Danny Willett 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: Cross-handed (left hand low)

Danny Willett’s grip may rival those of Ryan Palmer, Bubba Watson and Mikko Ilonen as the strongest in golf. In fact, it would be difficult to turn one’s left hand any father right and still swing effectively.

A veteran pro from England with a pair of European Tour wins to his credit (as of February 2015), Willett is hardly a household name. He is, however, a solid all-around player whose methods merit study.

Any analysis should start with Willett’s grip. Setting up to the ball, the back of Willett’s left hand is practically on top of the club’s handle. In fact, all four top knuckles are easily visible in a face-on view. His right hand, likewise, is rotated well to his right so that the wrist bows slightly outward at the joint.

This is a power-hitter’s grip, and Willett is certainly long: He averaged 296 yards per drive in 2014. Yet he’s also reasonably accurate, especially on approach shots. In other words, it’s possible to hit the ball straight with a super-strong grip.

On the greens, Danny Willett’s grip has varied between a cross handed style and an unconventional triple overlap. What’s a triple overlap? Essentially, it’s a homemade method where Willett places the middle, ring and little fingers of his right hand over the corresponding digits on his left. The idea is to unite the hands and eliminate as much wrist movement as possible.

Ryan Moore employs a similar putting grip, but with only two fingers overlapping.

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.