Professional golfers strive to hit the ball straight and over long distances, but for their swing to be correct, they must have an effective and comfortable grip. The grip influences how hard the ball is struck and what direction it travels, and for professionals, this is an essential component of having a winning swing.
Types
There are three types of golf grips, and professional golfers use two of them. The overlapping golf grip is the most popular method of gripping the club among professional golfers. The interlocking grip requires less strength than the overlapping grip. Very few professionals use the baseball grip, which is similar to holding a baseball bat, because of the lack of control it exerts on the club.
Benefits
The interlocking grip is recommended for golfers who have small hands so they can turn their wrists over and keep their hands on the club. Tiger Woods uses it, not because he has small hands, but so he can keep a tight grip while his swing remains fast and strong; interlocking his hands keeps his right hand on the club while generating a high swing speed. The overlapping grip is used by a majority pro golfers because it stops them from over-swinging, which leads to a loss of accuracy.
History
The overlapping grip was made popular at the beginning of the 20th century by Englishman Harry Vardon. He was the best player in the world at the time and was considered golf's first international celebrity. It was named the Vardon Grip because of his success while using it, including six Open titles.
Considerations
Professional golfers adjust the strength of their grip in order to control the direction of the shot. A weak grip allows a professional to hit the ball with a slice from left to right as the club head does not come through squarely at impact. A neutral grip is used to hit straight, while a strong grip is used to hit the ball from right to left as the club face is kept closed at impact.
Significance
The importance of the grip is shown by the regularity with which professional golfers have new rubber grips put on their clubs. Some professionals have their clubs re-gripped after every round or event they play so their clubs feel the same every time they use them. If their hands slip, they will lose power and control.
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