Solid fundamentals are so important to good golf, and it’s the elements of the set-up that largely determine the success or failure of a shot.
Good players pay careful attention to pre-shot basics such as proper aim, grip, posture, ball position and stance. One often overlooked fundamental is grip pressure.
To add consistency to your ball-striking, it’s important to be aware of the right amount of grip pressure, not only for your basic shots, but for those specialty shots that can salvage a mediocre round.
The effects of incorrect grip pressure can be disastrous. If your grip is too tight, you create tension that travels up through your wrists and forearms to the shoulders. This inhibits upper-body rotation throughout the swing and prevents you from squaring the clubhead at impact, producing inconsistent shots.
A grip that is too tight also prevents your wrists from hinging properly, robbing you of the power source created when the clubshaft and left arm form a ninety degree angle in the backswing.
A grip that is too loose fails to control the club throughout the swing. A re-grip during some part of the swing may result, producing a variety of miss-hits.
Grip pressure comes from three primary pressure points: the last three fingers on the left hand, the middle two fingers on the right hand and the lifeline area of the right hand that overlaps the left thumb in the grip.
The thumbs and index fingers act as “feelers,” and should be free of any real pressure or tension. Your goal should be to exert equal pressure with both hands. If you have your hands in the proper position on the grip, these pressure points occur naturally, so you need not consciously hold on tighter with these areas. What you do have to monitor, however, is the overall tightness or pressure of your hands on the club.
Good players pay careful attention to pre-shot basics such as proper aim, grip, posture, ball position and stance. One often overlooked fundamental is grip pressure.
To add consistency to your ball-striking, it’s important to be aware of the right amount of grip pressure, not only for your basic shots, but for those specialty shots that can salvage a mediocre round.
The effects of incorrect grip pressure can be disastrous. If your grip is too tight, you create tension that travels up through your wrists and forearms to the shoulders. This inhibits upper-body rotation throughout the swing and prevents you from squaring the clubhead at impact, producing inconsistent shots.
A grip that is too tight also prevents your wrists from hinging properly, robbing you of the power source created when the clubshaft and left arm form a ninety degree angle in the backswing.
A grip that is too loose fails to control the club throughout the swing. A re-grip during some part of the swing may result, producing a variety of miss-hits.
Grip pressure comes from three primary pressure points: the last three fingers on the left hand, the middle two fingers on the right hand and the lifeline area of the right hand that overlaps the left thumb in the grip.
The thumbs and index fingers act as “feelers,” and should be free of any real pressure or tension. Your goal should be to exert equal pressure with both hands. If you have your hands in the proper position on the grip, these pressure points occur naturally, so you need not consciously hold on tighter with these areas. What you do have to monitor, however, is the overall tightness or pressure of your hands on the club.
