Interlocking Golf Grip:
How to Set It Up (And Who Should Use It)

The interlocking grip is one of three standard ways to hold a golf club — and it's the one used by more major champions than any other. The core idea is simple: the pinky finger of your trail hand (right hand for right-handed golfers) interlocks — literally weaves between — the index and middle fingers of your lead hand (left hand for right-handed golfers). This physical connection binds your two hands together into a single unit, so they work in unison throughout the swing rather than fighting each other.

If you've never tried it, imagine shaking hands with the club rather than just holding it. Your lead hand goes on first, wrapping around the grip with the club running diagonally across the base of your fingers. Then your trail hand joins from underneath, and instead of simply resting the pinky on top of your lead hand (that's the overlap grip), you thread the pinky between two fingers so the hands are physically linked together. Once locked in, your hands can't separate during the swing — not at the top of the backswing when centrifugal force is pulling the club away from you, and not during the rapid acceleration of the downswing when timing matters most.

This connection isn't just mechanical — it's psychological. When your hands are interlocked, there's no decision to make about which hand controls the swing. They're one unit. The lead hand guides, the trail hand supports, and the interlock prevents either hand from dominating. That's why so many instructors recommend it for beginners who tend to let their dominant (trail) hand take over and produce inconsistent results.

The three golf grips, in brief: interlock (pinky threads between fingers — Tiger, Nicklaus, Rory), overlap (pinky rests on top of the gap — Phil, Hogan, most tour pros), and ten-finger/baseball (all ten fingers on the grip — common for juniors and beginners). Each has legitimate advantages, but the interlock is probably the best starting point for most golfers — and the data backs that up. Surveys of PGA Tour players show the interlock and overlap are used in roughly equal proportions, with the interlock slightly more popular among players who started golf young or have smaller-than-average hands.

Grab a club and follow along. I'll walk you through this one hand at a time, exactly how I'd teach it on a lesson tee. Take your time — a grip change feels awkward for the first few days but becomes natural surprisingly fast once your hands learn the position.

Step 1: Position the lead hand (left hand for righties)

Hold the club in front of you with the face square. Place the grip diagonally across the base of your left-hand fingers — it should run from the middle joint of your index finger to just beneath the fleshy heel pad of your palm. This is critical. The club should NOT sit in the palm of your hand. A palm grip locks your wrists and kills your ability to hinge and release the club properly. You want it in the fingers where you have maximum mobility and feel.

Close your fingers around the grip. Your thumb should rest just slightly to the right of the top-center of the grip (not directly on top). Now look down. You should see two to three knuckles on your left hand. If you can only see one knuckle, your hand is rotated too far to the left (weak position). If you can see four, it's rotated too far to the right (overly strong). Two to three is the sweet spot. The V formed by your thumb and index finger should point toward your right shoulder.

Step 2: Establish the grip pressure in your lead hand

Here's what most golfers get wrong — they grip the club like they're trying to strangle it. On a scale of 1 to 10 (where 10 is maximum death grip), your overall pressure should be about a 4. But the pressure isn't evenly distributed. The last three fingers of your left hand (middle, ring, pinky) provide the primary hold on the club. These three fingers should be at about a 5-6. Your index finger and thumb are lighter — more like a 2-3. They're guides, not anchors. This pressure distribution gives you security without tension — the club won't fly out of your hands, but your wrists stay free to hinge and release naturally.

Step 3: Place the trail hand (right hand for righties) with the interlock

Open your right hand with the palm facing the target. Now here's the key move: take your right pinky finger and thread it between the index finger and middle finger of your left hand. Not on top — between. The pinky should nestle into the gap so that the two hands are physically linked together. If it helps, think of it like interlacing your fingers when you fold your hands together — except only one finger crosses over.

With the pinky interlocked, wrap the rest of your right hand around the grip. Your right palm should cover your left thumb — the lifeline of your right hand (that crease running from between your thumb and index finger down to your wrist) should sit directly on top of the left thumb. Your right thumb rests slightly to the left of the top-center of the grip, forming a mirror image of the left thumb's position.

Step 4: Check the V-lines

Look down at your completed grip. Both hands should show V-shapes formed between the thumbs and index fingers. Both Vs should point in roughly the same direction — toward your right shoulder (for a neutral grip) or slightly outside it (for a slightly strong grip). If the Vs point in different directions, one hand is rotated relative to the other, and that mismatch will cause inconsistency through impact. Parallel Vs mean your hands are working as a true unit.

