You may have heard of the ten-finger or baseball golf grip and wondered if it would be a good fit for your golf game.
Some players do very well with this type of grip, but it is certainly not the right choice for everyone.
In this guide, we will help you learn what the ten-finger golf grip is, how to use it, and who it is for.
If you have ever contemplated switching your grip, you are in the right place!
What is a ten-finger golf grip?
A ten-finger golf grip is a way to hold the golf club where you will have all of your fingers on the club at the same time.
There are three different types of golf grips.
The ten-finger, the interlock, and the overlap.
These grips refer to the way you would hold your irons, drivers, wedges, etc.
Gripping a putter is a bit different, and there are several other less conventional ways to grip a putter.
The ten-finger golf grip can also be called a baseball grip as it has a similar feel to how you would hold a baseball bat.
Some people think that the ten-finger is just for beginners, but there are a lot of players that find success with the ten-finger.
Why use a ten-finger golf grip?
A ten-finger grip can be beneficial for the beginner golfer, the young golfer, or the player struggling with hand strength and control.
As a beginner, there are so many aspects of the game to try and figure out.
Holding the golf club can be quite tricky.
A ten-finger grip will help to simplify the initial steps to getting into golf.
If you have played baseball in the past and you have some understanding of how to hold a bat, then the ten-finger grip won’t feel as foreign.
Once a beginner feels more established in the game and has more control over their swing, they can easily switch to another type of grip.
For junior golfers, golf can be a challenging sport.
The club is a bit cumbersome and heavy to swing with any real confidence.
Trying to get a young child’s fingers to fit on a club properly is very discouraging for the teacher and the child.
The best way to avoid this happening is to teach the child the ten-finger grip until they gain more strength.
As people get older, they start to lose some strength as well.
Holding the club with an interlock or an overlapping grip can sometimes make people feel like they don’t have full control over the club.
If you have arthritis or struggle with hand strength and control, then you will end up enjoying the ten-finger grip.
How To Use A Ten Finger Golf Grip
A ten-finger golf grip is not hard to use.
Here are the steps to using a ten-finger golf grip and making sure your hands get on the clubs properly.
These directions will be for a right-handed golfer if you happen to be a lefty you can flip the instructions around to work for you.
Step 1
Take the golf club and put the butt end of the club in the fingers of your left hand.
You want to make sure that the club always sits in the fingers and not directly across the palm.
Keeping the club in the fingers allows your hands to have a proper relationship in your swing.
Step 2
Then take your right hand and place it directly underneath your left hand on the club.
When you place the right hand on the golf club, you will want to make sure that it sits in the fingers of your hand as well.
The left index finger and your right pinky will be resting next to each other.
Step 3
The thumb of your left hand will be pointed straight down the shaft.
The right hand will cover the thumb of your left hand.
It will fit right in the palm of your right hand.
Once that is in place then you will point the thumb on your right hand just slightly left of center on the golf club.
You won’t want the thumb pointed straight down the shaft, and you also won’t want to wrap the thumb around the club.
If you don’t put the hands on the club properly, you could end up with a very weak or strong grip.
These grips can lead to you hitting shots well left or well right of your target.
Hand positioning is critical with the ten-finger grip just as it is with the overlap and interlocking grips.
10 Finger Grip Advantages
The ten-finger grip is not for every golfer.
However, for some people, there can be some significant advantages.
One of the top advantages is strength and control over the club.
If you don’t feel as though you have a good grip or reasonable control on the golf club, you will not be able to get enough clubhead speed.
Clubhead speed is going to translate to more distance directly.
So if you feel as though you can’t swing the club fast enough, then the ten-finger could be a great choice.
Another advantage of the ten-finger grip is that it tends to cause people less discomfort in their hands.
When your fingers interlock or overlap with the other grips, this can be a source of tension.
The tension could cause you to get blisters in those areas, which are quite uncomfortable.
Another advantage of the ten-finger grip is simplicity.
If you happen to struggle with any part of the game of golf and you want to make things a bit simpler on yourself, the ten-finger grip is simple.
