# Grip: Vardon V.S Interlocking



## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

Morning all.

As above. Is there a reason to choose one over the other?

As an indicator of hand size, I wear a medium large FJ glove and have a hand span of 207mm (Just over 8")

Any opinions, as always welcome :thup:


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## patricks148 (Feb 23, 2012)

I used the interlocking up untill a few weeks ago. Now using the Vardon, more control and i bit more power.
Still struggle with the driver with it, not the results just feels funny.

I saw a bit about grips used by pro's on sky while watching a couple of weeks ago, then discussed it with a few guys in our group and they all used the vardon. All cat 1 golfers and told me to give it a try.

I started with the interlocking just bec iy felt natural.


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## Aztecs27 (Feb 23, 2012)

Interlocking. Tried the Vardon at the range t'other day and it was ok, but would probably take time to get used to and I'm paranoid about changing too much as I'm swinging the club ok at the minute!


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## sona (Feb 23, 2012)

I use the Vardon now, my Pro changed it saying that I was getting too much tension in my forearms with the interlock.


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## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

Thanks for the replies gents :thup:

I suppose what I'm asking is how do the different grips affect the swing, if at all?


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## StrangelyBrown (Feb 23, 2012)

I use a Vardon grip. Just feels comfier.


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## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

StrangelyBrown said:



			I use a Vardon grip. Just feels comfier.
		
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So is grip (Vardon, interlocking, baseball etc) more about feel rather than function?


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## bobmac (Feb 23, 2012)

If someone tells you one is wrong, don't listen to them, especially if they say interlock is wrong


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## DaveM (Feb 23, 2012)

Think you will find. The interlocking makes you a bit more handsy. Where as the vardon firms the wrists up more. Also golfers with small hands tend to use the interlocking, as there is less stretch with the lower hand wrap over.


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## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

bobmac said:



			If someone tells you one is wrong, don't listen to them, especially if they say interlock is wrong
		
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Why so Bob?

I currently use the interlocking grip so I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.


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## JT77 (Feb 23, 2012)

this is what I find, maybe diff for others.
Interlocking grip gives me a more neutral grip, overlap I have a much stronger left hand.
Interlock = bad shot is a slice, overlap = better release but bad shot is a hook, a very destructive snapper!! 
Like I say, just what I find I do.
Just out of interest, my hand span is similar to yours, maybe a touch bigger, but I use a mens small glove, tight fit, but then thats what I was told to do. Do you not find the larger glove is baggy or becomes loose?


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## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

JT77 said:



			this is what I find, maybe diff for others.
Interlocking grip gives me a more neutral grip, overlap I have a much stronger left hand.
Interlock = bad shot is a slice, overlap = better release but bad shot is a hook, a very destructive snapper!! 
Like I say, just what I find I do.
Just out of interest, my hand span is similar to yours, maybe a touch bigger, but I use a mens small glove, tight fit, but then thats what I was told to do. Do you not find the larger glove is baggy or becomes loose?
		
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I wear a medium large glove JT, for the reasons you prescribe (tight fit)

I tried a large but it wasn't tight and , as you say, felt baggy and loose and had to keep adjusting it (pulling on) as the wrist closer felt loose.


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## bobmac (Feb 23, 2012)

bobmac said:



			If someone tells you one is wrong, don't listen to them, especially if they say interlock is wrong
		
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Gareth said:



			Why so Bob?
		
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As long as you can control the club face, any grip will do.

Here's a short list of golfers who interlock...

Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
Luke Donald


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## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

bobmac said:



			As long as you can control the club face, any grip will do.

Here's a short list of golfers who interlock...

Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
Luke Donald
		
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So, as I said to Strangleys reply. Is the grip more about comfort or function?

Or to put it another way. Does the grip have any bearing on clubface control, if so can changing help?


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## bobmac (Feb 23, 2012)

If it's comfortable and returns the club face to the ball in a consistent and controlled way then don't fix it.

I seem to remember yours is quite strong ?


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## Monty_Brown (Feb 23, 2012)

bobmac said:



			As long as you can control the club face, any grip will do.

Here's a short list of golfers who interlock...

Jack Nicklaus
Tiger Woods
Luke Donald
		
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So a 66% chance of becoming a major winner with the interlocking eh?

Bob out of interest, does PGA teaching on grip evolve much? I suspect now that the advice is to try them out and see what suits the player, but when I was being taught in the late 80s and early 90s, all of us juniors had a Vardon grip and that was what we were taught. Is that just coincidence and the preference of one teacher, or was the Vardon the default teaching option at that time?

I do feel the interlocking quietens excessive wrist action down, which is a fault of mine, but it's too damn uncomfortable for me to adopt full time. I like the feel I get from Vardon... best to stick with what I've got?


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## bobmac (Feb 23, 2012)

So a 66% chance of becoming a major winner with the interlocking eh?
		
