I have used just about every type of grip method there is, except for the leading hand low method, which I reject out of hand because no one anywhere on the planet, when swinging an implement, does it with the leading hand below the trailing hand.

For that reason, I knew it wasn’t going to be a path to go down, just as I wouldn’t try hitting balls right-handed with an inverted left-handed club.

I have however done that when I was helping out a trick-shot golf entertainer with whom I had shared an instructor back in the 90’s – I would do the “beat the pro” routine on a certain par 3 hole during charity tournaments where he’d perform, but I would use a lefty club swinging right-handed.

Just so we’re clear, I’ve done that, but not as a feasible way, nor would I ever swing leading-hand low.

Nor do I consider myself a golf “professional,” being a swing analyst, but I have indeed done seminars and personal consultation, instruction if you will – I just don’t consider myself anything more than a swing researcher who shares his findings.

So, as far as the grip goes, I’ve tried it all – thin, medium, thick, super-thick (like cricket or bat handle thick), and this is all I have to advise:

Interlocking/Overlapping

• If you’re going to use an interlocking or overlapping grip method of the traditional variety, I would recommend that you use as thin a grip as you can, so that you can take a proper hold on the club and have it in the fingers.
• I have short fingers, so I use a traditional standard sized grip on my clubs.  That allows me to hold the club properly in the fingers.
• A little secret for everyone – if you use overlapping, your right or trailing hand grip will appear stronger than it will if you are interlocking, so don’t fret over the right hand grip looking a little stronger than neutral with overlapping.
• Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy are both interlocking, at least according to online research, so their right hand grips appear weaker but are essentially neutral for that method:

• The intention is to have the club gripped in the fingers, so longer-fingered players may need a thicker grip than standard to hold the club properly and comfortably in the fingers.  The key is – fingers.

Ten-Fingered or Baseball Grip

• If you are using a two-handed or ten fingered grip on the club (which is really a 9 Fingered grip when you factor in that the leading hand’s thumb still goes down the shaft), then you want a much thicker grip than standard, so that you can hold the club in your palms.  I have played baseball and there is no way you would swing a baseball bat (or cricket) trying to hold it in one’s fingers.
• So, a ten-fingered grip is where I used very thick grips to hold the club in my palms with the leading hand thumb going down the shaft and my right hand over it.
• Here below, see me back in 2007 using a very thick grip held in the palms, and I had actually used hockey tape (what else?) because I couldn’t find grips thick enough:

• Moe Norman used this type of grip, if anyone is interested – mine above differed from his in that I wrapped my right thumb around the fingers rather than going down the shaft as with the left thumb:

Those are my thoughts on the club grip and how to hold it!