Overlapping vs. Interlocking Grip: Which One is Better for Your Game?

Britt Olizarowicz

Jun 14, 2024 . 10 mins read

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When I was a young golfer, I had an interlocking grip, and it gave me quite a bit of security and control of the golf club. However, at some point, I switched to the overlap and stayed there ever since.

I’ll show you what made me switch, whether or not the overlapping vs. interlocking grip is better for your game, and how to know when it’s time for a grip change.

The grip is our only connection with the golf club; if it’s not correct, expect issues with ball flight, distance, consistency, and scoring.

Overlapping vs. Interlocking: Key Takeaways

Breaking apart the overlapping vs. interlocking golf grip takes a bit of time.

There are some major differences between the two that need to be ironed out, but here are the high level takeaways that you can get from my information.

• The overlap grip is a great choice for golfers with big hands that tend to grip a golf club with too much pressure.
• Interlocking golf grips can give players more control over the club and improve overall speed.
• Switching from overlapping to interlocking throughout the course of a round is not encouraged; pick a grip and perfect it.
• The grip size on your golf clubs can impact which golf grip is best for your game; get fitted for the correct grips so that you are not making a decision based on the size of your grip.

Difference Between Overlapping vs. Interlocking Golf Grip

The main difference between the overlapping and interlocking golf grip is the way your hands connect in the back of the grip.

However, because of this connection, there are a few other things that naturally occur within the hands.

Pinky and Forefinger Connection

The overlap grip takes the pinky from the right hand and rests it on top of the forefinger of the left hand (right-handed golfer). With an interlocking grip, the pinky of the right hand and the forefinger of the left hand connect and interlock with each other.

With both the overlapping and interlocking golf grips, the hands are in some way connected and joined together. With the ten finger golf grip, the hands are just sitting beside each other. In some ways, the overlapping and interlocking are more alike than the ten finger grip is.

Grip Pressure

When you take an interlocking approach to gripping the club, you have all ten fingers connected to the club somehow. Even if your pinky only touches closer to where it joins the palm, it still has some interaction with the club.

For the overlap grip, the pinky of the right-hand does not really come into contact with the club.

With less fingers on the grip, expect lighter grip pressure.

Hand Positioning (Strong vs. Weak)

Some golfers, depending on the size of their hands, have an easier time getting the club into a strong position (to help eliminate a slice) when they have an interlock grip. The weaker grip seems to be easier to achieve if you have an overlapping grip.

The hand positioning and strong vs. weak grip often come down to the size of a player’s hand as well.

Pros and Cons of Overlapping Grip

I currently play with an overlapping grip and could never see myself changing back to an interlock grip. The interesting thing is my hands are small. One of the first qualifications mentioned to use an overlapping grip is a large hand.

Remember that as long as your grip size is correct for you, you can play a grip that feels right and helps you square the clubface more consistently.

Pros

• It can be a good option for larger hands that feel cramped by having to interlock their fingers.
• Should decrease grip pressure.
• Allows for a natural rotation of hands and forearms with less wrist involvement.

Cons

• Does not feel as strong.
• Can slow the speed down for some players.

Pros and Cons of Interlocking Grip

The interlocking grip tends to be more common. This grip just feels natural and stronger when you first learn it, giving players more confidence early on.

Pros

• Can help to increase swing speed.
• Plenty of control over the clubhead.
• Easier to learn the correct positioning.

Cons

• Causes players to grip the club too hard.
• Sometimes makes the swing a little more wristy.

Which Grip is Better? Overlap vs. Interlock?

The way you grip the golf club is about performance, feel, and personal preference. To know if interlock or overlap is the best for your game, you have to know what type of player you are and where your game could use a bit of improvement.

Here are some key factors to consider.

Choose an overlapping grip if…

• Your tendency is to grip the club too hard.
• Your hands often sneak into a position on the club where your grip is too strong.
• You get wristy near impact when you hit golf shots.
• Feel in the short game is most important to you in your golf game.
• Your hands are big, and they feel cramped by trying to interlock your fingers.
• You are an experienced player, ready for a change that could result in better feel.
• You have any pain in your hands due to arthritis.

Choose an interlocking grip if…

• You have small hands and need more control of your golf club.
• You often slice the ball.
• You are working on getting more clubhead speed and power.
• You struggle with distance and accuracy off the tee box.
• You are a beginner golfer or junior player.

How to Choose the Best Grip for Your Game?

