Overlap vs Interlock Grip


One of the biggest questions that amateurs face is how to grip the golf club.

Most golfers use one of the two most popular grips: the interlocking grip or the overlapping grip.

Both grips offer benefits but aren’t ideal for all golfers for specific reasons.

So, which grip is for you?

overlap vs interlock grip

In this article, we’ll break down both golf grips and help lead you to the one that works best for your swing.

Whether you choose an interlocking golf grip or an overlap grip, each provides benefits to help you hit the golf ball with far more control and consistency.

Overlap vs Interlock Grip Defined


What is an overlap grip?

An overlap golf grip keeps the pinky finger of the bottom hand on the outside of the top hand, resting it on top of the connection of the index and middle fingers.

For a right handed golfer, the right pinky finger rests atop the junction of the left middle and index fingers of the left hand.

In contrast, for the left-handed golfer, the right index finger will overlap and lay between the left pinky and ring finger of the left hand.

The overlap golf grip has long maintained popularity with professional golfers.

But since Tiger Woods moved to the interlocking grip, more and more pros have claimed the interlock provides the best grip of the golf club.

What is an interlock grip?

With the interlocking grip, we take the pinky finger on the bottom hand and the index finger of the top hand and interlock them, much like two links on a chain.

Neither finger will touch the golf grip on the club because they are resting on the knuckle of the opposing finger.

Golfers like Jack Nicklaus used the interlock because he felt it provided the best connection to the club.

The interlock golf grip kept the pressure point at the junction of the two fingers to help regulate the pressure along all fingers and maintain balance throughout the grip during the full swing.

Is overlap or interlocking grip better?


While the two grips remain very popular in modern-day golf, we prefer the interlocking grip for all amateur golfers.

One of the biggest reasons we prefer the interlock golf grip for our students is that it’s a stronger and more sophisticated option than the baseball grip.

Plus, it makes sense when attempting to prevent a weak grip because beginners like to get their palms heavy on the club grip with the baseball grip.

Also, by starting with the interlocking golf grip, we prevent a grip change down the road away from a baseball grip.

Golfers learning a new grip also benefit from trying the interlocking golf grip because it reduces the number of fingers that touch the grip.

By making the grip smaller and more compact, you also provide a smaller anchor point for the club swing. The reduced size of the anchor makes it easier to generate more swing speed for your golf game.

Why is overlap better than interlock?


The overlapping golf grip does offer certain advantages as long as your fingers aren’t too long.

Golfers with longer fingers like the overlap because it provides a comfortable outlet for the pinky.

If golfers with longer fingers try to interlock, it can create discomfort because there’s no place for the pinky to rest without making adjustments.

Keeping that left index finger on the golf grip also helps maintain an even pressure across the entire grip.

The left index finger also becomes extremely important in ensuring there’s not too much pressure at the center of the golf grip.

If you like to choke down on the club, an overlapping grip reduces the number of fingers on the club to help the grip pressure solidify the shorter, more compact swing.

Do any pro golfers use overlap grip?


Yes, many pro golfers use the overlap golf grip to maintain even grip pressure, and it’s the preferred grip for pros with longer fingers than the average male.

The overlap grip also helps keep the club grip in the fingers, not the palms.

By keeping the grip along the middle pads of the fingers, you create more consistency with the golf swing and help square the club face at impact for improved ball flight you can trust and depend upon.

While there’s no real science behind which of these two grips works better for professionals, there is a belief that golfers with longer fingers are more comfortable with the overlapping grip.

In contrast, golfers with average hands prefer the interlocking grip.

Most pros and their coaches readily admit that either grip works well if your fundamentals are correct. But feeling comfortable with how you hold the club is certainly a part of those fundaments.

What grip do most PGA players use?


While the overlap grip held the crown for many years on the PGA Tour, most pros currently use the interlocking grip, primarily because of Tiger Woods and his historic career.

Popular tour players, including Scottie Scheffler, use the interlock to provide more stability to their swing, plus they grew up watching Tiger use the overlapping grip to post one of the best records of all time for a golfer.

Regardless of their heroes growing up, PGA Tour players choose the grip that feels the most natural.

To help facilitate their personal swing, the last thing these advanced golfers want is to worry about their hand position on the club.

Should I consider the baseball grip?


The baseball grip, also the same grip as the one known as the ten-finger grip, doesn’t involve an interlocking or overlap finger.

Instead, as its name suggests, you simply grip the club with all ten fingers like a baseball bat. That’s right, it’s just as it sounds.

You hold the club with two hands touching each other like you would a bat.

The dated old grip offers simplicity for junior golfers and beginners, but it’s more challenging to personalize the hold with a weaker grip.

Forming a weak or strong grip becomes much tougher without the interlocking or overlapping finger.

After using different grips for most of his career, pro golfer Kyle Mendoza actually uses the baseball grip due to a previous injury to his right hand that affected the right pinky finger.

What grip should junior golfers and beginners start with when playing golf?


We recommend the overlapping grip for golfers just starting their journey because it provides strength by joining the index fingers with the pinky fingers at the center of the grip.

Some coaches would prefer junior golfers start with a baseball-like grip, but once they get older, these golfers will want to transition to a stronger grip.

Instead of wasting that time, starting with the overlapping grip can help the golfer evolve with the same golf grip.

On the interlock, the right index finger is the final finger on the club and helps keep the hands ahead of the club head at impact with irons and wedges.

The opposite holds true with woods as it keeps the club stable as the hands stay behind the ball to increase launch.

Can I use either grip for putting?


Yes, both grips are useful for putting, but we prefer the reverse overlap putting grip because it keeps the stroke stable and centered through the impact zone.

The reverse overlap swaps the right and left hand of either grip, placing the top hand on the bottom.

With this reverse grip, you place the index finger of the top hand between the pinky and ring finger of the bottom hand. You aim to anchor the grip with the middle fingers of each hand.

As with all grips, you should feel comfortable when finding the best putting grip for your game.