Grip Pressure

This week’s coaching tip is all about grip pressure, not only on full shots, but with pitching, chipping and putting too. Grip pressure is extremely important, as it has a massive effect, not only on the rest of the body, but has an influence on the club itself. As coaches we see people with all sorts of grip pressure, predominantly golfers hold the club far too tight, as a rule of thumb if you’re holding onto a club just before taking the backswing, I should be able to pull the club out of your hands with ease, not the case, the club is being held so tight the whole person’s body moves forward!

Below is a list of different shots and the effect too tight a grip has on the shot.

Full swing

• Tight grip pressure causes tension in the rest of the body.
• Tight grip pressure causes you to steer the shot your trying to hit.
• Tight grip pressure has a big effect on the club face at impact. Generally if you grip it too tight, you can’t release the club properly, therefore hitting it right, also gripping too tight can cause the shot to go left where you forcibly release the club.  
• Inconsistent striking of the ball.

Pitching + Chipping

• Tight grip pressure causes tension in the rest of the body.
• Tight grip pressure will cause you to try and help the ball into the air rather than letting the loft do the work, therefore resulting in thin shots.
• Inconsistent striking of the ball. 
• Distance control effected.

Putting

• Tight grip pressure causes tension in the rest of the body.
• Tight grip pressure causes you to steer the putt, resulting on the ball starting offline and never having a chance to go in.
• Tight grip pressure will affect distance control. Too hard a hit or too soft.
• Club face at impact will be affected.

Mental Effect

• Anxiety on all shots.
• Nerves.
• Lack of confidence.
• Doubting yourself and the shot decision you’ve made.
• Fatigue.

Positives of gripping looser

• Much calmer at address.
• Muscles fire in a much better sequence when playing any shot.
• More care free with the swing i.e. not steering the ball so much.
• Much improved control the clubface.
• Greater distance, as the grip is loosened tension dissipates through the hole body creating relaxed muscles, this in turn makes it easier to generate club head speed!