Grip Pressure

Follow Thread

By Chuck Z

  • 12 Likes
  • 17 Replies
  1. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    When playing with my coach recently, he asked me if I knew how to check my grip pressure and of course, I said no. He said that when he was playing on the tour that Raymond Floyd showed him a little drill to see if his grip pressure was correct. Thought it was interesting and sorta made sense. Raymond was a pretty good striker of the golf ball. He had me hold my driver with my normal grip and to twirl the head of the clubs in circles, hold it downward. Most of the time it was in larger circles. He said now lighten up and see if you can do it in very small circles. He emphasized that once you can do this in very very small circles you have the correct grip pressure and that is the pressure you should be hitting your shots with and allows the club to do the work. He said most people have to much grip pressure and try to overpower the club. Just something to pass on from a guy who knew a guy. Found it very interesting and very helpful. I learn something from Tim each time we play together. Think he knows my game better than I do. I do know what my mistakes are when I make them and can correct them because of him. Go see a PGA professional today, if you are having issues.

  2. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    Chuck Z said:

    When playing with my coach recently, he asked me if I knew how to check my grip pressure and of course, I said no. He said that when he was playing on the tour that Raymond Floyd showed him a little drill to see if his grip pressure was correct. Thought it was interesting and sorta made sense. Raymond was a pretty good striker of the golf ball. He had me hold my driver with my normal grip and to twirl the head of the clubs in circles, hold it downward. Most of the time it was in larger circles. He said now lighten up and see if you can do it in very small circles. He emphasized that once you can do this in very very small circles you have the correct grip pressure and that is the pressure you should be hitting your shots with and allows the club to do the work. He said most people have to much grip pressure and try to overpower the club. Just something to pass on from a guy who knew a guy. Found it very interesting and very helpful. I learn something from Tim each time we play together. Think he knows my game better than I do. I do know what my mistakes are when I make them and can correct them because of him. Go see a PGA professional today, if you are having issues.

    Allan, can remove this one, the second post. It seems that my fat fingers got carried away and posted twin posts. Thanks, pal.
    CZ
  3. Dale V

    Dale V
    Surprise AZ

    So, bad grip pressure on your computer mouse?
  4. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military

    Dale V said:

    So, bad grip pressure on your computer mouse?

    Mark down one for Dale. Hard to do small circles with my mouse. It won't hold still. Hakuna matata.
  5. Ron T

    Ron T
    Grapevine, TX

    This is awesome Chuck... I have noticed at times when I start to play worse, I realize my hands are starting to hurt from gripping so tight... think I heard a line in a movie one time too... along the lines of "You can tell how hard a man's gripping life by how he holds his golf club"

    Seriously, thanks for the tip. I will try it and see how it goes. I definitely play better when I lighten up and let the clubs do what they're made to do!
  6. Definitely feel the difference when I’m gripping to deeply
  7. Gwood

    Gwood
    Santa Barbara

    My coach, way back in the day, had me place a golf tee or pencil in my left palm. The only goal in the swing was to not break the pencil/tee or drop it during the swing. Simple concept and hard to do. I still do this from time to time.
  8. Will K

    Will K
    Banteer,

    Thank you for that!!!! I had not heard of it.
    I have been told to practice putting with a light grip, not too light so that you loose grip. Something similar to holding a piece of fruit, hold it but don't squeeze it. It really helps me with the tension in my arms when putting.
  9. Tom P

    Tom P
    Stanley, NC

    Two other visuals: hold your grip like you are holding a tube of toothpaste without squeezing out the toothpaste. And hold your grip as if you are holding a sparrow in your hand but not squeezing it, just holding on enough to prevent the sparrow from flying away.
  10. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    You could try hold an egg. That would be interesting. We called that chicken fruit on the farm where I grew up.
  11. Jason R

    Jason R
    Ottawa, ON

    Another tip I have heard and works for me is: Just prior to your golf shot - squeeze the club as hard as you can, then relax your grip - not sure why this works but it seems to for me.
  12. Barry M

    Barry M
    Reno, NV

    Work it backwards.
    I remember many years ago I was severely coming over the top with my downswing but unable to feel it, and as a fix a local pro made me grab an old club and do half speed swings with a light enough grip that the club would fly out of my hand onto the range. The idea was that the club would fly in the same direction as I wanted the ball to go. Once it clicked in my head he told me to transfer that same motion to a full swing, but increase the pressure just enough to keep control of the club.
    I still sometimes drift out over the top, and think back to that exercise, but I don't let loose of the club anymore. They cost too much.
  13. Chuck Z

    Chuck Z
    Mt Pleasant, SC

    Military
    As Mr Arnold Palmer emphasized over and over and over. The game of golf begins with a good solid grip.
  14. Military
    I do a lot of experimenting at home with my launch monitor (Mevo+). I have noticed that swing weight has a lot to do with grip pressure. I'm testing two drivers right now, a SIM2 and a TSR3 that are different swing weights. I'm finding it so much easier to keep my grip and wrist loose to let the club work with the swing weight of the TSR3 over the SIM2...it'll be different for each person which swing weight makes them feel most comfortable to let the club do the work. I'm doing the same test with my T100s and T200 irons. For me, the swing weight of my T100S irons is better for me, and although I don't hit them as far as the T200 irons, I hit them more consistent, getting more out of the iron. I just can't get comfortable with the T200 irons yet...still working to find the right swing weight and shaft for it..
  15. Darryl M

    Darryl M
    Wichita, KS

    I wrote down most of these. One of the things I have used to help with grip pressure is:

    I play darts & you can't guide or release a dart with a heavy grip.

    I use that mindset when I feel like I'm starting to grip a bit too tight on the club.

    The same applies for casting a rod & reel, if the forearms are too tight in the cast from your grip. the bait doesn't go very far as the wrist won't hinge properly at the release point.


    DM
  16. George V

    George V
    Montgomery, AL

    Military
    "Just hold on loosely
    But don't let go
    If you cling to tightly
    You're gonna lose control"
    -- 38 Special, 1981
  17. Frank P

    Frank P
    Port St. Lucie, FL

    Military
    The best that I ever heard was the Harry Vardon explanation that imagine that you're holding a bird in your hands. hold it firm enough to not let it fly away, but too firm to where you could injure it.
  18. Andy

    Andy
    Singapore

    A korean instructor once akin the grip strength it to holding your willy when you pee, lol.

Please login to post a comment.

Sign In

Haven't registered for Team Titleist yet?

Sign Up