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I was thinking more along the lines of 
Current World no.1
Recent World no.1
Passed World no.1

When I learned I think the trend was to interlock ala Jack.
It then shifted to the Vardon for a while 
But now, it's take your pick.
The PGA don't recommend either


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## Monty_Brown (Feb 23, 2012)

bobmac said:



			I was thinking more along the lines of 
Current World no.1
Recent World no.1
Passed World no.1
		
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Well when you put it like that!

I've always been surprised why so many top modern players seem to interlock. Tiger for example is a big strapping lad... would his interlock be a result of learning to grip the club when he was about 2?


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## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

bobmac said:



			If it's comfortable and returns the club face to the ball in a consistent and controlled way then don't fix it.

I seem to remember yours is quite strong ?
		
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Yes Bob you're quite right. As a guide I see 2 knuckles of the left had at address.

With a Vardon grip my left hand faces a little more towards the target (weaker?).


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## thecraw (Feb 23, 2012)

Just baseball it!


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## One Planer (Feb 23, 2012)

thecraw said:



			Just baseball it!
		
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If I do this will I have to wear 2 gloves a la Tommy Gainey???


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## HomerJSimpson (Feb 23, 2012)

Got taught the interlocking as a kid and stuck with it. Had various spells of trying the Vardon but never really felt comfy with it and always reverted to type. My grip is strong and the pro is happy with that for now as I try and get to grips with the one plane swing we're working on but he thinks it could be more neutral in time. I have to say, all we're working in is controlling the clubface at impact and turning - not spinning the hips and the results are very good so the strong grip isn't an issue


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## USER1999 (Feb 23, 2012)

I used to baseball, and was happy with it.

Then I started wondering if I had a strong/weak grip, and all this how many knuckles showing made no sense to me at all. So I bought a Leadbetter training grip for a spare 6i. But you can't base ball with it, as it is not long enough. So I changed to interlocking. But this felt like I was trying to break my fingers, so I changed to an over lapping style, which I have stuck with.

Any of them did the job on the course though.


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## garyinderry (Feb 24, 2012)

i use baseball. have mucked about trying to change it but dont see a real need to. im motoring along nicely.


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## Wolfman (Feb 24, 2012)

I was taught vardon and have medium / large hands in glove size.

In my experimental days tried the baseball grip and interlocking but didnt get on at all

My biggest probelm was not my left hand but my right hand

Trying to stop my right hand turning clockwise ( sort of under the grip ) and right hand thumb sitting on the top of the grip was very very hard but after buying those training club grips and placing my hands on it over many days i have now sorted it.

I think we all know the importance of the lead hand but i think the other hand is often overlooked

Best time in the year to see your grip faults is summer without a glove on, when your hands are a tad sweaty it really shows if your grip is breaking down in the swing.

When the grip is correct the grip pressure can be more relaxed and you still maintain a good grip of the club.


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## connor (Feb 24, 2012)

im in the middle of trying to change from the baseball.. just quick question is the vardonleft index finger ontop of right pinky rested on top?

ive tried the interlock and its uncomfortable after a few balls


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## bignev (Feb 24, 2012)

Im a baseball grip man. Have smallish hands and have a 
few problems with my finger "broke a few playing hockey".
Started using interlock but it hurt and found baseball comfortable
so stuck with it.


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## Foxholer (Feb 24, 2012)

connor said:



			im in the middle of trying to change from the baseball.. just quick question is the vardonleft index finger ontop of right pinky rested on top?

ive tried the interlock and its uncomfortable after a few balls
		
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Check this out.

http://golf.about.com/cs/golfterms/g/bldef_vardongri.htm

I'm a Vardon guy having started baseball style. Interlocking didn't feel comfortable with no power and actually hurt after a few swings.

Interlock for putting though.


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## leaney (Feb 24, 2012)

My pro tries to teach pupils to use the Vardon grip where possible. 

Most of the pro's on tour use the Vardon grip but Tiger uses Interlocking, so both are probably as good as each other.

I use the Vardon as I the Interlocking grip felt too weak for me.


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## Captain_Black (Feb 24, 2012)

Vardon for me.
I find the interlocking grip hurts my fingers after a few holes & creates to much tension in my forearms & it causes me to grip the club too tight.


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## Whee (Feb 25, 2012)

I interlock, changed it mid-round one day when I first started getting out on the course. I was struggling controlling the club with vardon, so the lad who was giving me pointers showed me how to interlock, despite using vardon himself. I've got small hands though (it doens't mean anything!) and I find it really comfortable. 

Easy to control how tight you're gripping as well. I wear a ring on my left middle finger, and when i'm swinging on the range or in the garden, I leave it on and I can tell if i'm gripping too tight, because it hurts my right small finger.

As long as I get the club back nicely, and all the way through the ball going relatively straight, i'm happy.


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## Region3 (Feb 25, 2012)

connor said:



			just quick question is the vardonleft index finger ontop of right pinky rested on top?
		
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It's right pinky resting in the crease (and on top) between left first and second finger.......... unless I'm doing it wrong.

What you describe is reverse overlap, which lots of players (me included) use as a putting grip.


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