What is the proper way to grip a golf club?

A fundamentally sound golf grip usually means the club sits more in the fingers than the palm of the lead hand, with the lead thumb slightly right of center on the grip for a right-handed golfer. The trail hand then sits on from the side, lifeline over the lead thumb, with both hands working together as one unit.

Should I use an overlapping, interlocking, or 10-finger grip?

Most golfers use either an overlapping (Vardon) or interlocking grip. The 10-finger grip can work, especially for newer or junior golfers. What matters most is that your hands stay connected, work together, and produce a neutral clubface at impact, rather than which specific style you choose.

How tight should my golf grip be?

Your grip should be firm enough that you don’t lose control of the club, but not so tight that your arms and shoulders tense up. Many coaches suggest something like 4 or 5 out of 10 on a pressure scale—secure in the fingers, relaxed in the wrists and forearms.

Do grip trainers really help my golf swing?

Golf grip trainers can help you build consistent hand placement and pressure by giving you clear reference points. Used regularly, they make a neutral grip feel natural, which can reduce slices, hooks, and mishits caused purely by poor hand position.

Golf Basics · Fundamentals

How to properly grip a golf club (without overthinking it)

A good golf swing starts with a good grip. It doesn’t have to look textbook-perfect, but your hands do need to work together so the clubface can return to the ball in a predictable way. Get the grip wrong and you’ll spend a lot of time fighting slices, hooks, and “I swear I made a good swing” shots.

On this page we’ll walk through a simple, neutral grip you can copy, the main grip styles (overlap, interlock, 10-finger), how tight to hold the club, common mistakes, and a short list of golf grip trainers from Amazon that can help you lock in the feel at home or on the range.

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Why your grip matters so much

Your grip is the only contact point between you and the club. If it’s out of position, the clubface is fighting you the whole way down. Instead of making a simple, athletic swing, you’re subconsciously twisting and manipulating the club to keep the ball on the planet.

Controls clubface angle

A grip that’s too weak or strong twists the face open or closed. A neutral grip makes it easier to square the club without last-second manipulations and “flip” moves at impact.

Influences swing path

Many over-the-top slices come from a grip that makes it almost impossible to release the club, so players reroute the swing just to try to make contact.

Builds consistency

When your hands go on the club the same way every time, your body can repeat the motion more easily. That’s when distance control and accuracy start to improve together.

The good news: fixing your grip doesn’t require strength, flexibility, or a new swing. It’s mostly awareness and a bit of repetition—exactly where grip trainers can help.

Step 1: build a neutral grip (right-handed example)

There are a few variations that all work, but this neutral blueprint is a great starting point for most right-handed golfers. Left-handers can flip the instructions.

Lead hand (left hand for right-handed golfers)

Hold the club out in front of you. Clubface square, shaft at a slight downward angle.
Place the grip across your fingers. It should run diagonally from the base of your index finger toward the pad under your pinky, not straight across the palm.
Wrap your fingers around. Your last three fingers do most of the holding; the index finger is more of a trigger.
Set your thumb just right of center. Looking down, you should see 2–3 knuckles and the “V” formed by thumb and index finger should point roughly between your right ear and right shoulder.

Trail hand (right hand for right-handed golfers)

Approach from the side, not underneath. The trail hand comes in from the right side of the grip.
Lifeline over the lead thumb. The pad in the middle of your right palm should sit comfortably on top of your left thumb.
Fingers wrap around. The right index finger forms a trigger, and the thumb rests slightly left of center down the grip.
“V”s match. The “V” between thumb and index finger on both hands should point in a similar direction (roughly toward your right shoulder).

Do this slowly at home a few times a day without even hitting balls. Over a couple of weeks, the grip will start to feel natural instead of forced.

Step 2: pick a grip style that fits your hands

The relationship between your hands matters more than the exact style, but these are the three main options.

Overlapping (Vardon) grip

Right-hand pinky rests on top of the gap between left index and middle fingers.
Most common on tour and among experienced players.
Good if your hands are average to large and you don’t want them to feel too “locked” together.

Interlocking grip

Right-hand pinky hooks between the left index and middle fingers.
Popular for players with smaller hands or who like a very connected feel.
Watch that you don’t squeeze too tightly where the fingers interlock.

10-finger (baseball) grip

All 10 fingers are on the club with no overlap or interlock.
Common for beginners, juniors, or players with hand or joint issues.
Can absolutely work if the hand positions and clubface are under control.

Step 3: grip pressure and what to avoid

You can have the right grip style and still run into trouble if you’re choking the club to death or letting it flop around. Pressure and balance matter.

How tight should you hold it?

Imagine squeezing a tube of toothpaste without making a mess—firm but not white-knuckle tight.
Most of the pressure is in the last three fingers of the lead hand and the middle two fingers of the trail hand.
Wrist and forearm tension is your enemy; the club should feel secure but swing freely.

Common grip mistakes

Too much in the palms. Limits wrist hinge and kills clubhead speed.
Super weak grip. Knuckles barely visible, “V”s pointing at your chin—often leads to slices.
Super strong grip. Many knuckles showing, “V”s far right—can produce low hooks if not matched with your swing.
Inconsistent hand placement. Hands go on differently every swing, so the ball can go anywhere.

Golf grip trainers that make the right grip feel automatic

You can absolutely learn a proper grip with just a club, a mirror, and a bit of patience. Grip trainers simply make that process easier by giving you physical guides: molded shapes, alignment markings, or tools that keep your hands working together.

Below are some golf grip trainers pulled from Amazon, limited to the top 10 by customer rating in our grip feed. They can help you:

Find consistent hand placement every time you pick up a club.
Train neutral grip positions that reduce slices and hooks.
Practice at home without needing a full swing or hitting balls.

As always, prices and availability change quickly. Click through to see current details, reviews, and specs.

A few standout golf grip trainers

These are three of the highest-rated grip trainers from our top 10 list. They’re a solid starting point if you want immediate feedback on whether your hands are in the right place.

Grip trainer	Rating	Price*	Link
GOLF-GRIP™ Golf Grip Trainer for Left & Right-Handed Golfers – Snap-On Golf Training Aid for Proper Hand Position & Swing Technique – Hit Straighter, Longer Shots & Fix Slices or Hooks	4.2 ★ (65)	$24.99	View on Amazon
Retractable Golf Swing Training Aid, Golf Grip Trainer & Golf Swing Trainer for Warm-up, Right-Handed Golf Club for Indoor Practice, Golf Accessories - Strength & Tempo Training for Chipping Hitting	4.1 ★ (304)	$19.87	View on Amazon
Golf Grip Trainer - Right Hand Lightweight Swing Trainer with Anti-Slip Wrist Support for Correct Hand Position & Grasp	4.1 ★ (94)	$6.99	View on Amazon

*Approximate price shown from the feed. Always confirm the current price and options on Amazon.

Top 10 golf grip trainers by rating