Overlap grip vs. Interlock

gllama

I've always used an overlap grip, it just feels more natural to me. However, I have also always struggled with pulling or hooking my irons and wedges (especially my wedges).
So, during my last round and after a terrible pull with my sand wedge from 90 yards (we're talking 30 feet or more), I decided to try the interlock grip. From then on, nearly every iron and wedge shot was almost straight. I haven't hit wedges that close in years.

My question is, can an overlap grip promote an over-active right hand, causing pulls and hooks? Does an interlock grip help keep the right hand quiet?

The results after switching to interlock were pretty dramatic. But the grip feels really awkward.

Any thoughts?

Eguller

gllama My question is, can an overlap grip promote an over-active right hand, causing pulls and hooks? Does an interlock grip help keep the right hand quiet?

In my experience, it 'coordinates' or unifies the hands more - in essence, calming the dominate right hand.
Due to hand surgeries, I've had to use several different grips just to play. Just go with the flow. For grins,
try a double overlap like Jim F. Don't be afraid to experiment. 🏌

fatshot

gllama

Interesting.....every 3-4 years or so, I go through that same "overlap vs. interlock" debate with myself (I pull the ball as well). Maybe it's time to revisit it.....Trouble is I have large hands (XXL glove), and interlocking with my big fingers just makes the grip feel wierd. But, if it worked for the likes of Gene Sarazen, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods, I suppose it's worth looking into again....

gllama

Eguller That makes sense to me. I'm definitely right hand dominate. Combine that with my in to out swing path and I never see the right side of a green or fairway. I need to try the interlock with my driver. But man, it feels strange...

darpar

Who knew Harrington gave video golf lessons?
This might be the best explanation of the grip I've seen, especially the part about
putting pressure down on top of the lead thumb.

Eguller

darpar Who knew Harrington gave video golf lessons?

Yep. And, there are a number on YouTube. Nice, basic, no nonsense videos. 👍

Rickochet

I have used the interlocking grip since I started playing in 1961. Someone told me that was how to grip the club so I stuck with it. I have tried overlapping but could never get comfortable with it. I do use a 10 finger grip when I pee. 😜

Taki27

Rickochet Like Rickochet, I have also used the interlocking since I started (1988) and an overlap grip feels weird. Unfortunately, I get occasional finger pain now that i am an AARPy, so I may give it a try. I am only an 8 finger grip when I pee 😞

azgreg

Don't forget the 10 finger grip.

gllama

azgreg I have tried the 10 finger grip but just exaggerates my dominant right hand which means more Hookies.

rsvman2

Interlocking not only feels weird, but it hurts, for me. I have used overlap forever, with a season here or there of ten-finger.
I have never used interlock and I never will.

johnnydoom

I have short fat fingers. I just can’t get comfortable enough with the interlocking grip to give it a long term try. Overlap for me or I don’t feel like I have enough contact with the grip.

gllama

johnnydoom That’s my problem, too. I feel like the club will go flying. It doesn’t feel solid. But damn, I hit the ball straighter with the interlock.

Dufferman

I am a long time baseballer, so 10 finger it is for me! I have tried overlap/interlock but it just feels wrong and if you don't feel comfortable in golf, the results will show it.

I did for a while tinker with an overlap grip on the driver, and will occasionally give it a go. For some reason the overlap on the driver doesn't feel as awkward as it does with irons.

Typhoon

I have never been able to go from overlap to interlock with my driver. It puts too much stress on my fingers in the “interlock”.

I did however years ago switch my irons from overlap to interlock because I was hooking them. It worked but it worked because the weird feeling had me more tentative and I sort of steered the ball in instead of swinging. I stuck with it for a few years but as I started swinging harder, my fingers would hurt. Went back to overlap( like my driver) and picked up ball speed and comfort immediately. I’ve stuck with it.

All in all the hooking problem was the upright lie angle when swinging normally.

darpar

Took a while for my right pinky finger to "adjust', but interlock has been my
grip of choice for the last couple years......just feels a little more secure now.

mulegolf

Sounds like I'm the opposite to most of you. I have almost always used the in interlocking grip but I tried to change to overlapping. I couldn't do it. It felt weird as expected but it also felt like the club was going to go flying right out of my hands when I would swing the club. I had no confidence in it at all. I used to use the baseball grip with my woods and the interlocking with the irons but gravitated to all interlocking before long and that's what I've been using for the last 35-40 years. Every few years I need to go back and watch the Ken Venturi tapes on playing golf. There is one (of the 8) that deals specifically with the grip that always gets me back in proper position. I may have to quit watching those because they are on old VCR tapes and I don't have a working VCR player any longer. Venturi was always the pro that made the most sense to me in his description of the mechanics of the game.

bogeypro

This is probably more of a criticism of my starting-to-be arthritic hands & fingers but using an interlock grip used to give me a lot of pain & discomfort in the right pinkie ... I'm RH. The overlap grip was much more comfortable & I think it helps me play better. Being right hand dominant I tend to hold the face open, so I not only bring the right side into play, not only the whole adjacent hole on the right, but also the adjacent ZIP code.

Overlap allows me to take my RH pinkie off the grip & I like to touch my RH index finger tip to my RH thumb tip, I've heard this referred to as a trigger grip. Only RH fingers on the grip are middle finger, ring finger, and my RH thumb pad. I get the feeling my right hand is pushing the grip while my left hand is pulling and, yes, sometimes my right hand almost comes off the grip but that's when I release the club the best.

KCee

Interesting reading this as years ago I switched from interlock to overlap to stop hooking the ball. Double overlap like Furyk and I can't get the ball going left to save my life.

Every so often I will switch to interlock just to try to get out of some rut of swinging badly. I don't know if it's the surgeries I've had on my hands, but interlock is kind of uncomfortable now and I don't think I could go a whole round using it.

Typhoon

KCee I think as we get older we lose pinky power and they end up hurting.

KCee

Typhoon I think it is just old age. I've surgery on my left hand and right wrist and both get achy at times especially in the winter. I went from standard grips to midsize when I was fighting the hooks and then dropped down to +1/32" or so, but now thinking of going back to midsize just for comfort. Sucks getting old.