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LONG GAME · CARD 115
Control Grip Pressure Without Tension
Your drill at a glance
This drill is from the Golf Practice Made Fun App.
This golf grip-pressure drill helps you find a secure hold that produces reliable contact without unnecessary forearm tension.
Instead of guessing whether you grip too tightly, compare two groups of half-shots. Hit nine with your usual pressure and nine with a lighter but secure hold. Keep the club, target and swing length unchanged, then use the strike and the feeling in your forearms to judge the difference.
Watch the grip-pressure demonstration
Watch Piers Ward and Andy Proudman from Me and My Golf in the video linked to Long Game card 115, then try the two-group experiment below.
Step 1. Play Nine with Your Usual Grip
What to do
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Choose the shot | Take a short iron and select a comfortable range target for controlled half-shots. |
| Use your normal pressure | Hold the club with your usual grip pressure. Keep your normal hand position on the grip. |
| Hit nine shots | Play nine controlled half-shots. Notice the quality of contact and how much tension you feel in your forearms. |
Step 2. Play Nine with a Lighter, Secure Grip
What to do
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Ease the squeeze | Try a lighter hold, about 3 out of 10 pressure. Treat that number as a feel cue. |
| Keep the club secure | Maintain enough pressure to stop the club slipping or moving in your hands. Lighter does not mean loose. |
| Hit nine more | Use the same short iron, target and half-swing length for another nine shots. Notice contact and forearm tension again. |
Your cue: “Light, not loose.”
Step 3. Compare Both Groups
What to do
| Action | What to do |
|---|---|
| Compare contact | Which group gave you the more reliable strike? Consider the whole group rather than one unusually good shot. |
| Compare tension | Notice whether the lighter hold reduced forearm tension while leaving you in control of the club. |
| Keep a useful note | Record what happened in each group and which pressure you would like to try again. Keep the comparison to the same club, target and swing length. |
Keep the record simple
You have played eighteen shots: nine with each grip pressure. A short comparison is enough.
| Group | What to record |
|---|---|
| Usual grip · 9 shots | How reliable was the strike, and how tense did your forearms feel? |
| Lighter grip · 9 shots | Was contact more reliable, less reliable or similar? Did you keep secure control with less tension? |
Choose the pressure that gives you the more reliable strike while keeping the club secure.
George’s Conclusion
Make this a fair comparison. Keep the shot the same and change only how firmly you hold the club. You are looking for a useful balance: enough pressure for control, without squeezing harder than you need to.
Let the results guide you. If the lighter grip feels less tense but the club is not secure, increase the pressure enough to regain control before continuing.
