Ten-Finger Grip (Baseball Grip)

The ten-finger grip, often called the baseball grip because it resembles gripping a bat, places both hands on the handle with all ten fingers touching the club independently — no finger overlaps or interlocks with the other hand. The hands are placed snugly together, with the trail hand's lead-side fingers touching the lead hand's trail-side fingers, but nothing links the two hands beyond that contact.

This grip is frequently the first grip taught to young children, since their hands and forearms often lack the strength or coordination to comfortably interlock or overlap while still controlling the club. It is also a legitimate option for adult beginners, golfers with arthritis or reduced hand strength, and players who simply find more fingers on the handle gives them more control and confidence. Some accomplished players — most notably several LPGA champions — have used a ten-finger grip throughout their careers, so it is not purely a beginner or child's grip.

The tradeoff with a ten-finger grip is that, because the hands are not physically linked, they can more easily work independently of each other during the swing if grip pressure or timing breaks down, which can show up as a slightly wristier or handsier release for some golfers. For most beginners this is a minor consideration compared to the confidence and comfort of a grip that feels natural on first contact with the club; switching to overlapping or interlocking later, once grip fundamentals are established, is a common and easy progression.