As you can see, the overlapping vs. interlocking grip decision comes down to the individual player. We have proven (with the help of great PGA Tour professionals) that both the interlocking and overlapping golf grips work.

Here are a few ways to decide which is best for your game.

Hand Size

Technically speaking, the smaller your hand is, the better the interlocking grip will be to help you control the club.

Again, I would be careful about following this blindly. Always ensure you are playing with a golf grip that fits the size of your hand.

Hand Strength

Hand strength is more important than hand size. If you struggle to feel like you have control of the golf club, the interlocking grip is a better solution.

If your hand is stronger and you have to tone down some of that strength, the overlapping grip would be the better choice.

I’ve had many golfers bring up a valid point of not knowing whether they have a strong or weak hand. If you switch back and forth between the overlapping vs. interlocking grip for a few swings on the range, you will feel this difference.

Clubface Control

Although clubface control and hand strength are closely related, you may find that one grip helps you square the clubface up better than the other.

Clubface control is important for consistency and improved ball striking. HackMotion can be used to test clubface control when switching between different grips (see below).

How to Practice My Grip?

If you have determined that changing your golf grip is a good idea, I’ll warn you that this change is not an easy one. It takes some time to get used to the new grip on the driving range before you can transfer the knowledge to the course.

I would recommend starting the process on the driving range, using only short irons. In addition, you may want to wear a glove until you feel confident with the grip change. Sometimes the change in the position of your hands can lead to a blister.

Hit some half swing shots and alternate those with full swing shots. Be aware of grip pressure; it’s easy to squeeze the club to death when you are trying out a new golf grip.

Testing Your New Golf Grip

The last thing you want to do is go through a grip change and have it negatively impact your golf game.

Luckily there are some ways in which you can see if the new golf grip is actually helping you improve or if you may want to go back to your old grip.

Check on Accuracy from All Distances

When you have the basic mechanics of your new grip down, start checking on accuracy from all distances. I’ve seen some players feel like the overlap grip is better in their short game, but on the longer shots, they can’t square the clubface.

I do recommend having the same grip throughout the entire bag. It makes sense to have consistency in your game, so you have to find the one that is the most accurate throughout the entire bag.

Testing Grip with HackMotion

I love using HackMotion to test my new grip position. There are two ways in which you can use the HackMotion to help you.

First is to start looking at the wrist position at setup. Grip the club in a way that feels comfortable to you with your new grip, and see where that leaves your wrist angle at impact. Every time you set up to hit, look to recreate that wrist angle.

In addition, the way we grip the club at setup has a big influence on where the club ends up at impact.

Try some shots with an overlapping grip and see what your clubface position is like. Were you able to reduce some of the extension in your wrists? Now try some shots with an interlocking grip. Did you have a good impact position?

All of this can be tested in real time using the HackMotion wrist sensor.

FAQs

Here are a few of the most common questions about overlapping vs. interlocking grips and which is going to be best for your golf game.

What pros use interlocking grips?

Tiger Woods is one of the most well-known players to have used an interlocking grip. His theory was that he would have a lot better connection with the club to increase overall clubhead speed and distance with this interlocking grip in place. Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy also used the interlocking grip.

Can I switch from one grip to another?

It’s fine to make a grip change from one to another, but to change in the middle of a round or have different grips for different clubs probably doesn’t make much sense. There are too many variables in golf, and by continually changing your grip, you add to the number of variables.

Which is the best for putting?

The reverse overlap tends to be the best grip for putting. Reverse overlap grips often help improve overall feel and decrease grip pressure for the average player.

Is overlapping vs. interlocking better for left-handed golfers?

Left-handed golfers can play with overlapping or interlocking golf grips. The left-handed/right-handed differences should not impact the grip that you choose. Phil Mickelson uses the overlapping grip.

What grip should kids start with?

Most kids start with a ten finger grip. However, once their hands are a little stronger and they have some ability, it’s best to switch to an interlocking grip.

What grip is best to fix a slice?

A strong interlocking grip tends to be a good solution for a golfer that is struggling with a slice.

However, if you are making progress on your slice and learning how to square up a clubface, make sure to work back towards a neutral golf grip.

Final Thoughts

A proper golf grip is the only way to become a consistent low-handicap golfer. Without our grip on the club, we aren’t even playing golf!

Take time to learn the proper fundamentals of the grip, and then use HackMotion to develop some consistency in your position.

There are a lot of general assumptions out there about which grip you should be using; make sure that you are overlapping vs. interlocking to ensure you end up with something you feel confident and comfortable with.