Here is the detail that surprises many golfers: there is no dominant “professional” grip anymore. A Golf Digest audit of more than 150 players at the 2024 PGA Championship found that about 58% interlocked while roughly 41% overlapped.
That makes the overlap vs interlock golf grip decision less about copying a Tour player and more about finding the hand connection that lets you control the clubface without creating unnecessary tension. The two grips look nearly identical from a distance. One finger changes everything.
What Actually Changes Between Overlap and Interlock?
For a right-handed golfer, the left hand sits highest on the club and the right hand sits below it. Left-handed golfers simply reverse those roles.
With an overlapping, or Vardon, grip, the right pinky rests over the gap between the left index and middle fingers. With an interlocking grip, the right pinky and left index finger weave together. Foresight Sports describes these as two of golf’s three conventional hand connections, alongside the ten-finger grip.
The distinction sounds tiny, but it changes how tightly the hands feel connected.
| Feature | Overlap Grip | Interlock Grip |
| Hand connection | Trail pinky rests over lead fingers | Trail pinky and lead index link |
| Typical feel | Freer, lighter | Secure, unified |
| Often suits | Medium to larger hands | Smaller hands or shorter fingers |
| Possible problem | Hands may feel disconnected | Fingers may pinch or become tense |
| Famous users | Phil Mickelson, Arnold Palmer | Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus |
There is no rule requiring a particular method. The better grip is the one that repeatedly puts your hands in a functional position and allows the face to return predictably.
Why the Overlap Grip Feels More Flexible
The overlap became associated with six-time Open champion Harry Vardon, although golfers were using similar hand positions before him. It remains one of the most recognizable grips in golf.
To build it, place your lead hand normally, then allow the pinky of your trail hand to sit in the groove between your lead hand’s index and middle fingers. The hands should feel connected rather than stacked far apart.
Because the two connecting fingers are not locked together, some golfers perceive slightly more freedom through the wrists and fingers. Players with relatively large hands or long fingers also tend to find it easier to place the trail hand naturally without crowding the lead hand.
It can be especially appealing if an interlock makes you squeeze the club.
However, don’t confuse freedom with loose control. If your trail hand begins separating during the backswing or transition, the advantage disappears.
Why the Interlock Can Feel More Secure
The interlock replaces that resting pinky with a physical connection.
Your trail-hand pinky goes between the lead-hand index and middle fingers while the lead index sits between the trail pinky and ring finger. The fingers link; they should not be jammed together.
That connection is why the interlocking grip is commonly recommended to golfers with shorter fingers or smaller hands. It can make the hands feel like one working unit without requiring them to stretch around each other.
And despite the old claim that “most professionals overlap,” modern Tour evidence is more interesting. The 2024 PGA Championship grip audit actually found more interlock users than overlap users. Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are among its most famous examples.
The downside appears when golfers misunderstand “interlock” as “squeeze.”
If your pinky hurts, your knuckles whiten or your forearms become rigid, you are probably locking the fingers too deeply or adding excess pressure.
Hand Size Helps, but Don’t Turn It Into a Formula
You will sometimes see strict recommendations claiming golfers below a certain hand measurement must interlock and golfers above another measurement must overlap. Treat those numbers as guidelines, not biological laws.
Your grip should support a repeatable swing and natural wrist action, just as How To Improve Weight Transfer In Golf Swing focuses on creating better balance, sequencing, and control throughout the swing.
Golf instructors interviewed by GOLF.com were notably less rigid. Their advice emphasized comfort, clubface control and the golfer’s ability to position both hands correctly. Several also noted that golfers with smaller hands may succeed with a ten-finger grip rather than interlock.
Grip diameter matters too.
A player with large hands using an undersized rubber grip may experience completely different pressure and finger placement from the same player using a midsize or jumbo grip. JumboMax, for example, bases its fitting recommendations partly on glove size and notes that longer fingers can favor larger diameters.
So don’t diagnose the hand connection while ignoring the object your hands are wrapping around.
A Better Way to Choose: Run a 30-Ball Grip Test
Instead of deciding in your living room based on which grip initially feels comfortable, test both under identical conditions.
Hit ten balls with a mid-iron using your normal grip. Record your strike location, starting direction and curvature.
Then hit ten with an overlap and ten with an interlock.
Do not chase the longest shot. Look for the smallest pattern.
A useful grip should produce three things: repeated center-face contact, predictable starting direction and comfortable grip pressure. If one method produces two spectacular shots and eight wild ones, it has not won the test.
For golfers with access to a launch monitor, compare face angle, launch direction, carry dispersion, and strike location. The overlap vs. interlock golf grip question becomes much easier when you’re examining twenty shots instead of remembering the prettiest one.
Learning How to Grip a Golf Club for Maximum Control can also help you develop a more consistent grip, hand position, and clubface response.
Repeat the experiment another day before changing permanently. New hand positions often feel strange simply because they are unfamiliar.
Don’t Expect a Grip Style to Cure a Slice
This is one of the biggest misconceptions.
Overlap versus interlock describes how your hands connect. It does not describe whether the hands are positioned strong, neutral or weak on the handle.
You can have a strong interlocking grip, a weak interlocking grip, a strong overlap or a weak overlap.
That distinction matters because clubface orientation has a much more direct relationship with ball direction than whether one finger sits above or inside another.
Scottie Scheffler offers a useful elite-level example. During the 2026 U.S. Open, Golf Digest reported that Scheffler and longtime coach Randy Smith spent part of a range session adjusting his lead-hand position because it had become slightly strong. The concern was face orientation and resulting ball flight—not simply whether his fingers connected differently.
That same principle applies before every round, making a consistent Golf Warm Up Routine Before a Morning Round useful for preparing your hands, wrists, and swing without making unnecessary grip changes.
Fix the correct problem.
Grip Pressure May Matter More Than the Grip You Pick
Whichever connection you choose, you should be able to hold the club securely without making your forearms feel rigid.
Oversize-grip manufacturers have increasingly focused on this relationship between grip diameter, hand contact and pressure. JumboMax, whose grips are used by Bryson DeChambeau, specifically designs larger profiles to encourage more hand contact and lighter, more consistent pressure.
You do not need jumbo grips to apply the principle.
Make several slow swings. If your wrists can hinge naturally and the club remains secure, you’re close. If your fingers ache or your forearms feel loaded before the backswing starts, change something.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does Bryson DeChambeau use interlock or overlap?
DeChambeau has been documented using an overlap-style full-swing connection, although his unusually large JumboMax grips are the more distinctive feature of his setup.
2. Do most pro golfers use overlap or interlock grip?
There is no overwhelming majority. Golf Digest’s 2024 PGA Championship audit found approximately 58.4% interlock, 40.9% overlap and less than 1% ten-finger among the field.
3. Does Scottie Scheffler interlock or overlap?
Scheffler’s full-swing grip is generally documented as an overlapping grip. His putting setup is different: he has also used a claw-style putting grip, illustrating why full-swing and putting grips should not be confused.
4. Does Rory McIlroy use overlap or interlock?
Rory McIlroy uses an interlocking grip for his full swing, putting him alongside famous interlock users such as Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus.
Pick the Pattern, Not the Famous Player
The real overlap vs interlock golf grip debate is not about which method looks more professional. Tour players have already proved that both can work at the highest level.
Try both under controlled conditions and watch your dispersion, contact and tension. The winner is not the grip used by your favorite golfer. It is the one that quietly makes your bad swings less expensive.
