Reverse overlap grip for full shots?

A little background on me. I started golf at 15, played everyday and got to scratch very quickly. I played college golf and then became a club pro. I was a club pro for 18 years. I hold a few course records and have shot a 59.

I have however always struggled with my setup, right arm to high, shoulders open. My takeaway has been another nightmare and I hold off the club severely on the follow through. My athletic ability and strength has given me a way to work around it and I have always been a solid striker of the ball with a very good short game.

I haven’t played much the past five years and have really been working to get back to competition. My swing has been very frustrating and at 45 the body doesn’t do what it once did. I kept feeling like my grip was locked up?? It felt wrong or hindering somehow. No matter how I adjusted it strong or weak it never felt right and felt I was losing the club or death strangling it.

Today I tried using a reverse overlap on my full shots for the first time ever. My dad was with me who has been my only coach ever. I proceeded to flush almost every shot. My setup has never felt more comfortable and my takeaway felt natural. I’ve honestly never felt my arms swing more freely through impact and my hold off move was gone. After a few swings I felt I could draw it or hold off for a fade of work the ball down very easily. My Dad said he has never seen the club set in a better position for me at the top. I haven’t hit the ball that solid in so long and the swing felt so easy to make. I’m excited to continue to work on it.

So....I would like to hear from others who use this grip and any suggestions or comments from those who have had success using this grip. I enjoy this site to hear others experiences and input and expertise. Look forward to hearing any on this. Cheers....

I played this way for several months due to a finger injury and didn't skip a beat. I'm back to a regular overlap but i saw no downside to playing with a reverse overlap. I played with a 10-finger grip for years, so there was a comfort level having all of the fingers of the right hand on the club.

I’ve screwed around with it. Hit it really straight and had improved wrist conditions, but after a few shots it becomes painful. It may depend on hand size and shape. I have huge palms and shorter fingers and wear a xl glove.

I played some very good golf with a reverse overlap grip a couple seasons ago. To be honest, I thought it was my personal holy grail, especially with a variety of wedge shots.

Unfortunately, my breakthrough was eventually derailed by bone pain in my right pinky; apparently, the pressure on that digit with longer clubs is substantial and can cause problems. I now experience that same pain to a small degree whenever I try *any* full shots with the reverse overlap grip.

I'm fairly certain Steve Jones won the 96 US Open with a reverse overlap grip, so it definitely has enough bona fides to be considered a legitimate grip option.

If it works for you and doesn't cause pain, I can't think of any good reason NOT to use it.

My experimenting with 10-finger was helping with freer, smoother release as OP is describing but then started to cause wrist pain. As others have noted when you change grip especially for older players (I’m 61) you can get some physical issues. Never tried reverse overlap except w/ putter.

I have been using reverse overlap grip for over twenty-five years. The reason being, it takes advantage of my right side power. It's especially effective with wedges, and iron punch shots where a low trajectory and windcheaters are desired. Works really well with driver, 2i or 3i too, if a bullet trajectory is desired.

However, least for me, if using my dominating right side power, a stiffer tipped shaft as Fujikura Fuel Tour Spec 60 "S" works to my advantage. I still use the Vardon traditional overlap grip through to enhance my release and elevate the ball more. All depends on the shot. B)

I have tried this grip for my full swing many years ago when learning to play golf

Like with any change it worked well for 1-2 rounds but I did feel not secure with that left hand grip

I do use the reverse overlap sometimes for a wedge when I “take something off” without changing my rhythm for a full shot

I have always used the interlock grip and broke my left fore finger last fall. Tried playing with the reverse overlap because it's the only way I could even grip the club. A couple of rounds and range sessions and I decided to put the clubs away for six months. It was ok for short irons and wedges but can't see it working for long clubs unless you are a slower or very rhythmic swinger with loose hands/wrists. Also made me completely right sided to compensate for loss of available grip pressure in the left hand.

Thank you for all the comments and experiences. Two more range sessions and a little adjustment in where the club rests in my right hand and it’s feeling really good. With the traditional vardon grip I felt I was all left hand. With this grip I feel my hands working together. I don’t feel it being all right side and I don’t feel I’ve lost any ability to hold the shot off with the left side...it’s just less restrictive. I feel my arms are more relaxed and are working back and through more naturally. Odd as it may seem, the couple of things I have always fought in my setup and swing have been lessened switching to this grip. I am working on nothing in my swing...just trying to turn and swing. Let it go where it goes and my contact has been almost unbelievable. I haven’t hit it this pure in quite some time. All comments are appreciated as it gives me things to look out for and I think I’ve eliminated the pinkie issues many have commented on with a slight grip adjustment.

You need to contact Gene Sarazen. He used that grip as taught to him by Francis Ouimet. He's won a few tournaments using it and has made quite a name for himself. He had small hands and thought this was beneficial.

Steve Jones won a US Open with a reverse overlap grip!

Disgusted with my round today and with my driver, so I went to the range to take out my frustration. Driver still sucked. Then thought about my putting grip - reverse overlap and tried it on my driver. Suddenly, more consistent contact shot after shot with driver - have to work out some kinks with my accuracy but so far so good. This grip worked with my hybrids also so will continue using this grip with all clubs.

I’m still using it myself. It’s been a good change for me. Getting my grip to be comfortable took a bit but it feels very natural now.

I use a reverse overlap grip for a lot of shots within 60 yards or so. It feels a little freer and wristier.

> @MaineMariner said:

> I use a reverse overlap grip for a lot of shots within 60 yards or so. It feels a little freer and wristier.

