J.B. Holmes 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

J.B. Holmes’ grip may not set him apart from golf’s other big hitters. But his swing certainly does.

Make no mistake – Holmes’ grip is one of the strongest on tour. His left and right hands are turned so far away from the target that the “Vs” on both hands (formed by the thumbs and forefingers) point toward his right shoulder. Consider that a standard, neutral grip finds the “Vs” aligned with the sternum or right collarbone and you see how strong Holmes’ hold is.

But Harris English, Ryan Palmer and Dustin Johnson, among others, can match Holmes here. Where the Kentuckian is different is in his backswing – his wrists stay rigid and the club goes back only to about 80% of parallel. Yet he’s ranked among the PGA TOUR’s top 10 for driving distance every year since 2006, finishing No. 1 in 2011 with an average blast of 318.4 yards. Amazing.

Unfortunately, the muscular pro tends to struggle on the greens. J.B. Holmes’ grip with the putter has changed from a Vardon-style overlap to the more common reverse overlap employed by most of his peers. It certainly served him well at the 2014 Wells Fargo Championship. Holmes claimed the title for his third career win, but more importantly, his first victory since undergoing brain surgery in 2011.

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.