Victor Dubuisson Grip

Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking

Grip style: Vardon (overlapping)

Hand position: Very strong left hand, neutral right hand

Putting grip style / hand position: Reverse overlap / neutral

American golf fans got their first good glimpse at Victor Dubuisson during the 2014 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship. Fighting off one world-class foe after another, the Frenchman displayed an almost supernatural short game, getting up-and-down from desert scrub numerous times en route to a runner-up finish.

Close observers likely noticed something else: Victor Dubuisson’s unusual grip, which is strong in the extreme with the left hand, but neutral with the right.

When setting up to the ball, Dubuisson’s left hand is turned so far to his right that the logo on his glove points well right of his target. You’d expect his right hand to mirror this position, but it doesn’t. The V formed by Dubuisson’s right thumb and forefinger points at his chest rather than his right shoulder.

Placing the hands in such opposing positions is considered a no-no by golf teachers. Yet Dubuisson pulls it off. He ranks among the longest hitters on the European Tour with an average drive of more than 300 yards. He’s not the most accurate hitter, but he’s far from the wildest.

When it’s time to putt, Victor Dubuisson’s grip wraps around an oversized, square handle – a popular model among today’s pros, and a change from earlier in his career. Dubuisson’s hold is pretty standard, with the palms parallel and the left forefinger strapped across the fingers of his right hand. The extra-large grip is designed to eliminate as much wrist action as possible and foster an arms-and-shoulders stroke.

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.