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What is the Vardon grip?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 16, 2026

The Vardon grip is also referred to as the overlap grip because the bottom hand's pinky finger on the shaft lies on top of the crease between the index and middle finger of the top hand, overlapping the hands.

What is the Harry Vardon grip?

In the Vardon grip, one places the little finger of the trailing hand (the one placed lower on the club – right hand for a right-handed player) in between the index and middle finger on the leading hand (the hand that is higher on the club). The leading-hand thumb should fit in the lifeline of the trailing hand.

Is the Vardon grip the best?

The more-common Vardon grip works better for players with large hands, since one of the fingers on the right hand has to wrap around the fingers of the left hand. With the interlocking grip, all of the fingers are close to the actual cushioned grip. Even the two interlocked fingers don't cause large gaps underneath.

Which golfers use the Vardon grip?

Who Uses It. Most male golfers, especially most good male golfers, use the Vardon grip (as do many female golfers). The overlapping grip is the grip of choice for most pro golfers—by some estimates, upwards of 90 percent of PGA Tour golfers use the Vardon grip.

Why Vardon grip is better?

Advantages. 1. It combines freedom and control – By making the hands a little more unified, the Vardon grip increases the amount of control you have over both wrists, helping them move as one but without reducing their freedom entirely.

34 related questions found

Do any PGA players use a 10 finger grip?

Scott Piercy is one of a handful of players on the PGA Tour with a 10-finger grip. In fact, since Bob Estes went to something else a few years back, Piercy is the only guy that I know of who still uses it. Most players either use an interlock grip or the overlap grip.

What grip does Tiger Woods use?

Many leading professional golfers, such as Tiger Woods use the interlocking grip. Place your hands on the golf club and intertwine your pinky finger on the trailing hand with the index finger on the lead hand. This is a good grip for people with smaller hands.

How does Phil Mickelson grip the club?

Phil Mickelson grip – the claw, that is – finds the right hand grasping the top of the club, his thumb extended down the shaft. With his left hand separated from the right, he cradles the handle lightly between the thumb, index and middle fingers.

Do all pro golfers lock their fingers?

Most golfers get told that they MUST interlock their fingers when they hold the golf club. This actually isn't necessary and tends to cause problems. Most golfers do this by getting their little finger and forefinger too deeply “locked” and often take their golf grip with their palms facing outward.

How does Tiger Woods grip his golf clubs?

Like with his idol Jack Nicklaus, Woods employs an interlocking grip rather than the Vardon or overlapping style most tour pros use. Woods has actually altered his grip position slightly over the years, ranging from neutral to mildly strong. Most recently (summer 2014), he's moved toward the strong side.

What grip does Rory McIlroy use?

McIlroy's grips are Golf Pride's Tour Velvet with two wraps of tape under the left hand and three wraps under where McIlroy places his right hand.

What grip does Jordan Spieth use?

Featuring a distinct pentagonal profile with a wide, flat front grip shape with five pronounced edges, the Traxion Flatso offers incredible stability, feel and feedback. The Flatso has been the grip of choice for Spieth in all three of his major championship victories.

What grip do most pro golfers use?

Golf pros use the overlap grip most commonly. The overlap grip helps golfers who have larger hands, and it helps to eliminate some grip pressure as well. If you are a player who struggles to get the grip pressure down, the overlap grip could be a good choice for you.

What does the Vardon grip look like?

The Vardon grip is also referred to as the overlap grip because the bottom hand's pinky finger on the shaft lies on top of the crease between the index and middle finger of the top hand, overlapping the hands.

Who invented the Vardon grip?

John Ernest Laidlay (5 November 1860 – 15 July 1940) was a Scottish amateur golfer. He invented the most popular golf grip used today, although the grip is credited to Harry Vardon, who took it up after Laidlay.

What grip does Bryson DeChambeau use?

There are many different quirks to Bryson DeChambeau's game and one of them is the size of his JumboMax JMX Ultralite grips throughout his bag. These grips are unorthodox but they are typical of DeChambeau. They are helpful for amateur golfers and professional golfers. They are huge grips.

Do you use same grip for driver and irons?

Yes, you should use the same grip for all of your shots with the exception of putting. It is important to have a solid grip and one that returns the clubface to square whether you are putting, chipping, pitching, hitting bunker shots or making full swings with your woods or irons.

How tight should grip be on golf club?

You should be holding the golf club with the same pressure you would hold a small bird: tight enough so it doesn't fly away, but soft enough so you don't crush it. You don't want to choke your club to death.

What grip did Jack Nicklaus use?

JACK SAYS: I've always used an interlocking grip.

How does Mickelson hit it so far?

Whilst fitness and diet seems to have helped - Mickelson has been fasting, detoxing and drinking a special kind of coffee - arguably the biggest reason why he can still drive it so far comes down to his long, free flowing swing.

How does Phil Mickelson hold his putter?

“The longer grip allows him to grip down a little more than the original wrist-lock grip.” The putter Mickelson used in Memphis, Tennessee, was 40.75 inches. By adding a quarter-inch to the putter and extending the grip, Mickelson is effectively “choking down” on the putter more.

How does Bubba Watson grip the club?

He says that Watson has his clubs re-gripped only twice a year, once in October and once shortly after the U.S. Open. Watson uses a Ping Gold grip, which is 1/32″ larger than a standard-sized grip. When he re-grips Watson's clubs, Udd cuts the old grips off carefully so he doesn't damage the tape underneath.

What grip does Adam Scott use?

He uses the left hand to anchor the top end to his upper chest. His right hand points downward, open and facing the target, gently holding the club between thumb and forefinger while the other fingers dangle to the side. This nearly pressure-free grip allows Scott to sweep the putter effortlessly back and through.

Is the interlocking grip better?

You need to pick a grip that ensures that you can release the golf club and stay connected throughout your entire swing. Although it is recommended that people with larger hands use the overlap and those with smaller hands use the interlock, there is no way to say that one is better than the other.

Should golf grip be in fingers?

Make sure that the grip is in the fingers of your left hand, not running too much through the palm of your hand. If the grip gets into the palm too much it will make it nearly impossible to use your wrists properly in your swing.