Grip Pressure help please?

[SVTGolfer]

Im looking for some help on how to soften my grip. I have a very strong grip and I do it subconsiously. I start with a soft grip while addressing the ball, but as I begin my backswing and follow thru I death grip it. I can feel it at the end of my swing, but by then its too late.

Are there any drills or anything I can do to get rid of this bad habit?

Thanks!

[westcyderydin]

Grip pressure is a little overrated.  People always say you need to grip it lightly, but that just isn't true.  You want to grip it firmly, but not so firm that your wrists or arms are tight.  That is your guide...Solid grip pressure, loose wrist and arms.

The more important thing is that you are gripping it correctly in your hands.  If the grip gets too far into your palms you won't hit it well.  And i usually feel the most pressure in the highest 3 fingers in my left hand and my thumb and index finger of my right hand.

[glock35ipsc]

Sam Snead said to grip the club like it was a baby bird. To which Ben Hogan replied "What Sam isn't telling you is that the baby bird is actually a hawk."

It seems the longer you stand over a shot, the tighter the grip becomes.  If you are tense in the arms, your grip is likely too tight.  I grip just firm enough to maintain control, but not tight enough to tense up my arms.  Since I'm not using my arms and hands to hit the ball (they are simply along for the ride while I pivot and let the ball get in the way of the swing), one of the things I will use my practice swing for is to maintain the same grip pressure from the takeaway to the downswing and into the finish.

A drill I had seen is making practice swings with the clubhead about knee-high, just making relaxed easy swings without creating any tension in the arms, just swinging nice and easy so that you can feel the clubhead throughout the swing, feeling the clubhead lag behind your hands, and feeling your hands naturally turning over.  I usually do a few of those with the driver before teeing off just to get it in my head to relax and to not tense up..

[SVTGolfer]

Originally Posted by westcyderydin

Grip pressure is a little overrated.  People always say you need to grip it lightly, but that just isn't true.  You want to grip it firmly, but not so firm that your wrists or arms are tight.  That is your guide...Solid grip pressure, loose wrist and arms.

The more important thing is that you are gripping it correctly in your hands.  If the grip gets too far into your palms you won't hit it well.  And i usually feel the most pressure in the highest 3 fingers in my left hand and my thumb and index finger of my right hand.

So everything ive ever been told about my grip pressure is wrong? I mean I understand what you're saying about relaxing the wrists & arms. And I feel like I do that now, but isn't a light grip pressure the missing link in the chain reaction?

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

Sam Snead said to grip the club like it was a baby bird. To which Ben Hogan replied "What Sam isn't telling you is that the baby bird is actually a hawk."

It seems the longer you stand over a shot, the tighter the grip becomes.  If you are tense in the arms, your grip is likely too tight.  I grip just firm enough to maintain control, but not tight enough to tense up my arms.  Since I'm not using my arms and hands to hit the ball (they are simply along for the ride while I pivot and let the ball get in the way of the swing), one of the things I will use my practice swing for is to maintain the same grip pressure from the takeaway to the downswing and into the finish.

A drill I had seen is making practice swings with the clubhead about knee-high, just making relaxed easy swings without creating any tension in the arms, just swinging nice and easy so that you can feel the clubhead throughout the swing, feeling the clubhead lag behind your hands, and feeling your hands naturally turning over.  I usually do a few of those with the driver before teeing off just to get it in my head to relax and to not tense up..

Thanks. ill give that a shot. Hell, ill give just about anything a shot right now. Hahaha

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by westcyderydin

Grip pressure is a little overrated.  People always say you need to grip it lightly, but that just isn't true.  You want to grip it firmly, but not so firm that your wrists or arms are tight.  That is your guide...Solid grip pressure, loose wrist and arms.

The more important thing is that you are gripping it correctly in your hands.  If the grip gets too far into your palms you won't hit it well.  And i usually feel the most pressure in the highest 3 fingers in my left hand and my thumb and index finger of my right hand.

Originally Posted by SVTGolfer

So everything ive ever been told about my grip pressure is wrong? I mean I understand what you're saying about relaxing the wrists & arms. And I feel like I do that now, but isn't a light grip pressure the missing link in the chain reaction?

Exactly.  If you dont have light grip pressure it activates the larger muscles in your forearms, which makes it difficult to have a smooth swing and a proper release.  IMO, your grip pressure should be a 3 out of 10.

It sounds like maybe you just need to relax and make a nice, easy swing.  You are probably trying to swing as hard as you can and crush the ball, which is causing you to get tense in your grip during the swing.

[glock35ipsc]

Originally Posted by westcyderydin

Grip pressure is a little overrated.  People always say you need to grip it lightly, but that just isn't true.  You want to grip it firmly, but not so firm that your wrists or arms are tight.  That is your guide...Solid grip pressure, loose wrist and arms.

Originally Posted by SVTGolfer

So everything ive ever been told about my grip pressure is wrong? I mean I understand what you're saying about relaxing the wrists & arms. And I feel like I do that now, but isn't a light grip pressure the missing link in the chain reaction?

I think what westcyderdin meant by the bold part, is to use the tension in your arms and wrists as a guide..... if you find that your arms are tensed and "locked up" at address, then your grip is probably way too tight.  I know that was the case for me for along time.  I was soooo concerned about keeping my left arm straight, that I tensed it so much that my grip pressure naturally increased as well.  The result was an eternally open club face because my wrist couldn't unhinge.  Now instead of concentrating on keeping my left arm straight, my thoughts revolve around relaxing and letting my arms be free and follow my pivot.

