Is your grip pressure too tight? A senior teacher shares how to say it

When it comes to grip pressure, Sam Snead has perhaps the most famous game guide on the subject, suggesting that players should grip the club as they would a birdie.

But GOLF Top 100 teacher Jason Baile disagrees.

In a video posted on Titleist’s YouTube page, Baile argues that grip pressure itself isn’t the enemy of the golf swing — rather, it’s about how and where it’s done on the club.

“If I were a baseball player hitting a 90-mile-per-hour fastball, the last thing I would do is hold this bat like a baby bird,” Baile said. “We know that strength is a big part of our game. So I can say [to Snead]it is about where to hold and where to suppress.”

The problem, Baile says, is that many players hold the club firmly with low pressure.

“That will send a lot of tension to my clothes, my shoulder and maybe my lower jaw,” he said. “I want to make sure I have all that grip pressure going up.”

When grip pressure is directed in this way, Baile says, it enables you to maintain your strength and control.

“When I stick to grip, I can still have soft wrists, soft elbows and soft shoulders, but still have good face control,” he said. “So when I go in there, I want to feel that grip pressure going up through my fingers, relaxing my hands, my shoulders and my jaw. I can swing with purpose and still have control of the club.”

Summary: make sure the grip pressure feels like it’s pulling up, not pushing down as you swing, and you’ll know you’re doing it right.

To watch Baile’s tip video in its entirety, click here.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of women’s varsity golfers, Jessica knows how to beat everyone on the golf course. He can pass them through the office, too, where he is primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s first Style Issue, which began in February 2018. His first interview series, “A Round With,” released in November 2015, and appeared in both magazine and video form on GOLF.com.