Golfers that struggle with a slice tend to do well with the ten-finger grip.
Since having all your fingers on the golf club can make it a bit easier to release the golf club or square it up at impact, a ten-finger grip can help a slice.
Eventually, you will want to learn how to hit the ball straight regardless of the grip type, but as a quick fix, it can sometimes work.
10 Finger Grip Disadvantages
Unfortunately, like most things in golf, there are also some disadvantages to the ten-finger grip.
For starters, the ten-finger grip sometimes leads to an increase in grip pressure.
When you grip the club with more fingers, you will have more exposure to the club and, therefore, will be able to grip it tighter.
Grip pressure is something that you can work on and control, but you will have to take your time and be aware of this.
Another problem with the ten-finger grip is that it can get your right hand a bit too involved in your swing.
All good players will tell you that the left hand should be leading and dominating your swing.
When you switch to letting the right-hand control, you can get some wristy or handsy swings.
The problem with using your smaller muscles like hands and wrists is that they are not as strong.
The weaker muscles make it harder to repeat the same swing over and over again.
When you use things like legs, chest, and shoulders to complete your golf swing, then you end up with a much more repeatable golf swing.
Another issue you will come across with the ten-finger grip is that your hands may not work together.
When you interlock or overlap your hands, they are forced to work together.
With the ten-finger, they can work separately, and it can create rhythm and timing issues in your golf swing.
Tips for using the 10 finger grip
There are a few things you can do to make the ten-finger golf grip more effective in your game.
- Decrease your grip pressure; if you hold the golf club too tight, you are going to end up struggling to let the rest of your swing develop the way it should.
- Make sure that your thumb fits appropriately in the center of your right hand.
- Always keep the golf club in the fingers of your hands.
- Work on drills to make sure that your hands feel as though they are working together.
- Never wrap the thumb of your right hand around the golf club.
- Research a strong and weak grip and make sure that your hands are placed in a neutral position on the golf club.
Do Any Pros Use the 10 finger grip?
It is quite rare to find a golfer that uses a ten-finger grip and plays golf on tour.
Most golf professionals use the interlock or the overlap grip.
Scott Piercy was a professional that used the ten-finger grip for quite some time, but he has not been playing as much lately.
The reason that pros don’t use the ten-finger grip is that they want the left hand to be more dominant in their swing.
This is the way for them to get the best possible results.
When they start using a ten-finger grip, they lose a bit of the feel that they want.
Most professional golfers are feel players, and they take the grip very seriously.
In fact, the better you get, the more you realize how important the grip is in the game of golf.
10 finger grip versus the overlap grip
Golfers who use the overlap grip tend to have larger hands.
Most players that use the ten-finger will have smaller hands.
The reason you need larger hands to use the overlap grip properly is that it can feel as though your pinky is slipping away from your left hand if your hands are not large enough.
Another great thing about the overlap grip is that it is effortless to get the right grip pressure.
Since your hands are not interlocking and they are just resting on top of each other, it’s much easier to grip the club lightly.
In the ten-finger grip where your left index finger and your right pinky lean against each other, the overlap grip allows for an overlap of these two fingers.
The pinky on your right hand will sit on top of the index finger of your left hand.
You will not have as many fingers on the club, and it gives you left hand much more control over what happens as you swing through impact.
The problem with the overlap grip is that it is harder to learn and perfect.
Many people will try and get that right pinky to dig in between the fingers on the left hand.
This is not proper.
It takes time to feel like you have control with the overlap grip.
The ten-finger grip is much more comfortable to learn and is more preferred for the beginner.
Is the 10 finger grip good for Small Hands?
Yes, the ten-finger grip is excellent for small hands.
The interlock grip is also great for small hands.
People with smaller hands should also be considering smaller grips.
Many golfers have heard of oversized and midsized golf grips, but there are also undersized golf grips.
An undersized golf grip is smaller than standard, and it can help those with smaller hands get their fingers wrapped around the golf club properly.
