How Tight Should You Grip the Golf Club?

The short answer: grip the club firmly enough that it never moves in your hands, but softly enough that your wrists stay mobile and your arms stay relaxed. The pressure belongs in the last fingers and pad of your lead hand, with your trail palm sitting on your lead thumb. Then take your grip behind the ball and don't re-grip once you're standing over it.

Forget the baby bird

You've probably heard that you should hold the club like a baby bird or a tube of toothpaste. I think that advice causes more problems than it solves.

Here's what I see when golfers grip too loosely. The club starts to move in their hands, so the body finds another way to control it. The forearms tighten, then the shoulders, then the neck. The grip is soft but everything above it is rigid, and they lose control of the club through the swing. A worn hole in the heel of your glove is the giveaway: the club has been slipping.

Think about any other athletic motion. A tennis player or a baseball hitter has a secure hold on the handle, but the wrists are free. That's what you want: secure hands, oily wrists, soft arms.

Where the pressure should be

Grip pressure isn't one number. It's about where you feel it. There are three pressure points I want you to be aware of.

1. Lead hand: last fingers and the pad. The main pressure in your lead hand (left hand for a right-hander) should be in the last couple of fingers and the pad at the heel of your hand. A lot of golfers squeeze with the lead thumb and index finger instead. That feels strong at address, but at the top of the swing the club separates from the hand and you lose control.

2. Trail palm on the lead thumb. Your trail palm should sit on top of your lead thumb and stay connected there through the whole swing. If the two hands come apart, the club moves around and your strike suffers.

3. Trail thumb and index finger on the back of the shaft. You should feel your trail index finger against the back of the grip. At impact, that's where good players feel the pressure, along with the trail palm pressing against the lead thumb. Golfers who scoop or flip at impact tend to lose that contact.

Get these three right and you'll find you don't need to squeeze anywhere else.

Tension is the real enemy

The question isn't really how tight your hands are. It's how tense your arms are.

Tight arms stop the club from releasing. The wrists can't hinge properly in the backswing and the clubhead can't swing freely through the ball, so you end up forcing it. Soft arms let the weight of the club do the work.

Your grip pressure will naturally rise during the downswing as the club speeds up. That happens on its own and it's fine. Your job is to set the right pressure at address and not add extra on purpose.

Why re-gripping over the ball costs you

This is one of the most common habits I see on course. The golfer walks up, sets the club down, then lets go and re-grips, sometimes three or four times.

Every re-grip adds tension. It also tends to twist the clubface, so you end up aiming one way with the face pointing another. Most of the time, golfers re-grip because their hands or arms aren't set in a position where they feel in control, so the brain keeps trying to find control or power.

The fix is a routine:

1. Make your practice swing nice and relaxed.
2. Stand behind the ball and pick your line to the target.
3. Take your grip there, behind the ball, not at it.
4. Walk in and set the clubface to your line.
5. Waggle and pump (see the drill below), then a final look at the target and go.

You're allowed to move your fingers slightly to keep them relaxed. You shouldn't be letting go of the club and starting again.

Drill 1: the waggle and pump test

This checks you've got a secure hold with soft arms.

1. Take your grip and set up to the ball.
2. Waggle. Move the clubhead back and forth, then in small circles. The club should never slip in your hands.
3. Pump. Gently pull the end of the handle towards your body and push it away again, a few times.
4. Check your arms. You should feel the weight of the clubhead and soft forearms and shoulders. If you can't make the circles without your arms locking, you're too tight. If the club wobbles in your fingers, you're too loose.

Watch a tour player before a shot and you'll often see a version of this. It keeps them in control without letting tension creep in while they stand over the ball.

Drill 2: the pressure point swings

This one trains the connection at impact.

1. Set up with no ball.
2. Take all your fingers off the club except your trail index finger on the back of the grip, with your trail palm resting on your lead thumb.
3. Make small swings back and through, keeping the palm and index finger in contact with the club the whole time.
4. Put your full grip back on and make half swings with the same sensation.

It's hard at first, especially if you flip at impact. That's the point. It shows you exactly where the connection breaks down.

Common mistakes I see

• Squeezing with the lead thumb and index finger, which leads to the club separating at the top.
• Holding the club in the palm of the lead hand instead of the fingers.
• Re-gripping over the ball, adding tension and twisting the face.
• A soft grip with rigid arms. Loose hands, locked elbows and tight shoulders is the worst combination.
• Strangling it under pressure. On the first tee or over a tight shot, do your waggle and pump to reset.

The same idea applies on the greens: a light, secure hold and quiet hands let the putter swing, which I cover in how to stop three-putting.

Want a grip and setup you can trust?

My 5-Step Masterclass and the Perform Golf library take you through grip, setup and the full swing step by step, so you can hold the club with control and let it release. Start at perform.golf.

Kerrod Gray is a PGA of Australia Professional, Advanced in Coaching, and the founder of Perform Golf.