What is the proper grip pressure?

[Dave325]

I was out playing yesterday for a practice round and was thinking about grip pressure between the various fingers in each hand. I know we want the grip more in the fingers and less in the palm, but wondered if I am applying the correct grip pressure.... I try to hold the club almost entirely with the las two fingers in the left hand (I am right handed). I use the first finger and thumb of the right hand to steady the club (I heard somewhere that this is used for clubface control.... But not sure how that works, I just do the stupid monkey thing). Is this correct and still the proper modern thinking in today's golf swing? And does this ever change between clubs (except the putter, of course)? 

[saevel25]

30 minutes ago, Dave325 said:

But not sure how that works, I just do the stupid monkey thing). Is this correct and still the proper modern thinking in today's golf swing? And does this ever change between clubs (except the putter, of course)? 

I would say my grip pressure for my full swing wedge shots are probably stronger than the grip pressure for my driver since it's a heavier club. I can't really tell the difference ;) 

http://thesandtrap.com/forums/topic/84785-proper-grip-pressure-its-firmer-than-you-might-think/?do=findComment&comment=756919

Check out this thread. A nice lengthy discussion on grip pressure. Don't use the bird myth 

[DaveP043]

If I remember correctly, Ben Hogan has suggested that most of the grip pressure should be in the middle two fingers of each hand, particularly the right hand.  Too much pressure from the thumb and forefinger of the right hand is discussed as leading to flipping or casting.  To be honest, I rarely think about grip pressure differences between different fingers, but I do occasionally take some practice swings with my right thumb and index finger off the club.

When I do think about grip pressure, its primarily intended to relax my hands and forearms prior to the swing.  I know from experience that my hands will grip the club tight enough through the swing,  Accelerating the club requires more grip force than simply holding it still, and your hands will generally provide the required pressure without you consciously thinking about it.

[Mr. Desmond]

Where I place pressure, for a righty, it is top 2 fingers (not thumb) in left hand, index finger in right hand, which is extended or separated from the other fingers, and finger next to index finger in right hand.

[collapse]

Highly highly important topic the grip,but attempting to analyse grip pressure in an event that takes 1 second(the swing) is an impossibility IMO.Hogan called the lower hand index finger and thumb -swing breakers.My experience is he was right. They are not alone however,they just don't seem to want to get in line when all the other fingers have agreed on the positioning.

Edited December 17, 2015 by collapse

[Patch]

I couldn't tell you which of my fingers has the most pressure on the grip. Have not thought about it in decades. It is what it is these days. 

What I know about grip pressure is that for me, my grip pressure is just firm enough that the club grip won't twist in my hands when the club face impacts the ball. 

[collapse]

1 minute ago, Patch said:

I couldn't tell you which of my fingers has the most pressure on the grip. Have not thought about it in decades. It is what it is these days. 

What I know about grip pressure is that for me, my grip pressure is just firm enough that the club grip won't twist in my hands when the club face impacts the ball. 

Basically you need a lead hand grip that complies with the natural hang of that hand which is then not messed up by an incorrect lower hand grip.If this is done,then grip pressure can be anything that isn't extreme.

[GolfLug]

IMHO, grip pressure should be tight enough so that club movement does not get out of phase with arm and torso movement, especially forward. If too loose, it allows club to independently drop off plane and also you will just try to overload at impact to bring it back in phase. Only the highly gifted can recover from that. Lot of folks think very loose pressure is required for a Sergio Garcia type lag. You actually need enough pressure to maintain an on-plane lag (if you start on plane to begin with).   

It should also be lose enough so that arms+club unit does not become so rigid (tight forearms and upper-arms) as to de-couple from the torso and then there is too little or no lag.    

Somewhere in between lies harmony. Not advising white knuckling at all but I would favor too tight over too loose any day. I struggle with grip placement which affects dynamic pressure. Like, terribly. Taking the winter to sort it out.  

 

 

[collapse]

If you place your open lead hand alone over your opposite shoulder as would occur in a swing,then close it into a fist bringing it back down to your lead side,what is the angle of the knuckle line?