Step 5: Final check — the "waggle" test

With the grip complete, waggle the club back and forth a few times. The club should feel like a natural extension of your arms — not something you're holding away from your body. Your wrists should hinge freely in both directions without any feeling of restriction. If the club feels "stuck" or your wrists feel locked, your grip pressure is too tight or the club isn't positioned far enough in the fingers. Loosen up and start over from Step 1.

One last thing: the grip will feel strange for the first 50-100 swings if you're switching from another grip style. That's normal. Your brain has built muscle memory around whatever you were doing before, and any change — even a correct one — initially feels wrong. Give it a full week of range sessions (at least 200-300 balls) before evaluating whether it's working. Most golfers who commit to the change report that the interlock feels completely natural within 7-10 days.

There are real, measurable reasons why so many elite golfers choose the interlock over the alternatives. These aren't vague "feel" benefits — they're mechanical advantages that show up in swing data and ball flight patterns.

Hands work as a single unit. The physical connection between the pinky and the lead-hand fingers prevents the hands from separating during the swing. This matters most at two critical moments: the top of the backswing (where the club is trying to pull your hands apart) and the transition into the downswing (where the rapid acceleration can cause the trail hand to "take over"). When your hands are interlocked, separation is physically impossible. The result is more consistent face control through impact because both hands are always delivering the club together.

Prevents trail-hand dominance. This is the big one for most recreational golfers. The most common amateur fault is letting the right hand (for righties) overpower the left through impact — flipping the club, casting from the top, or scooping at the ball. The interlock resists this because it anchors the trail hand's pinky into the lead hand, creating a physical reminder that the lead hand leads. Golfers who switch from a ten-finger grip to an interlock often report an immediate reduction in hooks and pulled shots caused by an overactive right hand.

Excellent for smaller hands. If you have smaller-than-average hands, the overlap grip can feel like your pinky is just floating on top of your lead hand with no real connection. The interlock solves this by wedging the pinky into a secure pocket between two fingers. It's physically impossible for the hands to slide apart. This is one reason the interlock is slightly more popular among female golfers and junior players — not because it's "easier," but because it provides a more secure connection for hands that don't have the finger length to make the overlap feel solid.

Improved wrist hinge. Because the interlock positions the hands tightly together with minimal gap between them, it promotes a more compact wrist structure that can hinge and unhinge cleanly. Golfers with the interlock tend to produce slightly more lag in the downswing (the angle between the club shaft and the lead forearm) because the connected hands create a firmer lever that resists premature release. More lag means more stored energy that's delivered at impact rather than wasted early in the downswing.

Consistency under pressure. When you're nervous — first tee, money match, tight fairway — your grip pressure instinctively increases. With a ten-finger grip or a loose overlap, increased pressure can cause the hands to shift position during the swing. The interlock is self-correcting: the physical interlace holds the hands in position regardless of how tight you grip. This is why so many competitive golfers prefer it — it's the grip that's least likely to fail when the pressure is on.

Tour-proven. Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Rory McIlroy, Tom Watson, John Daly — the list of major champions who use the interlock is enormous. Combined, these players have won over 50 major championships with interlocking grips. That doesn't mean it's inherently "better" than the overlap (Phil Mickelson and Ben Hogan prove otherwise), but it does prove conclusively that the interlock places no ceiling on potential performance. Whatever your goals in golf — from breaking 100 to competing at the highest levels — the interlocking grip will not hold you back.

I'd be dishonest if I told you the interlock is perfect for everyone. It has legitimate drawbacks, and you should know about them before committing to a grip change.

Initial discomfort. The interlock puts your pinky in an unusual position — wedged between two other fingers under pressure. For the first few days (sometimes up to a week), this can produce genuine discomfort or even mild soreness in the pinky and the surrounding knuckle area. This is normal and temporary. Your fingers will adapt. But if you're expecting the grip to feel great from day one, you'll be disappointed. Most golfers describe the first 3-5 range sessions as "weird" before it starts feeling natural. Push through the adjustment period — it's worth it.

Finger pain for some golfers. A small percentage of golfers — particularly those with arthritis, previous finger injuries, or naturally stiff finger joints — experience persistent discomfort with the interlock that doesn't go away after the adjustment period. If you're over 60 or have joint issues in your hands, the overlap or ten-finger grip may be more comfortable long-term. There's no shame in choosing comfort — a grip that hurts is a grip you'll unconsciously loosen during the swing, which defeats the purpose.

