As a kid growing up, I played a ton of baseball. When I became a teenager, I was introduced to the game of golf. The transition from baseball to golf was incredibly difficult. The golf swing felt so unnatural. However, I was able to take one thing from baseball to make the golf swing a little less awkward. I gripped the golf club using a baseball golf grip.
The baseball golf grip is one of the three main grips golfers use when gripping the club. It involves gripping the golf club using all ten fingers similar to if you were gripping an actual baseball bat. All 10 fingers have a connection to the golf club. There is no interlocking or overlapping of the pinky/index fingers as in the other two golf grips.
The baseball golf grip is often overlooked but it does provide some advantages over the interlocking and overlapping grips. Keep reading to learn more about these advantages as well as how to correctly hold the club using this grip.
How to Hold Golf Club Using The Baseball Golf Grip?
This is the easiest of the golf grips to learn. If you’ve ever swung a baseball bat, it will be a piece of cake. If you haven’t swung a baseball bat, it will still be a piece of cake.
1. Pick up the golf club with the “lead” hand as if you were holding an umbrella. If you’re a right handed golfer, this will be your left hand. If you are a left handed golfer, then use your right hand. Ensure the grip is more in the fingers and not in the palm.
2. Now take the other hand, which is the “trail hand”, and grip the club above the “lead hand”. Again, grip it like an umbrella. Ensure the lifeline of the trail hand sits on the of the thumb of the lead hand. If done correctly, it will fit nice and snug.
3. An optional step, which will allow for a bit more control during the golf swing, is to hook the index finger of the trail hand onto the grip as if you had a knife and were chopping vegetables. The pressure point would be just below the knuckle of the index finger. Again, this is optional and doesn’t have to be done for the baseball golf grip to succeed.
And voila. You now have yourself the perfect baseball golf grip. As pictured, the grip is in a slightly strong position. I would recommend this if you’re slicing a lot of balls. A common cause (not the only) of this is not fully squaring the club through impact. A strong grip helps in that area.
Advantages of Baseball Golf Grip
The baseball golf grip provides two key advantages I’d like to highlight.
The first is the added power provided by using the baseball grip. The ability to have all fingers in connection with the golf grip is the key. Imagine swinging a baseball bat or an axe and having to interlock or overlap two fingers. Significant power would still be generated but the swings wouldn’t be quite as powerful as swinging it with all ten fingers on the grip. Same logic applies to the golf swing. Using the baseball grip allows the golfer to really whip the club through the impact zone with a powerful release.
The second advantage the baseball grip provides is less stress on the finger joints. This is especially true for golfers who may be dealing with arthritis in the fingers or other hand ailments. I have read countless comments on the interweb regarding how the baseball grip has literally allowed golfers with hand/finger issues to continue playing the game. And not only playing the game but actually improving! This is especially true for slicers of the golf ball.
Baseball Golf Grip Versus Interlocking Grip
The main difference between these two grips is the pinky and index fingers “interlock” with each other using the interlocking grip. As we know, all ten fingers are holding on to the handle with the baseball grip. Many golfers choose the interlocking grip to feel a more “connected” grip. With the interlocking of the fingers, the grip feels more like a single unit. Conversely, each hand of the baseball grip can sometimes feel like two working parts.
A negative of the interlocking grip could be a potential power loss when compared to the baseball grip. As mentioned earlier, the baseball grip allows for the most powerful release of the golf club of the three grips. However, if using the interlocking grip forces a golfer to swing more within themselves, then it’s a positive in my book. The distance lost in clubhead speed using the baseball grip could be made up by hitting the center of the club face more often using the interlocking grip.
I’ve also read and heard a lot about not using the interlocking grip if you have small hands. Well, I don’t have the biggest hands and I currently use the interlocking grip just fine. So take that with a grain of salt.
The interlocking grip is arguably the most popular grip among professional golfers. Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler use this grip. The great Jack Nicklaus used this grip in his playing days as well. This is also the preferred grip for LPGA stars Mingee Lee and Lydia Ko.
Baseball Golf Grip Versus Overlapping Grip
The main difference between these two grips is with the overlapping grip (also called the Vardon grip), nine fingers are connected to the club while all ten are connected with the baseball grip. With the overlapping grip, the pinky finger of the trail hand sits in the crevice of the index and middle finger on the lead hand. This grip would be considered the least “connected” of the three grips due to the uncoupled pinky finger. While overlapping is arguably the most comfortable grip, the lack of connection could lead to a golfer becoming “handsy” through impact.
Similarly to the interlocking grip, the overlapping grip is currently used by a number of professionals such as Phil Mickleson, Adam Scott and Sergio Garcia on the PGA/LIV golf tours and Jin Young Ko and Nelly Korda on the LPGA tour. Legends of the game, Ben Hogan and Arnold Palmer, also preferred this method.
Final Thoughts
The baseball golf grip is a great alternative if you find yourself struggling using the interlocking or overlapping grips. Although not widely used in the professional ranks today, it’s common place at the amateur level and for good reason. Added distance and less stress on the hands are a couple of the perks of using this grip. Arguably the greatest ball striker of all time, Moe Norman, used the baseball grip. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for me.