Penick reflects in one of his books that, in retrospect, he should have reccomended the baseball grip to many more of his students. Believe he goes so far as to say a large majority of female golfers should use the grip, as the increase in power generally offsets any loss of control, as long as the right hand doesn't take over the swing. Also, especially as you get older, a lot of guys might benefit from it to.

I can't see changing from the Vardon -- but based on Penick's opinion I may very well consider a baseball grip at some point. Do not think it should be automatically dismissed as a crazy idea.

Agree. I don't think it should be dismissed as crazy either, especially for those with weaker hands or other hand issues.

To Troutsline's point, I do think other aspects of your swing should be analyzed because there is a very good chance it's a flaw that will surface regardless of grip, but if you aren't someone with strong hands, the 10 finger is something that could potentially help square the face.

[This message has been edited by Jimmie Dimmick (edited 3/8/2012 4:26p).]

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Do not think it should be automatically dismissed as a crazy idea.

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I would. I can see it for someone who is very new to the game or someone with very slow swing speeds. But usually there is a reason that 99.9% of a group does not do something a certain way. And it would be really rare for you to find success in the .1%.

I dont know the OP from Adam so its probably not for me to say. But I am assuming he can get thru 18 holes and has a normal swing speed.

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To Troutsline's point, I do think other aspects of your swing should be analyzed because there is a very good chance it's a flaw that will surface regardless of grip

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BINGO!!!!

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But usually there is a reason that 99.9% of a group does not do something a certain way. And it would be really rare for you to find success in the .1%

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This. You may never be as good as a pro, but you're doing yourself a disservice if you don't emulate them in any way that you reasonably can.

I'm certainly no pro nor a great coach, but i've found, while at the range that when I switch to the baseball I feel a lot stronger coming through the ball, but I tend to push everything left. If I find that the overlap has helped square the face, what are some consequences that something else was in fact lacking and now my new grip is just substituting?

For the most part, but there are some things where you may be doing yourself a disservice to emulate a pro. Also, PGA pro's aren't generally guys with weak-assed hands (not saying the OP is, but when you don't have the physical traits of a PGA player, there are sometimes alternatives that are a better fit and shouldn't be ignored).

What about just strengthening your current grip (rotate your hands clockwise)? Have you tried that? Since you use interlock, that one does tend to shove the club more into the palms (weaker), so maybe using overlap and strengthening your grip might help.


[This message has been edited by Jimmie Dimmick (edited 3/8/2012 4:47p).]

Jimmie, i have, but i've also found that changing to the baseball or the overlap that it automatically creates a stronger grip without the awkwardness.

I'm certainly not saying this is the magical change I need to shoot par, but more of a general question to see if it's helped others.

I was hitting tons of balls left, so I weakened my grip up considerably and now its stopped the left misses. Helped me alot, especially with iron play.

Not surprised. Was actually editing my post while you were responding, and you're right that an interlock grip is difficult to strengthen since it's natural tendency is to shove the club more into your palm, so I can understand the other two working better for you in that regard.

[This message has been edited by Jimmie Dimmick (edited 3/8/2012 4:46p).]

03ki11erAG:
My guess would be that you need to strengthen your grip -- i.e. turn over your left hand.

Put on a golf glove, grab a club, and place it like you're about to hit a ball. Where is the logo of your golf glove pointing? I'm guessing it's pointed toward your target. Now let go of the club, turn your left hand to the right so that you can see most of the logo, and then grip the club.

While adjusting, you'll likely hit some shots fat and some low pull-hooks. But with a strong left hand, it's pretty damn hard to not be square (or closed) through impact. Obviously, you'll have to mess with it on the range.

And as stated above, and the best option, see a pro who can look at your swing, stance, and grip for recommendations.

[This message has been edited by nickel (edited 3/8/2012 4:51p).]

There is a lot of merit to emmulating a pro...and granted 99.9% of them don't baseball it! If you objective in golf is to get to that level, or more likely just to play scratch or singal digit HCAP, odds are you are doing yourself a disservice with anything but a tradition grip. I don't disagree with that.

Your objective to play in the 10-15 HCAP range into your 60's, or you have weak hand issues and just want to get respectable on the course? I don't think the baseball is crazy in the least. I would consider trying it.

I use the overlap grip. Have my whole life. It allows for a lot of flexibility in the strength or weakness of a grip(for better or worse.) I am not comfortable with an interlocking grip for that reason.

03Killerag-You asked a question earlier that I wanted to address. You asked, and I paraphrase, what would be wrong if a baseball grip fixed another flaw. It depends on what the flaw is but I will give you an example. I occasionalyt get too strong of a grip, especially with my driver. Stronger grip means lighter club and I will work my way there a couple of times a year. I will, almost overnight, begin pullhooking drivers and long irons. I cant for the life of me fix it on the course even though it sounds like ti would be easy. My compnsation for it is to clear my body earlier and have my hands come thru late(possibly what you do right now.) That straightens the ball out more or less but is hard to be consistent. So I have two choices, try to learn the timing with the two flaws or just fix my grip. I play enough to where I probably could but its a lot easier to hit 92 balls and get it right.

But, to your point, thats how flaws become normal in swings. Like Tommy Gainey or Jim Furyk. For them there flaw really isnt. Its normal. Changing them would create flaws to their swing.

Went from baseball to interlock a few years ago. Took me about a week to feel comfortable. Best thing I have ever done for my game. Baseball grip is the worst thing ever.

If you're just having problems with getting the face square to the ball, you might just want to try rotating your bottom hand one way or the other depending on if the face is too open or closed. I doubt this is "the right way" but it could be a quick and easy fix

I have changed my grip twice based on pro's advice, inter-lock>>>overlap>>>interlock.
Each time I had it ingrained in about ten days. I took a broken club and cut it off leaving just the grip. I held it with the new grip constantly while watching tv, reading, or whatever. It just became natural.

Started with the baseball grip 8 years ago when I first started playing after years of playing baseball. Went to the interlock within a year of playing. Uses that until summer before last because I was very strong with my right hand and began rolling over and hitting pull duck hooks, so I went to the overlap and it helped tremendously. Just recently went back to the interlock a few months ago and my scores have dropped and my swing ha gotten more consistent. I think the improvement has more to do with focusing on hitting the ball and slowing down now that something in the swing has changed and less on the change in my grip. My philosophy is, if something is going bad, don't try and force it over and over again, try something different. More than likely it is a flaw in my swing, but when I change the grip, it helps force me to slow down and just make good contact

Not to rehash what's already been said, but if you're having success with the overlap, just go with that. I can't think of any reason to favor a baseball grip over it.

I think you should just use the grip that feels best. I wouldn't worry about statistics on who uses what.

However, like many of said before, the baseball or 10 finger grip isn't used by very many great players.

My theory on the golf swing is that no two swings will look alike, however all swings of great players have certain things in common whether it be Adam Scott or Jim Furyk.

They all have the club on plane at impact making good contact with the ball, and their downswing starts from the ground up.

That's just my two cents.