Which grip is best? With all the opinions from friends, family, social media–even pros–knowing which golf grip is best for your game can be a headache. So many options to choose from! Here we’ll break down the ten finger grip and explain its strengths and weaknesses and who it’s best for.
What is the Ten-Finger Golf Grip?
Often nicknamed the “the baseball grip,” the ten-finger golf grip requires all 10 fingers to make contact with the club. It is the easiest grip to use, and optimizes for maximum leverage from the arms to deliver increased power and distance. As a grip it makes sense, since it’s usually the most intuitive grip that golfers take when placing their hands on the club.
How to Correctly Use the Ten-Finger Golf Grip
- Take the golf club and put your non-dominant hand (your leading hand) on the grip under the club at the end of grip closest to the head.
- With your dominant hand (your trailing hand) wrap your fingers above the other hand. Your non-dominant thumb should be place in a thumbs-up position pointed towards the head of the club. Your dominant hand’s right little finger should be touching the side of your non-dominant hand’s left index finger.
- Position your dominant thumb slightly pointing to the left, while your non-dominant thumb points slightly to the right.
- As you swing, rotate your forearms like you’re swinging a baseball bat.
The Ten-Finger Golf Grip Offers Power
“The Ten-Finger Golf Grip Offers Power” might sound like we’re about to offer you an ancient magical artifact that will enable you to conquer the universe, but what we’re actually talking about is the fact that when a player performs the ten finger grip, all 10 fingers make contact with the club. That means each individual finger is adding to the strength of the swing. At the point of contact the leading hand works to produce maximum power to the clubface.
For this reason, many coaches consider the grip optimal for the driver and irons. Seniors, or others with weaker joints may find the ten finger method helpful as it can help compensate for lack of strength.
Other Tips For a Killer Ten-Finger Grip:
- Also try pointing your thumbs down towards the bottom of the club if it feels better, allowing the top thumb to be covered by the bottom hand a little
- The index finger of your top hand should be touching your bottom pinky.
- Lift your heel on the backswing. This can add additional power to your shot.
- Consider purchasing a thicker grip for your club. This allows more room for your hands will yield maximum results from the tip.
- With this golf grip and any other you try, consider doing a session with Gears Golf Biomechanics equipment. Our leading-edge technology tracks every movement of your body and shows you where your swing movements are off and how they can be better optimized.
Advantages of the Ten-Finger Grip
Some other perks of the ten finger grip:
- Good for kids who can’t fit their hands around the club
- Better distance per shot usually
- Beginner friendly
- Most natural feeling
- Increased backspin(perfect for sand traps)
- Direct control over clubface
Disadvantages of the Ten-Finger Grip
While the ten-finger grip is optimal for beginners, seniors, and children, it simply doesn’t fit every golfer’s needs. Here’s why:
- It can be difficult to balance both hands. Other golf grips work to even the power distribution between the leading and trailing hand on contact, but the ten-finger grip increases the chance of a slice or draw.
- The ten-finger grip can easily interrupt the swing sequence. It sometimes encourages beginners to initiate the right hand too early, throwing off shot timing.
- The ten-finger grip offers limited control. Because the grip is optimized for power, it doesn’t provide accurate ball placement as well as other grips.
- The ten-finger grip can cause excessive spin. Hopefully, you’re not regularly shooting out of a sand trap. Some shots require less spin than the ten-finger grip yields; in different situations other grips may serve better.
The Ten-Finger Grip vs. Other Grips
The ten-finger grip is ideal for those who are new to the fairway, but an experienced golfer might benefit more from some of the more advanced grips.
The Interlocking Grip
The Interlocking grip is performed by interlocking the pinky finger of your bottom hand with the index finger of your top hand.
The Interlocking grip offers greater control in the swing. It serves as a sort of happy medium; your maximum power is reduced, but your control increases.
The Overlap Grip
The overlap grip is another alternative. To perform the overlap grip, place the pinky of your bottom hand on the knuckle between the middle and index finger of your top hand.
The overlap grip is most popular among professionals and advanced amateur golfers. If you make up for it with rotation power, you’ll be able to shoot a similar distance with better shot placement.
Which Grip Is Best for Me?
Every golfer is different, so it’s good to experiment a bit. Most golfers try different grips for the first couple of months, and then select one to use long-term.
Meeting with a golf professional will help you lay the foundation to find the perfect grip and fine tune it to your biomechanics. As previously mentioned, Gears golf swing professionals can help you find the right grip for you, and correct your swing with measurements as accurate as 0.2mm.
What Grip Do Most Pros Use?
Even among the pros, golf is a sport of variability. There’s no one standard grip among professionals, yet the interlocking and overlap grip tend to prevail.
Pros prefer these to the ten-finger grip, because they put less strain on the fingers. A light grip allows for a smoother swing, more powerful rotation, and faster ball speed: something that is critical to make proper, accurate golf shots.
Choosing the right golf grip can go a long way towards elevating your game. With a little bit of effort, practice and guidance from trainers, try out the different grips until you settle on the one that feels right.
