Patrick Reed 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: Reverse overlap / neutral

Patrick Reed’s grip position may be neutral, but his career is in overdrive.

Winner of three tournaments from August 2013 through March 2014, the Augusta State product enjoyed a breakout stretch at the ripe old age of 23. His results tailed off a bit as the season progressed, but Reed finished strong in the United States team’s losing Ryder Cup bid.

Reed has earned lots of attention for his oft-brash proclamations and a left foot that slides off its moorings during his follow-through. What goes unnoticed is Reed’s fundamentally sound grip.

At address, Reed’s muscular hands rest very lightly on the club – no tension whatsoever. The back of his left hand faces the target, with the right hand in parallel position. Perfect. The only oddity, and it’s a very small one, is the placement of Reed’s right thumb on top of the handle. It’s more conventional to place the thumb at a diagonal across the grip and intersecting with the tip of the forefinger.

With the putter, Patrick Reed’s grip shows a similar style – neutral, with the hands directly facing each other. This allows the hands, arms and shoulders to work in harmony, back and through. Assuming ball position is correct, the putter face will follow a square (arced) path on the backstroke, into and beyond the ball.

If you want to make the golf swing and putting stroke as simple as possible, a neutral grip is the way to go.

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.