Ryan Palmer Grip

Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking

Grip style: Interlocking

Hand position: strong

Putting grip style / hand position: Reverse overlap / neutral

There are strong grips, and then there’s Ryan Palmer’s grip. In an era when many top pros turn the hands to the right on the handle, Palmer may be the poster child for ultra-strong grippers.

A face-on picture of Palmer at address shows just how extreme his grip is. The left hand is rotated so far right (away from the target) that the viewer can see every knuckle on the back of the hand. Also note that the “V” between left thumb and index finger points toward Palmer’s right shoulder. That’s pretty darn strong.

Here’s the amazing part – Palmer’s right hand grip is even stronger than his left. With a standard neutral grip, the back of the right hand and wrist will form an angle, or cup, whereas the strong right hand gripper typically shows a straight line between the back of the hand and wrist. Palmer’s right hand is turned so far underneath the handle that his right wrist is actually bowed outward, pointing his thumb/forefinger “V” outside his right shoulder.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is one strong grip.

With putter in hands, Ryan Palmer’s grip is much more conventional. His method isn’t without its quirks, however. For starters Palmer uses the same putter he first put in play at Texas A&M in 1998. (Few tour pros hang on to a piece of equipment for so long.) It’s also a 34” model, one inch shorter than standard and especially short given Palmer’s 5’11” height.

Once into his crouched stance, Palmer makes an exaggerated “forward press,” moving his hands toward the target until his left wrist bows. The technique has worked well in recent years: Palmer ranked among the PGA TOUR’s top 40 in strokes gained putting from 2012-14.

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.