My golf pro has gone all in.....

[Hacker Khan]

and recommended I change my grip from interlocking to overlapping. I've been happily using the interlocking grip for all of my pretty unspectacular golfing career over the years, with unfortunately no career victories to my name. And after last weeks debacle when I could not hit a driver that was not my current one more than 10 yards into the air, my pro has been working on me getting more wrist hinge and keeping the face neutral at the top of the backswing. So I stop delofting the club badly and turning a 10.5 degree driver into a 4 degree one, as is my way.

He was showing me what my wrists were supposed to be doing, but it was just painful for me with my interlocking grip. Then he suggested that as I am a lefty at golf but in everything I am totally right handed, then for me to try the overlapping grip so my right hand was more on the club at all times (I had a tendency for the pad of my right hand to let go of the club when I was trying to hinge it a lot).

Not sure it is a moment of inspired genius for him, or desperate times calling for desperate measures. But boy does it feel weird. I am gettign more hinge I think plus I have hit one or two what I would call proper shots that go straight and everything, but am also occasionally missing the ball completely. For those of you coming along to the east mids qualifier in a 3 weeks time at Oxton then be prepared for some hilarity, as I will probably look even more like a hacker than I normally do. Which is a lot.

Had a couple of goes down the range and it is feeling slightly less weird and I am seeing a bit more height on my shots on the off chance I connect properly. But after playing one way for decades it feels a big change. On well, onwards and upwards....

 

[Ethan]

They used to say that interlocking was for players with small hands. And you know what they say about small hands ...?




















Small gloves.

 

[Foxholer]

A couple more range sessions and it will feel totally natural!

Going the other way is much more difficult!

Just because Tiger and Rory interlock doesn't mean it's the best for someone else!

 

[FairwayDodger]

Not sure about changing from interlocking to overlapping but I'm working on a grip change as well, and have been for a good few weeks now. It feels really weird at first but you do adapt. My only advice is if you're going to change then commit to it and hit lots of shots!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Is it just me (probably) but does this seem a drastic change. I've had an interlocking for most of my golfing life and never had issues with a wrist hinge. How long has the pain been there and have you been sub-consciously protecting it and therefore not making a proper hinge. It seems strange to me that one grip would make that much difference and cause less pain

 

[Davehard8]

I had the same thing. But I ignored the advice and kept the interlocking. Best decision I made. If it's not broke

 

[Toad]

I changed from baseball to interlocking and it took numerous weeks and hundreds of balls at the range to bed it in. Was a nightmare at the course for around 3 months but the benefit was a drop from 9 to 6.
You really do need to put the time in and not quit half way through as your golf will suffer in the short term.

 

[Hacker Khan]

Is it just me (probably) but does this seem a drastic change. I've had an interlocking for most of my golfing life and never had issues with a wrist hinge. How long has the pain been there and have you been sub-consciously protecting it and therefore not making a proper hinge. It seems strange to me that one grip would make that much difference and cause less pain

I have no idea how long the pain has been there when I try and hinge with an interlocking grip. I'm not 100% sure, but I think the fact that I play golf as a lefty but in everything else am utterly right handed means that it makes sense for me to have as much right hand controlling the club as possible. I've always struggled with a duck hook, de-lofting clubs and my pro seems to think that this may make a difference.

To be honest I don't know, but it's not as if I'm playing off single figures and it could ruin my game hugely. I can shoot in the 80s and I can also shoot in the 100s, so consistent shooting in the 90s, high/mid 80s is fine for me. And in a way nothing ventured nothing gained, and I kind of respect him for suggesting such a change. I imagine a few pros would have bottled it and kept trying something that wasn't working whilst pocketing the cash. He explained it to me very well so we'll see what gives. After all, it's only a bit of fun.

 

[Hacker Khan]

I had the same thing. But I ignored the advice and kept the interlocking. Best decision I made. If it's not broke

But at times mine is very broke...

 

[Qwerty]

I used to have lessons off Karl Morris when he was a club pro before he got into the psychology stuff and he recommended the same for me.
He was a very good teaching pro at the time although I'd imagine he's making a hell of a lot more nowadays.

I made the change easy enough and the one thing I noticed was its much easier to make the wrist hinge at the top with the interlocking grip and sometimes hinge too far. I suppose the opposite to what your pro is saying.

For me the overlap seems to keep everything in place and tighter much more efficiently at the top of the swing. Those that have seen me play will tell you that I struggle to get the club to parallel at the top, only 3/4 most of the time, Im more than happy though as everything is in place and its repeatable.

Although I do feel I can create more lag and clubhead speed interlocking, For me the overlap gives a much more consistent repeatable swing.

But If your pro has recommended the overlap to create more wrist hinge I suppose it just goes to show that were all different In how we swing and deliver that club back to the ball.