Page 2 - The Grip

Grip Position and
Pressure

The grip is a critical part of the setup. The position and pressure

of the hands has a radical impact on shot quality. The role of

the hands is to hold the club, not to move it.

Correct grip position and pressure can be difficult to achieve,

particularly pressure. Most of the setup fundamentals can be

seen, photographed and video recorded, but how do you see

correct grip pressure? As an instructor I can see some of the

consequences of bad grip pressure, most noticeably changes in

the position of the fingers in relation to the handle of the club

and relative to each other. These changes cannot occur if the

grip pressure remains constant.

So how much pressure is enough and when does it become

too much or too little?

The basic rule is to have equal pressure in both hands and to

have a grip pressure that would rate as a “5” on a scale of

1-10. Exceptions to this rule would be that people with very

strong hands who can get by with a softer pressure and

people with weak hands might have to hold the club harder in

order to maintain control during the swing but it’s important