There are 3 basic types of full swing grips:
1. Overlap
2. Innerlocking
3. Baseball
There are many putting grips. For the purposes of this site, we'll just talk about two....Tiger's grip and Cross-handed. In my opinion, Tiger Woods has the most structurally sound grip and we will break down his grip momentarily.
First lets discuss the fundamentals of the grip. It is important to know that your grip pressure needs to be consistent on all swings no matter the variables. Strong enough to hold onto the club but not choking the grip. Secondly, and most importantly, you must hold the grip in the fingers not in the palm. You should grip the club with your fingers then overlap your palms. The result of having your grip too much in the palm of either hand would be pulling or hooking the ball, especially in pressure situations.
Golf is a game about feel. And you must put the club in the feelers of your hands, not the palms. The muscles in your fingers are very complex and unique. The precision aspects of golf require touch, feel and accuracy. This can only be accomplished by letting your feelers take the lead with your grip.
Now we'll discuss the three full swing grips. The Overlap grip starts with putting your left hand (for right handed players) 1/2" down from the end of the club on the grip, making sure to grip it in your fingers. If done properly you should be able to take your left index, middle finger and thumb off the club and lift the club in the air without using any other muscles except for your wrist and fingers. Then put your right hand on the club in the fingers and overlap your right pinky over your left index finger. This grip is used by the majority of tour players and golfers worldwide.
The innerlocking grip was used a lot in the 70's and 80's. Same parameters apply with this grip, however instead of overlapping your pinky, you innerlock with your left index instead. I rarely reccommend this grip unless my client has smaller than average hands. It should be noted that the two best golfers ever to play the game use this grip....Jack and Tiger.
The baseball grip is used for junior golfers and kids under the age of 10. Same concepts apply except you line your knuckles up under the club and you don't overlap or innerlock.
The Tiger putting grip is the same except you take your left index finger and overlap your right pinky. This putting grip gives you excellent feel and control. Thumbs on top of the grip.
Cross-handed putting involves putting your left hand below your right with little or no overlap. This technique is generally good for short putts and players who struggle with the 3'-5' range. It lowers your left shoulder and keeps the putter square throughout the stoke. The drawbacks would be distance control on longer putts.
Grip Types
