Edoardo Molinari Grip

Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking

Grip style: Vardon (overlapping)

Hand position: Neutral

Putting grip style / hand position: Cross-handed (left hand low)

Perfect. That’s Edoardo Molinari’s grip in a nutshell.

Much like his younger brother Francesco, Edoardo Molinari holds the golf club in classic neutral fashion. If you’re looking for a model to copy, look no further.

At address, the elder Molinari’s glove logo is nearly perpendicular to his target line, with very little angle formed at the wrist. Why is this significant? Because it allows Molinari to swing the club on plane without the need for compensating wrist or arm rotation.

His right hand squares up beautifully with the left. The mark of a neutral right hand grip is a “V” (formed by thumb and index finger) which aligns approximately with the club’s shaft. That’s what you see with Molinari.

At his best, such as his two-win 2010 season, Molinari is a terrific player from tee to green – reasonably long, deadly accurate. That speaks to the kind of consistency a neutral grip can foster.

His results with the putter are somewhat less reliable. On the greens, Edoardo Molinari’s grip is a straightforward, cross handed model. Unlike some cross-handers, he keeps the hands separated rather than joining the fingers at any point. Nonetheless, his grip does as intended – it cuts down unwanted wrist action and facilitates a stroke controlled by the arms and shoulders.

In 2005, Molinari became the first European to win the U.S. Amateur since 1911. There may be even bigger things ahead for the Italian star.

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.