[saevel25]

33 minutes ago, collapse said:

If you place your open lead hand alone over your opposite shoulder as would occur in a swing,then close it into a fist bringing it back down to your lead side,what is the angle of the knuckle line?

Why would you make a grip with out a club? Also it doesn't matter what the knuckle line is at. It depends on how rotated the wrists are. I can bring the hand back showing all the knuckles or showing no knuckles. 

[collapse]

13 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Why would you make a grip with out a club? Also it doesn't matter what the knuckle line is at. It depends on how rotated the wrists are. I can bring the hand back showing all the knuckles or showing no knuckles. 

This is known as an experiment which should involve more than one opinion.You see nothing in it-fine.

[saevel25]

1 minute ago, collapse said:

This is known as an experiment which should involve more than one opinion.You see nothing in it-fine.

Ok if this is an experiment. What is your hypothesis on this? What exactly are you trying to figure out? Asking someone to do something with out a solid hypothesis on what you want to achieve is confusing. 

This is the problem with your statement. You ask someone to do something with out giving the reason behind it. All it does is leave people wondering what the hell you are talking about. 

[Mr. Desmond]

8 minutes ago, collapse said:

This is known as an experiment which should involve more than one opinion.You see nothing in it-fine.

Is not the topic about grip pressure?

When someone asks this type of question, I usually pick up the omnipresent kid's club in my living room, and take a grip so I can see and think technically what I now do by habit, and put words to it.

[collapse]

2 minutes ago, saevel25 said:

Ok if this is an experiment. What is your hypothesis on this? What exactly are you trying to figure out? Asking someone to do something with out a solid hypothesis on what you want to achieve is confusing. 

This is the problem with your statement. You ask someone to do something with out giving the reason behind it. All it does is leave people wondering what the hell you are talking about. 

As I mentioned in a previous post above,the lead hand grip needs to comply with the natural hang of that hand...my little experiment suggests ,IMO, that the hand at the top of the swing, having no weight on it, has the same plane angle when closed as when naturally placed at one's side,open or closed.

5 minutes ago, Mr. Desmond said:

Is not the topic about grip pressure?

When someone asks this type of question, I usually pick up the omnipresent kid's club in my living room, and take a grip so I can see and think technically what I now do by habit, and put words to it.

If my comments are seen as being OT.I have no doubt they will be deleted and calm will be restored.

[boogielicious]

51 minutes ago, collapse said:

As I mentioned in a previous post above,the lead hand grip needs to comply with the natural hang of that hand...my little experiment suggests ,IMO, that the hand at the top of the swing, having no weight on it, has the same plane angle when closed as when naturally placed at one's side,open or closed.

If my comments are seen as being OT.I have no doubt they will be deleted and calm will be restored.

Please, please stop playing the victim. Folks are just asking you to be more clear in your posts. That's all.

[mvmac]

5 hours ago, Dave325 said:

I was out playing yesterday for a practice round and was thinking about grip pressure between the various fingers in each hand. I know we want the grip more in the fingers and less in the palm, but wondered if I am applying the correct grip pressure.... I try to hold the club almost entirely with the las two fingers in the left hand (I am right handed). I use the first finger and thumb of the right hand to steady the club (I heard somewhere that this is used for clubface control.... But not sure how that works, I just do the stupid monkey thing). Is this correct and still the proper modern thinking in today's golf swing? And does this ever change between clubs (except the putter, of course)? 

I'd say my grip pressure is pretty firm, you couldn't pull the club out of my hand. I tend to feel the "pressure" with the last three fingers of my left hand and middle two of my right hand. 

I think if the club is placed correctly in the hands, grip pressure tends to take care of itself.

 

[iacas]

2 hours ago, collapse said:

If my comments are seen as being OT.I have no doubt they will be deleted and calm will be restored.

Enough of the victim card. You've had about four posts removed, and all were well into an OT conversation where you were just basically going back and forth saying "nuh uh" to another forum member.

Knock it off.

[DrvFrShow]

I'd bet that while you can't take the club from @mvmac, you could take hold of the club and move his arms around with ease because of lack of tension in them.