It freed up my golf swing in general. Everything seems to move much easier.

Thought about it today after a crummy round. Feels more "normal" to me. Gonna give it a go tomorrow, so we'll see what happens

Interesting I just fell upon this thread after googling reverse over lap grip.

So this morning I played around with it and have to say if things go well this is my new grip as today was a break through in my ball striking.

52 year old medium hands and have always struggled with keeping the face to open.

Not anymore and I know sometimes the new change yields results but sometimes not in the long run hope to see continued good results.

Update, recently I replaced 120gm high-bend PX 6.0 iron shafts and Titleist 716CB heads with Titleist 620MB/CB heads and stiff tip, mid-high bend Steelfiber i110cw "S" lighter shafts, which has me mostly using the Vardon grip. No doubt shaft specs have influenced my grip choice.

Everybody has a strong and weak side of the body. In every activity my right-side has always been powerful. Using reverse overlap it feels like I am releasing later with a slower transition, which keeps the ball down. It "feels" as though my right-side leads to hitting the ball, hard, as opposed to the Vardon grip has me transitioning faster while swinging the club through the ball. Go figure.

Spot on with the feel that I got

I have used the reverse overlap with success, but that was 25 years ago. I came back to golf 3 years back and I’m now 73. Everything has changed and I didn’t even remember I’d used that grip back then. I’ve gone from interlock to overlap to ten fingers, but without any consistency. I suddenly thought why not try the reverse overlap and BINGO!  What a revelation, unbelievable control of the of the club face. 

I have used reverse overlap grip on most basic chips and pitch shots inside 50 yards for 20 years.  It started after reading Ray Floyd’s great “60 yards and In” book where he talks about chipping being putting with loft.   I adapted a putting grip for all my chipping, which morphed into shorter pitch shots, which over the years became very consistent shank-free putting grip pitching up to 50 yards or so.  For me, it became similar to the Stricker little hinge pitch, very accurate and less prone to pressure/nerves.  Plenty of spin w good balls and clean grooves. I have used it for up to 100 yards or more on the range (like a 9’oclock 8 iron for me) and rarely to hit it low controlled shots.   But I have experienced wrist and finger pain with longer/full shots, or when hitting resistance. 

I also use the reverse over lap  grip sometimes for  some chip and flop /and bunker shots , it free me up to use trail arm/hand as the dominant rm and my front arm to assist .

Same for putting

I used this way back in the late 70s early 80s. Mistook this as a normal overlap then. May try it again due to some hand issues. Thanks.

I have right ring finger pain from trigger finger. My interlock and overlap made it painful to swing. I have used the reverse overlap for the last 3 or 4 rounds, without so much pain. And I haven't had issues with either hooks or slices. 

I installed enlow reverse taper grips and started using the reverse overlap. I will never change it. It has made me a new golfer. The control is unreal and I really don't have to think about it. Just swing and it goes straight. This is my golf holy grail

I was researching the reverse overlap grip after looking at Jordan Spieth's grip. I found this site and read all the interesting comments. I have been playing golf a long time.  I started at age seven with a cut down "spoon" our club pro made for me.  I played all the time. I could walk to the golf course. My aunt worked for Pederson Golf company in Connecticut. In no time I had a set of clubs made for me. I played through HS and College and in the Air Force. I was a club pro for about 10 years and then went back to amature play. A wife and children changed my career path. 20/20 hindsight I should have stayed a pro. I'm now 77 and can still play and hit it. I'm a 1 handicap from the senior tees. The thing now is, I still hit my second shots from the same distance to the green from where I hit those shots from the championship tees 30 plus years ago! I started fooling with grips after looking at Jordan's grip. I started swinging a club with this grip and it felt so natural to me. It felt so good. Had a warm day and went to the club range ,which is closed, and hit some shots. Wow, can't wait to give it a go. In all my years of playing and teaching I never tried this. I have used a reverse overlap putting grip since I started to play. Glad I found this thread and site and learned that people have been using this grip for years. Especially, someone said Gene Sarazen used it. I knew Mr. Sarazen when I was a kid. He played at our club from time to time. I would walk with them and was always in awe of how he would the ball.  He would hit a wedge from where I was killing a 3 iron. Lol

I’ve played with a 10 finger grip for years, very inconsistently, mostly missing left and frequent hooks. Recently tried interlocking and could not get the ball on line, much less left of on line. Everything was right, bad.  Tried traditional overlap and it just felt awful. Tried reverse overlapping, not even knowing it was a thing, and everything was way better. I’ve been trying to putt with whatever grip I’m using for the rest of my shots, even going so far as switching out my putter grip for the same grip as the rest of my clubs. I will say, I tend to miss left with reverse overlap and 10 finger grip with the putter, especially longer putts. I was putting very straight with the interlock grip. I guess my wrists feel very locked up with the interlocking grip, hence cannot get the ball left with my longer clubs, but that seems to be advantageous with the putter. I guess I might have to abandon the concept of keeping my putter grip the same as my my other clubs. 

I have swopped grips from reverse overlap to Varden and back again. The most important thing I realised is getting the right hip back which opens the club face at address (aka Jack Grout) then just swing, beautiful contact. Regarding putting using the reverse overlap, I stand slightly open, but open my hips as full as possible, then swing the putter on the intended line. I have been using target oriented putting, looking at the target as you get a better feel for distance. The reverse overlap for full shots works well as long as the grip is adjusted regarding pressure on right pinkie.