Often overlooked as the only physical link between the body and the club, the golf grip is arguably the most critical foundation of golf. A good grip makes it easier to move your hands and arms correctly during the swing and hit the ball with a square clubface. It also cures many problem shots and helps you to develop a consistent set up.

The first step is to determine the orientation of your hands on the club. For right-handers, your left hand will be on top, closer to the butt of the club, with the right hand underneath the left. Of course, lefties can simply reverse the order. The thumb of the hand on top extends down the shank of the club rather than wrapping around the bottom.

Golf grips have evolved, and there are many variations. The three most common ways are described below, but choosing the proper grip for you is primarily a personal preference.

We recommend you try them out to find out what feels and works best for you.

• Interlocking grip. Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus are both famous golfers who used this method.
  
  

• The Walden or overlapping grip. This is the most popular grip among touring professionals, and this method is similar to the staggered grip.
  
  
  
  A variation of this grip is the double overlap grip used by Jim Furyk. This is like the traditional Vardon or overlap grip, except it involves two fingers overlapping on the left hand (for right-handed players). This grip can work well if you tend to hook the ball or are too fidgety. The extra finger overlap will help both hands to control the club as a whole. It's an obscure grip, but it worked well for Jim Furyk, a great example of a player who got the most out of his golfing experiments.

• The baseball or ten-finger grip. Rarely used by professionals, but it is a reasonably common grip among amateurs.