"I weaken my my right hand grip pressure to take it out of the swing."

"I have a death grip and it ruins my swing."

"Is my grip to tight?"

"Should I have more pressure in my left or right hand?"

"Where in my grip should I have the most pressure?"

These are some of the more popular questions/comments I hear time and again about the often misunderstood topic of grip pressure.

Remember one thing: Your grip is your connection to the club and it should always be secure.

Too often I see looseness in a student's grip at address, in the backswing, at impact, or in the follow-through (finish).  When this is the case, it often is because the student is not applying enough grip pressure.  When pressure is not adequate, it leads a golfer to tighten their wrists, arms and shoulders given them a rigid or tense appearance (they do this because their grip is insecure so they feel a need to "hold on" with something other than their hands).

A few checkpoints:

• Your grip should be in the same position at your follow-through (finish) as it was at address.
• You should be able to freely waggle and hinge the club with your wrists while maintaining constant grip pressure.
• Place your grip on the club and stand up from address bringing the club up to chest level.  Have a friend try to take the club or wiggle it out of your hands.  They should not be able to.

I want my students to have constant grip pressure throughout their swing with the right and left hands having equal pressure on the club.  Although it is true that certain golfers have too much tension in their hands, a good grip should securely hold the club and prevent any turning or moving of the club at impact.

Tip submitted by Tim Hart, staff instructor at the Del Mar Golf Center.