Is there more than one way to grip your club?
Posted Under: Golf
I’m learning how to play golf from my husband, who was very reluctant to teach me by the way. He insists that I use the usual interlocking finger grip but I read that Tiger Woods does not.
It hurts my hands and fingers to use the interlocking grip. Is there more than one way to grip the club? Which do you use? Do you use different methods for different types of shots?
Should I learn from a pro instead and doesn’t every golfer have his own style? I want to be able to play with my husband so I don’t want to upset him now. He finally took me to the driving range, and I can drive that ball up and straight if not very far yet (75 yards only!) But I think my swing looks weird. It feels weird anyway.
Any advice? Wouldn’t you like your wife to play golf? We don’t have to play together all the time, just once in a while. And I’m even planning on having a putting green put in the backyard for him, too.
I love the game. I love to watch more, but it’s a great sport to learn. Believe me, my husband is the one who wants to be with me all the time, and I encourage him to golf as much as he wants–without me! He just doesn’t have the patience to teach. And he thinks he could have been a pro so his standards are high.
I’d be fine if he wanted to golf with only his pals. I could golf with someone else.
As for the putting green, we’ve been researching it a lot and realize the high maintenance involved. There are other alternatives and we’re consulting a professional first!
Thanks for your responses!
Reader Comments
most ppl think there is only one style of holding the club. but you can actually do this method:
all four fingers are next to each other with the thumb going straight down leading
Where did you read that Tiger Woods does not use an interlocking grip? He does. I have his book, How I Play Golf. He’s on the cover holding a club using an interlocking grip. Anyway, to answer your question, there are other ways to grip the club. There is the overlapping grip which I use because I tried the interlocking grip and I feel I have more control using the overlapping grip. For a right handed golfer, the interlocking grip has the left index finger and the right pinky finger locked together(thus the term interlocking). The overlapping grip is similar except the right pinky finger sits in between the left index and left middle fingers(right b/w the knuckles). There is also a baseball style grip. The left thumb sits on the lifeline of the right hand and the fingers on the right hand wrap around the left thumb.
I suggest you take lessons from a pro just to keep your marriage in tact(lol). I don’t know how well your husband plays, but I know that it’s difficult for me to convey how to play to other people who ask me. Everyone has their own style. There are videos to watch if you don’t want to take lessons. They can be pricey. Every now and then, someone on the range will offer some advice. I ran into a guy Saturday night who just wanted to offer me some advice. I’ve been playing long enough to know that he seemed to be knowledgeable. Being that you are a beginner, I would stick with taking lessons from a pro. If I were married, I would play golf with my wife. Things will feel weird until you have an understanding of the game and how things work. Have fun!
Hope:
1. Take the lessons from a pro and not from your husband. He is not a pro and will give you bad advice (all men think they could be on the tour)
2. Grips - There are several types - interlock, overlap, even baseball but you will have to decide which one you feel most comfortable.
3. When you and your husband play together he better appreciate the time and effort you are making.
4. A putting green in the backyard - you are one hell of a wife.
Good luck.
There is more than one way to grip a golf club. The overlap is the most popular where the forefinger of the upper hand is overlapped with the pinky of the lower hand. A little pressure by the pinky locks the hands in position. The interlock is the second most popular and here the pinky and forefinger interlock to grip the club. The third is the baseball grip where the fingers of both hands are on the grip. With any of the grips you must exert just enough pressure so the club does not get loose. As Sam Sneed stated your grip should be no stronger than it would be if you were holding two small birds in your hands
There are an infinite number of ways to grip the club, and the most common is the overlapping grip (not the interlocking which your husband is insisting you use). You would be much better learning from a professional or highly skilled player, but not your husband. The golf swing is a pretty unnatural motion so it will feel weird at first, but when you start to get good results you will endure all kinds of pain to hit another good shot. If you enjoy the game go for it, but in a marriage you both need time away from each other too, so maybe you let golf be his thing and you do something else while he is out with the guys.