Vardon vs Interlocking?

[Captain_Black]

Hi all.
As a new golfer I have been struggling with consistancy. (ball contact & direction)
So I had another lesson with a different pro the other day, he adjusted my grip & got me using the interlocking grip.

At first, I struggled to even hit the ball at all, but with a bit of practice it's getting there, it's amazing how much more distance I am getting.

The only thing I have found is that after playing for half an hour or so, my little finger & the next one to it on the right hand really hurt & I am tending to pinch the skin against the club grip.

So, after a bit of googling this evening, I am going to try the Vardon grip tomorrow, it feels a little more comfortable. (sat here on the settee, with a 6 Iron in my hand)

So what do you all use?
Vardon / Interlocking / Baseball / Other?

 

[bigfoot1985]

i use the vardon grip...

i had the same problem with not being consistent and not striking the ball well every time. I had a lesson and he told me that it was all to do with my legs, as i started bringing the club back my back leg (right) would straighten up which would cause a bad contact. I was told to keep the flex in the leg and its the best advice i have ever been given. Im striking the ball so much better now.

 

[RobbOnTheRock]

Personally I use the interlocking grip, its taken me a looong time to get used to it, but now it's second nature.

I can't imagine not doing it now!!

Cheers
Andy

 

[Bratty]

I use the vardon. Experimented with interlocking, but I was told by my pro that it was allowing too separation between my hands (not sure how) which was causing me to lose control.

 

[G1BB0]

have also heard negatives to the interlocking, tried the Vardon and just feels wrong

time will tell, each to their own and all that

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Started with the interlocking when I had my first lesson and never changed since. As long as whatever grip you have is neutral and your hands are in a good position through impact does it matter what you use. I'm sure Bob and other wise heads will have an opinion

 

[G1BB0]

swing path is surely more important and I can't see how which grip type overly affects that barring what Homer says with regards neutral (or strong/weak)

 

[chrisd]

I played for about 7 years with the interlocking, but when I needed to weaken off the right hand it was a very difficult move to make so I changed to the Varden and now my grip is pretty neutral and comfortable


Chris

 

[HawkeyeMS]

I switch back and forth so often between the two I'm comfortable using either and don't find either makes much difference. At the moment I'm using overlap but who knows what I'll be doing in a couple of months

 

[Imurg]

I've always used interlock.
Small hands make the Overlap nigh on impossible.

Interlock was good enough for Jack - it's good enough for me.

 

[Achilles]

I started off with a baseball grip as didn't know any wiser but that was soon changed when I started having lessons, and I now use interlocking. Took me a while to get used to it but the results were there to see once I got used to it. Tried the Vardon grip too but it felt slightly uncomfortable to me.

 

[kid2]

when i first started playing 2 yrs ago i used an interlocking grip.....
Couple that with a weak grip and an out to in path and I was slicing everything....

I now use an overlap grip that has the club sitting through my fingers rather than my palms and that is on the strong side and im hitting the ball much further and squaring the face on every shot....

My weak fade has gone now to a nice draw......

 

[G1BB0]

kid2 do you put that down to grip alone or a culmination of changes?

 

[JT77]

I interlock with driver and wedges and overlap with irons, find that I drive better with interlock and can control the short shots better too, but overlap feels better with irons, better ball flight and smoother rhythm, prob just in my head, but whatever works....

 

[chrisd]

Interlock was good enough for Jack - it's good enough for me.

Yep ... and interlocking was good enough for Tiger ........ mmmmmmm how exactly do you do the overlapping??



Chris

 

[kid2]

kid2 do you put that down to grip alone or a culmination of changes?

I have had a few changes mate but the one that started to straighten the left to right flight and make it more manageable was to strengthen the grip so you can see 3 knuckles at address and grip the club mainly in the fingers rather than the palm....

You'll get a straighter longer flight hopefully.....But you'll need to mess about with varying degrees of grip strength to find whats best for you......

Just dont get frustrated because if you have a natural left to right ball flight then a stronger grip with an out to in swing path and you'll probably start pulling your shots then...

Mess about with it though....Iv spent the whole season at it and its now paying off.....Thank God

 

[Richie13]

i use the interlocking grip for everything but the putter, which i use the vardon grip for

 

[needmoreclub]

i now use the baseball grip due to a broken finger a couple of years ago, it's a bit odd but keeps me playin, used to use the vardon when i was cat 1 just seemed natural.

 

[benjamin]

Having never had a lesson i just grab the club paying no attention to how i grab it if that makes sense, i did try interlocking a few weeks back but i just slice it so badly the ball nearly comes backwards!

From reading this there seems to be a massive benefit from using the correct grip type and strength for you, hmm maybe i should work on getting a consistent grip and checking what my grip is now, at a guess its baseball and weak. When my hangover subsides some i will post a pic for you all to laugh at.

 

[sev112]

swing path is surely more important and I can't see how which grip type overly affects that barring what Homer says with regards neutral (or strong/weak)

Aha , but there you go.
It is VERY difficult to picture, visualise or conceptualise what the different grips do for your swing.
One of the main reasona why Pros sert out your grips is to allow your body to have a chance of getting your swing on plane.

A typical "beginner" will pick up a golf clubs like a cricket bat, a baseball bat , a shovel (or any other cylindrical object that they are used to handling on a regular basis ). Most of those sorts of innitial grips will prevent them from feeling what a club does as it swings back, loads the shaft, and then releases close to impact.
As a result of not having a reasonably goo dgrip at the outset of playing the game, many golfers never ever feel what an unloading shaft or a full release is - other than the odd shot that goes like a rocket and leaves them standing there outstanded.


However, whilst for almost all golfers a solid repeatable grip that's in the fingers rather than the palm, will be the best way of gaining a repeatable swing with good contact/distance.
But it's not always that way.
A number of Pros will tell lady golfers to use a baseball grip (10 fingers on the club, no overlap or interlock).
There are some highly successful swings (e.g. Moe Norman's system with the club in your palm for example) that buck the trend.
The key is maximising the design features of the club/shaft loading/unloading without allowing your grip getting in teh way. Whichever grip, in combination with your swing, allows you to do so, is what you need.

I've got small hands and little fingers, so i overlap, but i occasionally revert to 10 finger/baseball