Jay Haas 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

Like son, like father? Not when it comes to holding the golf club.

Jay Haas’ grip, unlike his son Bill’s, is an interlocking model in neutral mode. This may well be a sign of a generation gap. When Jay turned pro in 1976, neutral grips were much more in vogue than in Bill’s day, when the power-producing strong grip rules.

At address, the elder Haas displays a beautifully matching pair of hands. The back of his left hand is nearly perpendicular to the target line, his glove’s logo pointing at the target. The “V” on Haas’ right hand (check the base of the thumb and index finger) is aligned with the club’s handle.

Given his solid grip, it’s no surprise Haas was one of the PGA TOUR’s straightest hitters, a distinction he carried to the Champions Tour in 2004. A nine-time winner on the youngsters’ set who’s claimed 17 titles as a senior, Haas is also noted for the unusual pause at the top of his backswing.

As with the full-swing grip, father and son also diverge on the greens. Jay Haas’ grip with the putter is a reverse overlap job, like his son’s, but with the hands in strong positions (whereas Bill’s are neutral).

If you have a hard time releasing the blade through impact – perhaps you tend to push your putts right of the cup – try rolling your hands a touch to the right on the handle. It works for Jay Haas. He ranked among the Champions Tour’s top 20 in putting average every year from 2007-14, finishing third at age 60 in 2014.

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.