The Thesis
The grip is the steering wheel of the golf swing. It controls the clubface, and the clubface controls the ball. If your hands fight each other, your swing is doomed before it begins.
Tom Watson puts it bluntly: "A bad swing starts with a poor grip. I would say that 95 percent of the leisure golfers I see lack a sound grip." The goal is a unified connection that allows the hands to work as a single unit, eliminating the need for mid-swing compensations.
The Conflict
The legends disagree fundamentally on how the hands should be placed, largely because they were fighting different misses or had different hand sizes.
The Weak Grip (Hogan):
Ben Hogan, who fought a destructive hook early in his career, advocated a 'weak' grip to restrict hand action. He wanted the 'V' formed by the thumb and forefinger of the left hand to point to his right eye, and the right hand 'V' to point to his chin. This prevents the clubface from closing too fast—perfect for a pro fighting a hook, but disastrous for an amateur who slices.
The Strong-Neutral Grip (Watson & Woods):
Tom Watson argues that most amateurs have grips that are "too weak," leading to slicing. He advocates a stronger position where you can see two knuckles of the left hand. Tiger Woods, who changed his grip over his career, eventually settled on a "neutral" grip where he sees "2 1/2 knuckles of my left hand." He argues this position is "the best position of all... and one I know will suit most every golfer."
The Interlock vs. Overlap:
- Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods champion the Interlocking Grip. Tiger explains: "As a little boy, I was taught the interlocking grip... That's how Jack Nicklaus, my idol, did it... It gives me the feeling that my hands can't separate."
- Tom Watson prefers the Vardon Overlap, arguing that it positions the ring finger of the right hand better for wrist hinging.
The Conflict: Hogan wants to lock the face open (weak). Watson and Woods want to square the face naturally (neutral-strong).
The Synthesis (Best Practice)
For the modern amateur, we synthesize a 'Best Practice' grip that prioritizes Unity and Face Control.
The 2.5 Knuckle Neutral Grip:
1. Left Hand (The Anchor)
Ignore Hogan's 'one knuckle' weak position. Follow Tiger's Rule: Rotate your left hand until you can see 2 to 2.5 knuckles. The 'V' should point to your right shoulder.
- Pressure Point: Watson advises gripping firmly with the last three fingers of the left hand. "The little finger... is the most vital pressure point for a good, firm grip."
2. Right Hand (The Trigger)
Adopt Nicklaus's 'parallel palm' concept, endorsed by Tiger. The palm of the right hand must face the target, fitting directly over the left thumb. The 'V' of the right hand must point to the right shoulder, parallel to the left hand's 'V'.
- Watson's Tip: "The left thumb goes down the right center of the shaft... The right thumb goes down the left side."
3. Connection (Interlock vs. Overlap)
The choice is personal comfort, but Unity is mandatory.
- If you have small hands or weak grip strength (like Nicklaus or young Tiger), use the Interlock.
- If you have average/large hands, use the Overlap (Vardon) as Watson suggests.
- Tiger's Warning: Whatever you choose, the hands must feel "melded together... as if you were born to hold a club."
4. Grip Pressure (The 5/10 Rule)
How tight? Tiger says on a scale of 1-10, his pressure is a 5. "If you hold that putter any tighter, you're going to twist the grip right off it," Butch Harmon once told him. Watson suggests holding it just firmly enough to control the club, like "holding a bird without crushing it."
[Image: Close-up illustration of the "2.5 Knuckle Grip" showing the V's of both hands pointing to the right shoulder, with proper thumb placement on the shaft]
The Drill
The Ruler Check
Goal: To ensure palms are parallel and the clubface is square.
The Setup:
Take a 12-inch wooden ruler. Grip it like a golf club.
The Action:
Hold the ruler in front of you.
- If your palms are truly parallel (Nicklaus/Woods), the ruler will not twist.
- If your left hand is too strong or right hand too weak (Hogan), the ruler will twist in your hands.
The Lesson:
Adjust until the palms press flat against the wide sides of the ruler. This is the feeling of the "unified, neutral grip" that Tiger describes as "my complete grip provides a sense of snugness and unity."