Can feel "locked up." Some golfers report that the interlock makes their hands feel too connected — almost rigid. This is typically a symptom of gripping too tightly rather than a flaw of the grip style itself, but it's worth noting. If you naturally grip the club very firmly, the interlock can exaggerate the feeling of tension because both hands are physically bound together. The fix is to consciously lighten your grip pressure (remember: 4 out of 10), but some golfers find this easier said than done.

Slightly reduced "feel" for delicate shots. Around the greens — chipping, pitching, bunker play — some golfers prefer the slightly softer connection of the overlap because it allows more independent hand movement and finer touch. The interlock's greatest strength (locking the hands together) can be a slight disadvantage when you need the precise, delicate hand action that short-game shots require. That said, most golfers use the same grip for all shots, and the interlock works perfectly well around the greens with practice. It's a marginal disadvantage, not a disqualifying one.

Harder to adjust mid-round. If you need to make a quick grip adjustment on the course — strengthening slightly for a draw, weakening for a fade — the interlock takes a fraction longer to set up than the overlap because you have to thread the pinky into position each time. This is a minor inconvenience that most golfers don't notice, but shot-shapers who frequently adjust their grip for different ball flights may prefer the quicker setup of the overlap.

This is the question every golfer eventually asks, and the honest answer is that the differences are smaller than most instruction makes them seem. Both grips are tour-proven, both produce major championships, and both work for a wide range of hand sizes and swing types. But there are real differences, and understanding them helps you pick the one that matches your hands, your tendencies, and your priorities.

The mechanical difference: In the interlock, the trail-hand pinky threads between two fingers on the lead hand. In the overlap (also called the Vardon grip), the trail-hand pinky simply rests on top of the gap between the lead hand's index and middle fingers. That's the entire physical difference. One is woven in, the other sits on top. But that small change produces different consequences.

Connection strength: The interlock creates a stronger physical bond between the hands. It's nearly impossible for the hands to separate during the swing. The overlap relies on pressure and positioning rather than a physical link — which means it can come apart under high grip pressure or when the golfer gets tired late in a round. Advantage: interlock.

Hand independence: The overlap allows slightly more independent movement between the two hands. This gives some golfers better "feel" — the ability to sense the club head position throughout the swing and make subtle adjustments. Shot-shapers who frequently work the ball both ways sometimes prefer the overlap for this reason. Advantage: overlap.

Comfort for hand size: Small hands generally prefer the interlock because the threading creates a secure connection even when the fingers aren't long enough to make the overlap feel solid. Large hands generally prefer the overlap because the pinky has somewhere comfortable to rest without being forced into a tight space. Average hands can go either way. If you wear a men's medium golf glove, both grips should feel equally natural — pick based on the other factors.

Trail-hand control: The interlock restricts trail-hand dominance more effectively. If you tend to flip, cast, or overpower with your right hand (for righties), the interlock provides more resistance to those tendencies. The overlap gives the trail hand slightly more freedom — which is great if your trail hand is well-behaved, and problematic if it isn't.

Tension levels: Golfers who naturally grip the club tightly may find the interlock amplifies tension (since the hands are physically locked together). The overlap allows a slightly softer, more relaxed hold because the pinky isn't wedged into a gap. If grip tension is something you fight, the overlap may feel more natural.

The verdict: Neither grip is objectively "better." Choose the interlock if you have smaller hands, tend to let your trail hand dominate, or prioritize maximum hand connection and consistency. Choose the overlap if you have larger hands, prioritize feel and touch, or naturally play with very light grip pressure. The single best test: try both for a week each on the range and see which one produces more consistent contact and more comfortable swings. Your hands will tell you.

The interlock isn't the right grip for every golfer, but it's the right grip for a lot of them. Here's who benefits most from making the switch.

Beginners. If you're new to golf and haven't built muscle memory around any particular grip style, start with the interlock. It teaches your hands to work as a unit from day one, prevents the trail-hand dominance that causes most beginner faults (scooping, flipping, casting), and provides a secure connection that won't fall apart as you learn. Starting with the interlock means you never have to switch later — you build correct habits from the beginning.

Golfers with smaller hands. If you wear a men's small or women's medium glove, the interlock will feel significantly more secure than the overlap. The threading mechanism compensates for shorter finger length by physically binding the hands together regardless of how much finger surface area is available. You won't have to worry about the pinky sliding off during the swing — it's locked in place.

