Grip Pressure: Make it Constant

We have a pretty good question Harry. He says, '€œOn the back swing when I get the club to the top, I tend to loosen the club grip slightly with the last two fingers on my left hand. I am right handed. I do re-grip on the downswing. If I try to clamp down on the grip with my left hand to correct the problem the grip pressure seems too strong. I don'€™t know if this is due to habit or lack of strength in the hands. Would grip size help? Any suggestions would be appreciated.'€

Ok, Harry, we are looking at a number of issues. Your main question seems to be is the grip size possibly wrong. It could be. If it is too narrow or too thin a group you might have trouble squeezing, if you are trying to hold it in your fingers, maintaining enough pressure between the fingers to the grip. Yes, I would say there is an outside chance it could be grip size. So the best thing to do there is check with your PGA Pro or get to a good certified club fitter and have him or her check you out.

But I think it might be more than that. The question I have to ask, Harry, or at least I'€™m going to state is, there is a good chance that you are probably taking a big turn and swinging to parallel or longer. Remember, once the club is past 12 o'€™clock and it is coming to parallel, it is going downward, meaning gravity is affecting it more. So once you keep going to parallel and the club is coming downward, you have to increase grip pressure to maintain the grip. But if you don'€™t and if you possibly started without enough grip pressure? Well, what is the key to the Peak Performance Golf Swing in terms of grip? I believe we have to have equal grip pressure in both hands and it should be relatively firm. On a grip meter of 1 to 5, meaning 1 would be holding it like a dead fish and 5 would be like squeezing so tight you would be turning the fingertips white, you want to be at 3, right in the middle, a good solid business person handshake.

If you are not holding it firmly enough in your hands, once it starts going from three quarters straight up to parallel, the weight of the club head and the momentum of the club head is picking up momentum as it is coming down, and it is putting the pressure on your hands. If you are not holding it tight enough it will basically rip the club out of your hands and you will lose your grip.

So, I think the first thing is, you have to look at the grip pressure and make sure it is consistent in both hands. And secondly, if you are going to parallel you are very likely cupping your left wrist and that cupping is going to pull the fingers open. Once the whole system starts, once gravity is getting the club and going to parallel, it is hard to hold on. Then when you finally grab it you have to grab it so tight you sense that you are over gripping it with too much pressure and again, you are doing it only with one hand, the left hand.

So, I think the #1 key, get your grip size checked. The #2 key for the swing, it probably should be #1 in everything, would be constant grip pressure, relatively firm and equal with both hands, throughout the swing. Work on keeping the swing three quarters so you don'€™t let gravity grab that club at the top and start trying to break your hands open. Work on those things, and I believe you are going to find out that with constant, relatively firm grip pressure, you will keep control of your club, which is going to help you make better swings, hit the ball more solid and straight and shoot lower scores.

The Surge!