Vijay Singh Grip

Pros and Cons of Every Golf Grip Style

Best Grip? Overlapping vs Interlocking

Grip style: Vardon (overlapping)

Hand position: Slightly strong

Putting grip style / hand position: Varies between conventional and “claw”

Any golfer with large hands would be wise to emulate Vijay Singh’s grip… Though not necessarily his grasp of the club.

A big man with huge mitts, Singh employs the overlapping method preferred by most players with oversized hands. Many find it’s simply more comfortable than the interlocking method. Singh’s grip is turned into a mildly strong position, with his left knuckles tilted slightly upward at address. This position isn’t so pronounced, however, that Singh must rely on drastic swing compensations to prevent hooks and hit accurate shots.

There is one oddity about the way Singh holds the club. Or rather, doesn’t hold it. As his hands pass through impact, Singh’s right palm often leaves the club entirely, with only his right thumb and forefinger attached. His extra-long extension with the right arm causes this unusual – though hardly damaging – swing quirk.

Speaking of quirks, Vijay Singh’s grip with the putter seems to change every week. He’s gone from conventional to cross-handed, used belly and long putters and, as of this writing (late 2014), he’s employing a “claw” grip similar to that popularized by Chris DiMarco.

Is the claw a last resort for Singh, a three-time major champion now competing on both the PGA and Champions Tours? Probably not. More likely, it’s just another attempt to solve his career-long putting inconsistencies. No doubt this inveterate practice addict will move on to a new putting grip any day now.

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.