The right grip for small hands

If you are one of the many golfers with small hands, try the interlocking grip. There is a good chance you will discover that it fuses your hands together and holds them on the club much more securely than the popular overlapping grip. My hands are small and the interlocking grip is the one I use today, but a few years ago, in an experimental mood, I fooled around with the overlap and the baseball grips. I played some 50 rounds using the overlap, but my hands always felt as if they were flying apart. This was particularly so just before impact. My trial with the baseball grip was even briefer. I was able to take a good, firm hold on the club, but my hands seemed to be working against each other in different directions. In each case I was unable to maintain proper control of my swing. I gave up my experiments and have stayed with the interlocking grip ever since. It gives my hands a wonderful feeling of unity throughout the swing, a unity that the other grips could not supply. If you have small hands, too, I think you will find that the interlocking grip will work as well for you as it does for me.

ILLUSTRATION

FRANCIS GOLDEN

Using interlocking grip, Nicklaus lifts index finger of left hand off shaft, intertwines it with little finger of right. For small-handed Nicklaus, this has proved best method for controlling club.

ILLUSTRATION

FRANCIS GOLDEN

In baseball grip (above), given a short trial by Nicklaus, all 10 fingers are placed directly on the club.

ILLUSTRATION

FRANCIS GOLDEN

For overlap grip, Nicklaus places little finger of right hand over left between the index and middle fingers.