I had to tell myself for awhile that the grip is tapered, and unless I just flat out let go, it wasn't going to slide out of my hands.  I also have to remind myself that it is a golf "swing" and not a golf "hit".  If point A is the top of the backswing, then point B needs to be the target, and NOT the ball.  If I try to "hit" the ball, I will almost always tense up to try and kill it.  If I am swinging to the target, the ball just gets in the way.

[SVTGolfer]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Exactly.  If you dont have light grip pressure it activates the larger muscles in your forearms, which makes it difficult to have a smooth swing and a proper release.  IMO, your grip pressure should be a 3 out of 10.

It sounds like maybe you just need to relax and make a nice, easy swing.  You are probably trying to swing as hard as you can and crush the ball, which is causing you to get tense in your grip during the swing.

Actually, quite the contrary. Although I am guilty of trying to kill my driver 90% of the time, I swing relatively smooth and easy with my irons, despite having a very strong grip. When I address the ball I feel very relaxed. I would say my grip at address is probably a 5 or so. And it should probably be softer.

Basically what I'm looking for is an excersize or something to help me keep that soft grip pressure all the way thru my swing. So I can gain repetitions and muscle memory. At a certain point a golf swing is "instinctive." This is just one more piece of the puzzle.

Ive really been paying attention to the pro's the last Two weeks. It's amazing how smooth and relaxed they are throughout their entire swing!

[SVTGolfer]

Originally Posted by glock35ipsc

I think what westcyderdin meant by the bold part, is to use the tension in your arms and wrists as a guide..... if you find that your arms are tensed and "locked up" at address, then your grip is probably way too tight.  I know that was the case for me for along time.  I was soooo concerned about keeping my left arm straight, that I tensed it so much that my grip pressure naturally increased as well.  The result was an eternally open club face because my wrist couldn't unhinge.  Now instead of concentrating on keeping my left arm straight, my thoughts revolve around relaxing and letting my arms be free and follow my pivot.

I had to tell myself for awhile that the grip is tapered, and unless I just flat out let go, it wasn't going to slide out of my hands.  I also have to remind myself that it is a golf "swing" and not a golf "hit".  If point A is the top of the backswing, then point B needs to be the target, and NOT the ball.  If I try to "hit" the ball, I will almost always tense up to try and kill it.  If I am swinging to the target, the ball just gets in the way.

Completely understand and agree! Thanks. We'll see if I can do it tomorrow when I play.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by SVTGolfer

Actually, quite the contrary. Although I am guilty of trying to kill my driver 90% of the time, I swing relatively smooth and easy with my irons, despite having a very strong grip. When I address the ball I feel very relaxed. I would say my grip at address is probably a 5 or so. And it should probably be softer.

Basically what I'm looking for is an excersize or something to help me keep that soft grip pressure all the way thru my swing. So I can gain repetitions and muscle memory. At a certain point a golf swing is "instinctive." This is just one more piece of the puzzle.

Ive really been paying attention to the pro's the last Two weeks. It's amazing how smooth and relaxed they are throughout their entire swing!

Sounds like its all mental then.  Clearly you need to relax and read some books about the mental side of golf.

[SVTGolfer]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Sounds like its all mental then.  Clearly you need to relax and read some books about the mental side of golf.

Im not a big reader, but do those things actually work?

[westcyderydin]

Grip pressure isn't really something to worry about too much...unless for some reason you are choking the schmidt out of it or throwing the club or something.

If you try to grip it like a baby bird you are just going to tighten your grip during your swing...and if you don't the club will twist too much in your hands around impact.

I would just make sure that you are gripping the club in the correct part of your hands.  The pressure will take care of itself.

[saevel25]

http://thesandtrap.com/t/54965/grip-pressure#post_675292

Check this out, a whole threat on grip pressure

[iacas]

Originally Posted by TitleistWI

Exactly.  If you dont have light grip pressure it activates the larger muscles in your forearms, which makes it difficult to have a smooth swing and a proper release.  IMO, your grip pressure should be a 3 out of 10. It sounds like maybe you just need to relax and make a nice, easy swing.  You are probably trying to swing as hard as you can and crush the ball, which is causing you to get tense in your grip during the swing.

Originally Posted by saevel25

http://thesandtrap.com/t/54965/grip-pressure#post_675292

Thanks. The trick is to grip the club quite firmly without using your forearms, yes.

[SVTGolfer]

Originally Posted by saevel25

http://thesandtrap.com/t/54965/grip-pressure#post_675292

Check this out, a whole threat on grip pressure

Ok SERIOUSLY!! Why the hell couldn't I have found that earlier!? I swear I searched first...

But regardless, that was a great read!! Thanks man! & thanks iacas for posting it originally!!

[bigstack]

probably a week or so late but maybe it will help someone else....

to get over my death grip i took athletic tape and wrapped it firmly (3-4 times around) over my left hand (glove and all)... thus making it hard to make a tight fist/grip....it essentially taught my mind that i didn't need to grip the club tight to make a good shot.... it thus loosened my arms up and i was swinging better as a result...