Bill Haas Grip

Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking

Grip style: Vardon (overlapping)

Hand position: strong

Putting grip style / hand position: Reverse overlap / neutral

Bill Haas’ grip matches his swing: well-balanced and efficient.

It’s no surprise that the son of a PGA and Champions Tour pro (Jay Haas) would feature a fundamentally sound grip and swing. In fact, the younger Haas may be more technically proficient than his dad.

Bill Haas is a big guy (6’2”, 185 pounds) with big hands. He wraps them lightly around the club, with perhaps a bit more finger contact between left hand and handle than you usually see. The back of his left hand points a bit right of his target, indicating its rotation into a strong position. Haas’ right hand is a mirror image – it’s tucked just under the club, the “V” between thumb and index finger directed just inside his arm to the shoulder.

This solid grip has helped Haas become one of golf’s steadiest ballstrikers. He routinely ranks high on the list for total driving (distance plus accuracy) and greens in regulation.

He’s a decent putter too, ranking on the plus side in strokes gained putting from 2011-14. On the greens, Bill Haas’ grip is soft and unified. There’s no discernible tension in his hands or forearms, allowing him to stroke every putt smoothly. Haas doesn’t clasp his hands so closely together as to diminish his feel, but still achieves a classic arms and shoulders stroke with little to no wrist action.

With fundamentals like these, Bill Haas should maintain a consistent leaderboard presence for many years.

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.