Branden Grace Grip

Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking

Grip style: Interlocking

Hand position: Neutral

Putting grip style / hand position: Reverse overlap / neutral

Branden Grace’s grip proves that a golfer can move forward by remaining in neutral.

The South African burst onto the international stage with four European Tour victories in 2012. He played well but went winless over the next two seasons, then won twice in his first five starts of 2015.

While he’s not the straightest driver out there, it’s hard to find many flaws in Grace’s game. His grip is certainly solid.

At address, Grace shows a near perfect left hand hold. His glove’s logo is angled just slightly right of the target line, his “V” aligned with the club’s handle. (The “V” is formed by thumb and forefinger.) His right wrist is mildly cupped, the “V” also lining up nicely with the shaft.

Here’s the true beauty of Grace’s grip: It proves that a strong grip isn’t necessary to hit the ball a long way. Just 5’10”, 170 pounds, Grace routinely ranks among Europe’s biggest drivers with an average poke of 300-plus yards.

Despite some pretty solid results on the greens, Branden Grace’s grip with the putter has changed. Having practiced the classic reverse overlap method early in his career, he switched to an unorthodox “pencil” style – a close cousin of the “claw” and similar to Sergio Garcia’s putting grip – in 2014.

Grace runs the forefinger of his left (top) hand down the handle, then lightly grasps the grip’s lower portion between right thumb and forefinger. It may look odd, but don’t knock it ’til you try it. Grace won the Alfred Dunhill Championship and the Qatar Masters after changing to the “pencil” grip.

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.