Slicers and golfers with an overactive trail hand. If your miss is a slice or a pull-hook caused by the right hand flipping through impact, the interlock restricts that trail-hand takeover more effectively than any other grip. The physical connection between the pinky and the lead-hand fingers creates resistance to independent trail-hand action, promoting a more unified release pattern that produces straighter shots.

Golfers who want maximum consistency. The interlock is the most "self-correcting" grip style because the physical link holds your hand positions stable regardless of grip pressure changes, fatigue, or nervousness. If you play competitive golf and need a grip that performs identically on the first tee as it does on the 18th green, the interlock's built-in stability is a meaningful advantage.

Junior golfers transitioning from a ten-finger grip. The ten-finger (baseball) grip is standard for young golfers whose hands aren't large enough for overlap or interlock. When a junior outgrows the ten-finger grip (usually around age 12-14), the interlock is the most natural transition because it only changes one finger position — the pinky moves from being on the grip to being threaded between fingers. The overlap requires more hand repositioning and often feels less secure during the transition period.

Golfers who slice. I keep coming back to this because it's so common. The interlock promotes lead-hand dominance through impact, which encourages a square or slightly closed face at contact. If you've been fighting a slice and your grip style is part of the problem (ten-finger grips are notorious for allowing right-hand dominance), switching to the interlock can be part of the solution. It won't fix a slice by itself — you still need to address path — but it removes one contributing factor. See our complete slice fix guide for the full correction sequence.

I've watched hundreds of golfers try to set up the interlocking grip, and the same mistakes come up over and over. Here's what to avoid and how to fix each one.

Mistake 1: Interlocking too deep. The most common error is jamming the pinky too far between the lead-hand fingers, past the first knuckle. This forces the hands apart rather than together and creates a gap between the two hands on the grip. The pinky should only interlock to the first knuckle joint — just enough to create a secure link without separating the hands. If you see daylight between your two hands when you look down, your interlock is too deep.

Mistake 2: Gripping in the palm instead of the fingers. This isn't specific to the interlock, but it's especially damaging with this grip style because a palm grip combined with the interlock creates maximum rigidity. The club must sit in the fingers — running diagonally from the base of the index finger to beneath the heel pad. A finger grip preserves wrist mobility. A palm grip locks everything up and produces a stiff, armsy swing that generates no speed.

Mistake 3: Grip pressure too tight. The interlock already provides a secure connection — you don't need to squeeze hard to keep the club in your hands. Excessive grip pressure (7+ on a 10 scale) creates tension that travels up your forearms, into your shoulders, and kills your swing speed. Remember: 4 out of 10 overall pressure, with the last three fingers of your lead hand doing most of the work. The interlock holds itself together — let it do its job.

Mistake 4: Trail hand rotated too far under the grip. When the right hand (for righties) sits too far underneath the grip — with the right palm facing the sky at address — the result is an overly "strong" position that promotes excessive face closure and hooks. With the interlock, the right palm should face roughly toward the target at address, and the V of the right hand should point toward the right shoulder, parallel to the left-hand V. If your right-hand V points outside your right arm, you've gone too far under.

Mistake 5: Thumb placement too far on top. Both thumbs should be slightly offset from the top-center of the grip — left thumb slightly right of center, right thumb slightly left of center. Placing either thumb directly on top of the grip (pointing straight down the shaft) creates an unstable platform at the top of the backswing where the club can slip. The slight offset gives the thumbs a "shelf" to support the club weight at the top, preventing it from crossing the line or dropping below parallel.

Mistake 6: Giving up too early. This isn't a mechanical mistake — it's a patience mistake. The interlock will feel weird for 3-7 days if you're switching from another grip. I've seen golfers try it for two range sessions, decide it "doesn't work" because their shots are inconsistent, and go back to their old grip. Of course it's inconsistent initially — you're fighting years of muscle memory. Commit to a full 7-10 days (minimum 300 balls) before making a judgment. The first three days don't count as evidence of anything except an adjustment period.

The quick self-check: After setting your grip, hold the club at waist height in front of you and have a friend try to twist the club in your hands. If the club rotates easily, your grip is too much in the palm or your pressure is too light on the lead-hand fingers. If the club feels welded in place but your forearms are visibly tense, your pressure is too tight. The ideal feel is "secure but soft" — the club won't twist under force, but your arms and shoulders feel relaxed. That's the grip you want to take to the course.