"STRONG HANDS" in Golf ???

[TeetoGrnr]

"Strong" in pressure, position or both ???

Both. Having said that, like all things there are ppl on both sides of the fence....light grip, weak position. "Holding a bird" is "for the birds", not for golf IMO

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_q8twsjBUk

[veryold]

Thanks to ALL for your generous and kind contributions and help on this topic - very much appreciated
I will experiment with the "strong grip" as mentioned above and see how it compares with my "weak grip" which is weak in pressure and position.
Cheers !

[Ignatius Reilly]

Grip pressure definitely changes overall and especially in certain places.


hold the club like a live bird flying over the Grand Canyon

I'd always been told to grip the club lightly. It's why I bother cleaning and/or replacing my grips. So I don't have to strangle the club.

So this is very different info you are providing - BUT - you are certainly well respected as a teacher on this site so I'm not going to ignore your advice.

Your bird analogy can be taken two ways, so can you clarify?

I would grip a bird gently, so as not to kill it. If flying over the Grand Canyon I'd have a death grip on it so I don't fall off. So.... what am I supposed to be doing?

[4underthru9]

Hey ALL
Watching the US Open free streaming and observing the commentators keep talking and "admiring" how this and that player have "AMAZING STRONG HANDS" but never explaining what that really means ???
I am surely totally confused/wrong here as I always assumed that "HANDS" have nothing to do in golf swing ??? Maybe lower arms (rotation) but hands, no idea ?

If swing gurus here could help my confusion here would be really appreciated and thanked. Maybe that is the "missing link" in my swing to get me to the "next level"

Cheers !

VO here is something on the subject that maybe relevant to your question.
If you grip a bird the way you should grip your club in the rough, you will have a dead bird for sure.LOL

https://www.golfdistillery.com/shot-tips/difficult-lies/how-to-hit-from-heavy-rough/

[NickStarchuk]

I'd always been told to grip the club lightly. It's why I bother cleaning and/or replacing my grips. So I don't have to strangle the club.

So this is very different info you are providing - BUT - you are certainly well respected as a teacher on this site so I'm not going to ignore your advice.

Your bird analogy can be taken two ways, so can you clarify?

I would grip a bird gently, so as not to kill it. If flying over the Grand Canyon I'd have a death grip on it so I don't fall off. So.... what am I supposed to be doing?

For sure not gently. Maybe for green side chip shots but never for full swings.

[veryold]

I'd always been told to grip the club lightly. It's why I bother cleaning and/or replacing my grips. So I don't have to strangle the club.

So this is very different info you are providing - BUT - you are certainly well respected as a teacher on this site so I'm not going to ignore your advice.

Your bird analogy can be taken two ways, so can you clarify?

I would grip a bird gently, so as not to kill it. If flying over the Grand Canyon I'd have a death grip on it so I don't fall off. So.... what am I supposed to be doing?

Well, FWIW, did spend 2 hours yesterday experimenting with the strong, i.e. STIFF/FIRM grip and it didn't work for me at all.

1) Lost at least a club maybe two in distance
2) Trajectory was low and fading
3) My leading wrist, and actually my whole body (maybe due to trying to swing harder to achieve my usual targets) hurt that evening (2 advils which i never need/take)

Maybe I need more time with it, but I really don't want to "really" get hurt, so will stick to my tried and trusted LOOSEY-GOOSEY grip and swing

[SeanAvery2point0]

Well, FWIW, did spend 2 hours yesterday experimenting with the strong, i.e. STIFF/FIRM grip and it didn't work for me at all.

1) Lost at least a club maybe two in distance
2) Trajectory was low and fading
3) My leading wrist, and actually my whole body (maybe due to trying to swing harder to achieve my usual targets) hurt that evening (2 advils which i never need/take)

Maybe I need more time with it, but I really don't want to "really" get hurt, so will stick to my tried and trusted LOOSEY-GOOSEY grip and swing

strong hands does not necessarily require rigidity in the wrists, which is likely what caused your loss in distance. . . you likely had less lag and rotation (flip) because you were being strong in the wrong places.

