The interlocking golf grip: how to hook your little finger, keep the pressure light and know when it gives you more hold than the overlap grip.
In the interlocking grip, the little finger of your trail hand hooks between the index and middle finger of your lead hand. The hands sit tightly together. Whether that is better than the overlap grip I cannot prove: I found no comparison study in PubMed or Europe PMC.
So the honest answer to "Which grip is right?" is: the one where your hands do not slide apart. Something else is proven. In a study of 28 recreational golfers, balls flew straighter and farther with a neutral or strong hand position than with a weak one [3]. The hand position counts more than whether a finger lies on top or in between. Another test with twelve professionals also found the clubface more open at impact with a weak grip than with neutral and strong grips [4].
When is the interlock worth it anyway? Coaching experience: with small hands, little hand strength, or when the club "opens up" between your hands in the swing. That is not proof, just a reason to try it.
A good grip feels like nothing: you feel the club, not your fingers.
All descriptions are for right-handers; left-handers mirror them. The "lead hand" is the left hand, the "trail hand" the right.
Lay the club diagonally across the fingers of the lead hand, not deep in the palm. Close the fingers; the thumb sits slightly right of the shaft's center. From above you should see about two knuckles of the lead hand.
Milestone: you hold the club horizontally with the lead hand alone without the tip dropping.
Place the trail hand so the palm faces the target. Its lifeline covers the thumb of the lead hand, and the thumb almost disappears.
The little finger of the trail hand lets go of the shaft and hooks between the index and middle finger of the lead hand. It hangs there like a coat hanger on a hook, without pulling.
Milestone: you build the grip with your eyes closed, and your mirror image looks the same every time.
Imagine a scale from 1 to 10, with 10 being "crushing the club". Aim for about 4. That is a coaching rule of thumb, not a measured number. What was measured in eight players with handicaps 0 to 7: most pressure comes from the last three fingers of the lead hand, it fluctuates a lot during the swing and only becomes very consistent at impact [1]. From swing to swing, each player's force pattern barely varied. For you that means: a constant grip creates a constant feel.
Make ten swings to hip height without a ball. Afterwards: are the fingers still hooked? Has the grip moved? If so, do not squeeze harder, rebuild step 1.
A grip is harmless but not consequence-free. A review of golf wrist injuries names a strong grip, over-gripping and worn grips as frequent contributors. The lead hand is affected most often [2]. If you feel pain on the little-finger edge of your hand that does not go away after a rest, have it checked by a doctor. The review names a fracture of the hook of the hamate as the most common bony injury there, often diagnosed late [2]. Replace worn grips. This guide does not replace a lesson with a PGA pro or certified coach.
Do the looseness test: build the grip, then deliberately open the thumb and index finger of the trail hand by a millimeter or two. The club should stay secure, held by the last three fingers of the lead hand. That is exactly where good players carry the main pressure [1]. It is a practice trick from coaching, not a measurement method.
In the interlocking grip, the little finger of the trail hand hooks between the index and middle finger of the lead hand. Both hands are linked and slide apart less. It is often recommended for small hands or little hand strength. I found no study that proves this.
Scientifically this is open: I found no direct comparison. What is proven is that hand position counts. Neutral or slightly strong gave better accuracy and distance than weak [3]. Hit ten balls with each on the range and take the one that feels more stable.
Lightly, about 4 out of 10. That is a rule of thumb, not a measured value. What was measured: in good players the pressure fluctuates strongly in the swing and is only very consistent at impact [1]. If your forearms harden or your knuckles go white, you are gripping too hard.
A slight pulling in the beginning is normal. If you hook the finger too deep, it squeezes the neighbor fingers. Then hook only to the middle joint. If pain stays on the little-finger edge of the hand, have it checked by a doctor [2].
From coaching practice: for players with small hands or little hand strength whose hands drift apart in the swing. There is no proof for that. A neutral or slightly strong hand position remains decisive [3].
Strong, Neutral or Weak Grip in Golf: Which One Is Right?