If you have small hands and are afraid to move from the ten-finger grip, you may want to try the interlocking grip.
The interlock grip will interlock the index finger on your left hand and the pinky on your right hand.
This grip gives you some extra control over the golf club, but it also allows your left hand to be the dominant hand still.
The interlock grip is quite popular, and players like Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have always used the interlocking grip.
The interlock grip is not challenging to learn, and it makes a good transition from the ten-finger for a person looking to make a grip change in their game.
Is the 10 finger grip good for chipping?
The ten-finger grip and chipping do not always mix.
Chipping can be a bit complicated if your hands and wrists start to take over.
If you have not perfected the ten-finger grip and your hands are working independently of each other, then you may skull or top some of your chips.
This will happen if your right-hand gets too active in your chipping stroke.
Getting your hands and your shoulders to work together with a chipping stroke takes some time, and the ten-finger grip may or may not be all that helpful.
Is The Ten Finger Grip Good For More Power?
Every golfer looks for more power in their game.
Power is going to lead to more distance, and having enough distance in your game does make the game of golf easier.
When you can be closer to a green and have an approach shot with a wedge instead of a five iron, you will make the game easier for yourself.
The ten-finger grip can help to provide some more power.
However, this power may come at a cost.
The ten-finger grip can allow your hands to start working independently of each other, and that will lead to inconsistency.
One of the essential things for golfers is to learn to develop consistency.
When you can swing the club the same way the majority of the time, you can get better at golf.
When you are new to the game, it is hard to develop consistency; this takes time.
With a ten-finger grip, you will likely be a bit more inconsistent than you will be with the interlocking or overlapping.
As we mentioned earlier, if your hands are weaker or smaller or your swing is lacking speed, you may find some luck switching to the ten-finger.
Does A Beginner Have To Learn With A Ten Finger Grip?
It is a common misconception that the ten-finger grip is what a beginner must use when they first start the game.
This is not true.
A beginner can use whatever grip seems comfortable to them when they first start.
Many would recommend that a beginner with average size hands start with the interlocking grip.
Since most players will eventually switch from the ten-finger, it can make sense to go directly to the interlock.
Clearly, if someone is struggling, then using the ten-finger grip is entirely acceptable.
What Is The Best Way To Practice The Proper Grip?
There are many ways to practice your golf grip.
The most important thing is actually to take the time to practice it.
You will find that several training aids allow you to work on your grip.
Some of these will have built up rubber so that you can find precisely how to put your hands into place.
These training type grips work with ten-finger, interlock, and overlap type grips.
Getting comfortable with a golf grip can take time.
If you plan on showing up to the golf course once a week and putting your hands on the club, it won’t feel good for a while.
Try to keep an extra club around the house or in your back yard.
Take a few minutes a day to put your hands on the club and practice how it feels.
Eventually, it will be a natural feeling, but you must grip the club hundreds and hundreds of times for it to feel natural.
Thinking about your grip while you are swinging your golf club is very difficult to do.
You don’t want to have this swing thought while you are playing on the golf course.
Try and practice enough so that you don’t need to think about your grip while in the middle of your swing.
Does A Ten Finger Grip Work For Putting?
You can use the ten-finger grip on the putting green as well.
It is not the most common grip chosen by players because it can cause your hands to get a bit too involved in your putting stroke.
The most common types of putting grips are the reverse overlap, the cross-hand, and the claw.
The cross hand grip is a good one for beginners because it can help give the feeling that your shoulders should be more involved in your putting stroke than your hands.
When you first start out playing, it can be a bit difficult to switch grips from your long shots to the putting green.
If you want to keep things consistent and use the ten-finger grip throughout your entire game, that is acceptable.
Conclusion
The ten-finger golf grip is a perfectly acceptable way for a golfer to hold a club.
If you feel that you lack confidence in your current grip and you are looking for a change, there is nothing wrong with the ten-finger.
Keep in mind that you will want to manage your grip pressure and make sure that your left hand is still more dominant in your swing.
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