Can a change of grip make a difference to your golf

[richart]

Have used a Vardon (Overlapping grip) for over 30 years since i was a nipper. This was the grip all pro's seemed to teach back in the 70's.

Came back to the game a couple of years ago, and have been struggling to get back to anything like my old game. Read an article that Paul Casey had changed to an interlocking grip and thought i would give it a try. I seem to remember Jack Nicklaus uses one.

Initially i struggled to remember to use it and the first few rounds i was using both grips. It didn't feel that uncomfortable and now i use it all the time i am sure it has made a big difference.

Handicap which was heading towards 13 has now come down to 9.8 in the last two rounds. Both gross 75's, my previous best since my return to the game was 81 ! I did think the first one was a fluke but two in a row ?

It may be the grip, or the confidence it has given me, or something else that fell into place without me knowing, that has led to the improvement. I do know that if i now try and swing with the old Vardon grip it feels like my hands are working separately rather than together. My right hand almost seems to be coming off the club.

Interested to know if anyone else changed golf grip, or has thought about doing so. What is the most common golf grip on the forum ?

Please no non related grip jokes, we have all heard then before !!!

 

[19th]

I have not changed from my old fashioned overlap grip but I have, in the last two rounds, reduced the strength of grip I was using by at least 25%. Result....drives longer and down the middle, irons...longer and finding the greens, putting ....crap! (sorry Bob, lost it when I went on holiday!)

I do feel therefore that a change of grip will greatly impact on your play given time to settle in but this could be in a bad way as well as, in your case, a positive way. It is, when all is said and done, the only connection we have between us and the ball.

 

[RGDave]

I do feel therefore that a change of grip will greatly impact on your play given time to settle in but this could be in a bad way as well as, in your case, a positive way. It is, when all is said and done, the only connection we have between us and the ball.

A*

There's more than one way to hold a club/bat/cue/racket in any sport. Finding the best way by luck seems more unlikely than likely to me. What I would say though is that which ever technique you employ, make it the best you can.

 

[birdieman]

I did the same as you at start of 2007, changed to interlocking from the Vardon. Now if I try and overlap I can't keep my right hand on the club either.
I think I'm a little better of a player for changing.
Whatever feels comfy, both are ok but no baseball grips please.
Nicklaus and Woods interlock, good enough for me.

 

[kid2]

A change of grip certainly helped me.
I went from interlock to overlap about 10 months ago and it made a massive difference to my ball flight and my swing.......
With the interlock i was gripping the club very tight and i was strangling the club......
Since i changed i rarely play with a fade my slice has disappeared and iv got much better control of the club.......
I seem to hit the ball straighter with the overlap and if i change i go back to a fade.......Now my bad shot is a pull/hook instead of a push/slice

 

[chrisd]

I have recently changed to overlapping from interlocking and with other swing changes my handicap has reduced and I am playing much better. The new grip stops me having a strong grip and I have stopped the odd duck hook and the need to "hold the club off" through impact. I wish I had done it 10 years ago!


Chris

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Always had the interlocking as I've very small hands and it was deemed the best one for me when I started. I've dabbled with overlapping but I have never felt comfy with it. If it's working and clearly it is then stick with it

 

[HawkeyeMS]

While there is no one right way to grip a club there is a right way for you and finding it can help drastically.

Your grip is largely responsible for the position of you club right throughout your swing including the important part - impact. It is therefore very likely that your grip is a major contributor to your recent success.

What I will say is if you're shooting 75s with it, stick with it even when you hit a bad patch as it clearly works for you.

 

[richart]

While there is no one right way to grip a club there is a right way for you and finding it can help drastically.

Your grip is largely responsible for the position of you club right throughout your swing including the important part - impact. It is therefore very likely that your grip is a major contributor to your recent success.

What I will say is if you're shooting 75s with it, stick with it even when you hit a bad patch as it clearly works for you.

I am sure a bad patch is just around the corner, but i will be sticking with the interlocking grip.

A change in grip normally feels uncomfortable for some time, but this one felt right straight away.

Interesting to note that some have changed the other way to overlapping. Seems to me that more players use interlocking now than when i first started in the 70's.

Isn't it a great game when you are playing well, and so frustrating when you are not !!

 

[Lump]

What a nice little insite into peoples minds. It never ceases to amaze me how such little things can affect peoples games.

Personally either of the 3 grips works for me, but I personally use the vardon grip as it feels the most natural and for no other reason than that. I've never been told which to use or not to use either, never had a lesson and hopefully with never have too.

 

[JustOne]

I went from interlocking to overlapping after a nasty incident with a hammer, interlocking feels a bit odd now and I generally grip far too tight when using it.

 

[JT77]

I changed from interlock to overlap through the winter and found i had more control over my ball. Also found it help my wedge control which was a massive benefit. reverted back to interlock for a month or so and now back to overlap, hopefully I can stick with it as it feels so much better now, just had poor run and looked for an excuse!!

 

[doubletripledouble]

I use the interlocking grip but putt with the overlapping grip.

 

[link80]

I only started playing this year after spending last year just practicing. At first I just played what felt naturally, with a baseball grip , hitting lots of balls and could see an improvement . I then got a book and after reading about grips set about changing to a interlocking grip. After the initial adjustment period and sore little finger I was doing fine with it, but then I went into a slump, spraying balls everywhere and was thinking I wasn't getting anywhere and was going to give up. I then went to the range with a friend who's a teaching pro who told me my grip was too strong, and that I was trying to guide the ball too much. After showing me how to fix these and me deciding to try an overlapping grip instead of interlocking i've been steadily improving since.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

When I was young I used an interlocking grip, now i'm all grown up (physically, not mentally ) and my hands are bigger I use a Vardon grip. It feels the most natural.

I'm still sh*te though.

 

[Aztecs27]

Interlocking for me. Always has been and probably always will be. Feels comfortable and occasionally hit a good shot

 

[richart]

Seems like the overlapping is still the most popular grip, but from the comments above it does seem that you can change your grip with good results.

One grip worth trying is your putting grip on short chips, or am i opening another can of worms ?

 

[lukey_lukey]

so we have no baseballers? i use all 3 in past 10 rounds, i cant think what works best :s id say:-

interlock makes my swing feel faster yet abit looser tend too slice it at times

vardon feels like i dont have full control at impact feels like it pushes my clubface closed rsulting hooking (hands dont contact grip properly) :s

baseball feels very sturdy but again can lead to me hooking the ball more