Thomas Bjorn 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: Cross-handed (left hand low)

Does a mixed grip equal mixed results? Not if it’s Thomas Bjorn’s grip we’re talking about.

He may be best known for handing the 2003 Open Championship to Ben Curtis with a late Sunday mishap, but the amiable Dane has enjoyed a fine career nonetheless. Six top-10 finishes in majors, 18 European Tour victories and a pair of Ryder Cup berths is pretty heady stuff.

You don’t put together that kind of record with a faulty grip. That said, Bjorn holds the club in a slightly unorthodox manner. His left hand is in a strong position, turned to his right so that perhaps three knuckles appear to the face-on viewer. His right hand, however, is in the neutral slot: “V” between index finger and thumb pointing just a shade inside the handle, with a small yet notable angle or cup between wrist and hand.

Teachers call this a “mixed” grip as it’s a combination of different positions, in Bjorn’s case, strong and neutral. And it’s not as uncommon as you might think. Angel Cabrera, K.J. Choi and Ben Crane are among the pros employing similar grips.

On the other hand, there may not be another golfer who shares Thomas Bjorn’s grip on the putter. On first glance, he utilizes a standard cross-handed method. But closer inspection reveals that his right index finger is locked between his left pinky and ring finger – essentially, it’s a lefty’s interlocking grip.

Hey, don’t knock it. In fact, you may want to try it. In 2014, Bjorn ranked eighth on the European Tour in putts per greens in regulation – not bad for a guy who once switched to a long putter to cure the yips.

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.