Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking
    Grip style: InterlockingJustin Thomas interlocking grip Hand position: NeutralJustin ThomasNeutral grip Putting grip style / hand position: Reverse overlapJustin Thomas reverse overlap grip

    Justin Thomas

    Justin Thomas grip is sample, straight forward, effective, and does not get in the way of a very aggressive fast swing that averages over 300 yards off the tee.

    To say that Thomas had gotten his year off to a good start would be an understatement. With such an impressive performance to start the year, many eyes in the golf world were watching to see what Thomas would be able to do in the majors. Surprisingly, his career-best finish in a major prior to this season was a tie for 18th in the 2015 PGA Championship. Through the first three majors of the year, Thomas was solid if unspectacular. He finished in a tie for 22nd at the Masters, posted his first major top ten with a T9 at the U.S. Open, and missed the cut at The Open Championship.

    So what golf grip styles does Justin Thomas use to grip his golf clubs?

  • Justin uses a interlocking grip style for woods and irons, with this style he can swing fast without the feeling of losing control.
  • Thomas uses a neutral hand position to help promote feel with accuracy.
  • He uses the very tested reverse overlap putting grip style that provides the feeling of both hands working together to keep the putter head perfectly square at impact.

    • Looking forward, it is hard to imagine anything but continued stardom for Justin Thomas. With a strong game and the confidence to perform in the big moments, the only thing standing in his way is some of the other young talent on Tour. Safe to say, given good health and proper motivation, Justin Thomas is going to be a staple of the professional golf world for a very long time to come.

    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.
vardon grip interlocking grip
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.
neutral grip weak grip
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.
strong grip reverse overlap
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.
cross handed Claw Grip