Keegan Bradley Grip

Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking

Grip style: Interlocking

Hand position: Very strong

Putting grip style / hand position: Reverse overlap / neutral

Keegan Bradley’s grip, like that of many modern power hitters, rotates toward the strong side. Indeed, a strong grip is so common among today’s tour pros that Bradley’s hardly seems unusual at all.

The slight turning of Bradley’s hands to the right enhances his wrist flexibility and helps him set the club in a powerful, cocked position at the top of the backswing. But his grip isn’t so strong that he loses control on the downswing. That’s good, because Bradley’s lower body rotates ferociously through the ball, which could create some colossal hooks were his grip out of whack.

Instead, Bradley hits it straight enough to consistently rank among the PGA TOUR’s top 12 in Total Driving, which combines driving distance and accuracy stats. In 2014, for instance, he found 62.4% of fairways while averaging 302.2 yards.

The New Englander received a lot of attention for his putting after winning the 2011 PGA Championship with a belly model (and draining some epic bombs in the process). Anticipating the USGA’s belly putter ban, which takes effect in 2016, he switched to a conventional-length wand in 2014.

He may have changed putters, but Keegan Bradley’s grip remains intact. It’s simple and straightforward – standard reverse overlap, palms parallel in a nice, neutral position. It will be interesting to track Bradley’s results with the shorter putter, since he used a belly putter going back to his college and amateur days.

Player Profile

Golf Grip Terms

Note: All descriptions are for right-handed golfers.

Vardon / Overlapping Grip: Method of holding the club by placing the right pinky finger on top of the crease between the left index and middle fingers. Named for British golf legend Harry Vardon.

Interlocking Grip: Method of holding the club by wedging or locking the right pinky finger between the left index and middle fingers.

Neutral: Position in which the hands are directly aligned with the clubface. The golfer with a neutral grip can typically see two full knuckles on the back of the left hand when addressing the ball.

Weak: Position in which the hands are rotated left (toward the target) on the club’s handle. The golfer with a weak grip can typically see one full knuckle on the back of the left hand when addressing the ball.

Strong: Position in which the hands are rotated right (away from the target) on the club’s handle. The golfer with a strong grip can typically see more than two full knuckles on the back of the left hand when addressing the ball.

Reverse Overlap Putting Grip: Conventional putting grip style with the left hand above the right and the left index finger extending downward, on top of the fingers of the right hand.

Cross-Handed / Left Hand Low Putting Grip: The right hand is placed at the top of the handle, above the left hand, the opposite of a conventional grip.

Claw Putting Grip: The left hand is placed in the conventional position, at the top of the handle, with the right hand lower on the handle and holding the club between the thumb (on the grip’s underside) and fingers.