NickStarchuk can set me straight if I'm mistaken.

[veryold]

strong hands does not necessarily require rigidity in the wrists, which is likely what caused your loss in distance. . . you likely had less lag and rotation (flip) because you were being strong in the wrong places.

NickStarchuk can set me straight if I'm mistaken.

Hey, thanks for the input, much appreciated
Re. the "strong hands with looser wrists" I will try it, but for the life of me, as I am going thru the motion, here in our living room, LOL, as soon as I strenghten the grip pressure, my whole lower arms, INCLUDING THE WRISTS, also get stiff ???

[Arthur Dailey]

Definitely need strong hands to play great golf. The hands wrist and arms provide tremendous speed and trying to take the hands out of the swing leads to disaster. Every player uses their hands to help rotate (flip) the club. The best players do it at the right time and the not so good players do it at the wrong time - some too early and some too late. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve asked for more flip…

Lifters will confirm that it is easier to lift heavy with a large diameter bar than with a small diameter bar. The smaller the bar, the more you have to 'squeeze'.

Which leads credence to Moe Norman's preference for super large grips. If I remember correctly he would often wrap baseball bat tape around them to make them larger.

Regarding timing you are certainly correct.

For example there is a video of Rory McIlroy working out and deadlifting approximately 225lbs.

At the same age I was 'pulling' just over 600lbs and at 61 was still able to perform multiple sets and reps with over 350lbs. The problem being that not only do I grip too hard, but my swing is about as 'wild' as that of Jose Bautista or Bo Bichette. Drives me crazy when 'little' guys like Rory hit it about twice as far as me.

One reason why I am cheering for Dechambeau.

[NickStarchuk]

strong hands does not necessarily require rigidity in the wrists, which is likely what caused your loss in distance. . . you likely had less lag and rotation (flip) because you were being strong in the wrong places.

NickStarchuk can set me straight if I'm mistaken.

nicely put

Firm hands, mobile wrists. And when the arms slow down into impact, those hands hold on to a releasing golf club. Hold on tight!

[ndrpar]

nicely put

Firm hands, mobile wrists. And when the arms slow down into impact, those hands hold on to a releasing golf club. Hold on tight!

Thanks for jumping in Nick. Hand and wrist movements are so confusing. Do you have a link where we see the correct movements? Some teachers stand behind the trail hand being used in a hammer or karate chop motion, others state that it is more of an open hand slap/flip motion through the ball.
I frequently forget about grip pressure. It does seem to load the shaft better coupled with a good body turn. Speaking of Couples, Freddie and VJ have the trail hand coming off the club through the ball. I’m assuming that is their power flip.

[NickStarchuk]

Phil and Vijay have their hand come off because it can’t keep up with the glove hand.

trail wrist bends back and then straightens into the ball. It doesn’t always “fire” the club. There’s a lot to this and it gets confusing through text. I don’t always advocate a conscious flip but the best player display a flip through the ball ALL DAY. Trying to speed the arms up past the ball in the name of shaft lean is horrible.

[veryold]

Phil and Vijay have their hand come off because it can’t keep up with the glove hand.

trail wrist bends back and then straightens into the ball. It doesn’t always “fire” the club. There’s a lot to this and it gets confusing through text. I don’t always advocate a conscious flip but the best player display a flip through the ball ALL DAY. Trying to speed the arms up past the ball in the name of shaft lean is horrible.

Re. above (red) text: do you mean that TRAILING ARM IS ***NOT*** adding power to the downswing ??? IOW, is the leading arm the "engine" of the downswing ???

[golfinseb]

You guys are funny, the only thing that matters is the score card. If the club isn't twisting in your hands you are griping it tight enough.

[bl8d]

my top hand is always neutral. I shape my shots with the bottom hand by setting it slightly weak , or slightly strong. KISS.