How to Hold a Golf Club: The Correct Way (and how to Grip a Golf Club)

American golfer Ben Hogan once said, "Good golf begins with a good grip," and yet how to grip a golf club is one of the most overlooked fundamental parts of the golf swing. The golf grip is the only physical connection between you and the golf club, so hand position can and ultimately will determine the outcome of your swing.

While there is certainly not a single “perfect golf grip” because of how much each player’s body type varies, some pointers dealing with your lead hand, trail hand, and left and right shoulder can eliminate some bad habits and help maximize your swing path potential, leading to a more desirable golf ball flight and overall improvements in your golf game.

The best golf grip, meaning the one that is the most correct grip for you, will allow you to shoot more straight, solid shots, because the grip controls the position of the clubface at impact. The procedures outlined are specifically geared for the right-handed golfer, so for lefties, simply reverse the procedures.

These basic proper golf grip methods are appropriate for the novice golfers looking for the correct way to grip a golf club, as well as the seasoned golfer who needs a regular grip tune-up or wants to experiment with different grips.

The Three Traditional Types of Golf Grips

For those on a golf course for the first time, there are three basic grips that are usually experimented with before finding the perfect golf grip for them: the Vardon grip, the interlocking grip and the baseball grip.

‌The Vardon Grip‌: The Vardon grip, or overlap grip, is the most widely used grip for beginners and a lot of PGA Tour pros. In the Vardon grip, both hands are joined through the right pinky finger, which lies on top of the area between the left index finger and left middle finger.

‌The Interlocking Grip‌: The interlocking grip uses a similar set up as the Vardon grip, with both hands joining through the right pinkie finger and the left index finger. In the interlocking grip, however, those two fingers cross instead of the right pinkie finger sitting on top of the left index finger.

‌The Baseball Grip‌: The baseball grip, or 10-finger grip, is another grip commonly used by beginner and junior golfers, especially those with small hands and little fingers. For this style of grip, the left hand is placed first at the end of the club, with the right hand immediately below it, as you would if you were holding a baseball bat.

An important golf tip to remember is that understanding grip pressure is essential to perfecting your grip and producing a good golf shot. While you don’t want a weak grip, a strong grip can tense your muscles and negatively impact your backswing and downswing. On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being the strongest, use a grip pressure of about three or four.