A RANT ABOUT GRIP PRESSURE

[@thombendtsen399]

As tight as you want in your FINGERS, while maintaining the suppleness in the wrists and elbows for the club to move dynamically. Which is hard to do.

[@kourt2469]

I’ve been playing off a +2 handicap for the last 5 years and I think soft grip pressure is the worst thing an amateur could do. On a scale of 0-10, 0 being lightest, I’d say I’m pushing an 8 at address but at impact i bet I’m an 11. How can you possibly take a divot without squeezing the grip nice and secure.

[@joshleech8146]

Fantastic video. I grip the piss out of the club. Wrist and arms are soft but my grip is 9/10. You can swing as hard as you want and keeps face square.

[@Cornwall1888]

Justin Thomas needs to improve his grip pressure, kept slipping out or his hands last week 😉

[@fradaja]

Today I have slackened my pressure especially through impact , I've absolutely creamed it , Loverly soft solid feel through impact , holding the club too tightly is a huge problem for most amateurs , it slows the swing down it creates injuries , it reduces the amount of practice time through fatigue, it also upsets timing , jack Nicklaus himself sites grip pressure being his main focus on his final round success.

[@myleschilton3473]

fradaja Could not agree more. Particularly important for people inclined to direct the club excessively with hands/ arms instead of swinging the core. Most amateurs I meet hit the ball more consistently and much further with a very light grip pressure.

[@tomdee3981]

Good stuff, Dan, I read someplace that somebody told Hogan that Snead said to 'hold it like a bird." Hogan replied , "He didn't tell you the bird was a hawk."

[@625bmx]

So glad I found this. Never watched a video lesson on grip pressure but I was always under the assumption that I had too much grip pressure. But now I know why every time I tried to hold the club lighter, I started hitting bad shots! Now I know that it's fine that I have more grip pressure. Thanks!

[@banditbaker1675]

Loved the "mini rant" about grip pressure Dan, me things you should be having a "Major Rant" about "lifting your head" and other bollox that you hear on the golf course. Go get em Dan

[@ramrat1480]

Thanks for covering this as I am currently trying to pay better attention to my grip pressure! I love that you talk about making sure the grip is strong enough not to fly out of your hands as that is more my situation. Hearing you say that we need to have a good grip to control the club face and hit the sweet spot more consistently is just what I needed to hear and take to the range. Thanks from Arizona!

[@Seistrup9]

Thank God! Been waiting for someone with some authority to speak up about this. Finally :)

[@Antonyosb]

you could do a complete series of these. Things that have been said for too long it is now a common belief. holding lag, resisting the hips, 2 axis spin of a golf ball, face balanced putters are only for straight back and through putting strokes and many many more

[@Jeremy_Walker]

This is one of those things the body is good at. How tight do you hold a dumbbell or a tennis racquet or football or baseball... etc...

[@steveb3822]

Dan what about grip size ? Is it size specific or what's comfortable? 👍

[@VanishingImage]

Great video. I do feel I'm trying to choke the grip when I swing and trying to find ways to relax it but still have sturdy grip like you said

[@PatBuckleyracecar]

I started gripping the club more firmly and immediately started hooking - which told me I needed to turn my torso better. When I did that I started hittting the ball MUCH further.

[@grahamjones7371]

I was that loosey goosey golfer! got away with it cos of hogan left hand grip and used my body to much,got down to good standard.But now improving again and using my hands/arms working on the grip more at start to help set the club on plane better.Yesterday i suddenly realised i was almost letting go of the butt end at impact,whats that all about!

[@nickough]

Very good point Dan - pretty soon after I started to really commit to slomo practice to drill certain body movements (especially the take away) I realised I had to grip pretty hard with my left hand to let my left forearm work properly to raise the club in the intended direction. The only time there's is a slight loose feeling may be in transition, but after that I'm getting both hands to grip, so I'm ready to rip!! :)

[@edwardbrost331]

Have always played better focusing on gripping firm and tight with the top two fingers of my left hand. Thanks for affirming my feel and thought and spreading the real truth.

[@Maverickjs74]

Dan, suggestion for video is timing/tempo. I have a slow takeaway but can't resist trying to smash the ball on the downswing. Thanks

[@edwardbrost331]

Great video,I have experimented with grip pressure and my best success is always with very firm pressure or I lose control of the face.

[@garethjones3599]

Possibly the best video that applies personally to me. Awesome job fella.

[@Maverickjs74]

Thanks Dan, I've been trying a softer grip pressure recently but I sounds like it was fine to start with as I could always achieve the range of motion you mention

[@ashleywalker2774]

Grip pressure or the right grip pressure is one of the most important parts of the swing. Most amateur hold on too tight. Holding on too tight often leads to arms being too tight. If arms are too tight it’s game over and your swing will never be as good as it can be. Everybody is different. It’s one of the things to get right. Once you do everything becomes easier.

[@yadthink]

Enjoyed your rant, Dan! Would appreciate your thoughts on whether closing the face at address achieves the same effect as strengthening the grip (i.e., seeing more knuckles). When I strengthen my grip to try to hit a draw, it adds tension to my hands and arms that too often leads to a miss. Thx!

[@justjames1111]

The great man Jack Nicklaus said he tried to maintain 'soft forearms' throughout his swing.

[@leohart2001]

Great video and something i had concerned myself with especially with gloves called bionic. Have an issue of the club slipping out causing slices. Hope to see some videos on how yo use the driver at some point as this club i particularly struggle with.

[@amirridzwana]

Dear Dan, can you redo your video on setup angles and spine tilt?

[@harvey785]

You should see the subtitles for this video! Bloody hilarious!!

[@jorgen_persson]

LOL "...okay if people say how old it liar then be able to just to rock book club to gravity dropping structure it..." - Say what?

[@danielsanderson5398]

Got one for you dan. Went to see a pro and he won't let my knees move when I rotate through the swing. I admit that my rotation needs some work but I've never seen any pro player keep them totally in the address position through the entire swing. Any idea why he is teaching this technique?

[@creamabdul-jabbar6722]

Yes grip pressure matters. Absolutely. It’s definitely a fine line though. It still has to be firm enough. I used to hold the club too tight I’d get the nastiest knuckle ball darts. Low snap hooks or high slice off the planet with driver. I started hitting woods and hit them really well I realized once I pulled the woods out when the driver was on the fritz I wasn’t gripping it hard. But you can’t be out there like Gumby. Also if you grip too tight you tend to not know where you hit the ball, I don’t feel the impact on the face. When I have the correct pressure I feel the face through impact actually compress the ball and almost feels like the face ever so slightly wraps the ball and the face naturally releases in a draw pattern or a fade pattern on its own without me manually having to hold any certain angles. Of course depends on shot type I’m planning on hitting, holding off the face held a new meaning to me once I found this feel. It’s a firmer grip to me that’s it. I’m no pro or anything but I’ve went from a handicap so high that I was just out there to hit balls and something to do to a 3.7 just finding myself. Consistently past 3 months under 80. Occasions I will shoot a 81-82 but also have occasional 69-72 round

[@John20730]

is the grip pressure in the lead hand greater or are the both equal. heard it said that the right hand for right handed golfers is a light grip.

[@Quintonwalsh]

Next rant suggestion; Look slightly ahead of the ball in your downswing, to hit it further. That was the biggest joke I ever did hear in my ear. The correct teaching is, keep your eye on the ball until you see the tee/divot after hitting it then look up, you should see the last two thirds of the ball flight. But correct me if I am wrong Dan.

[@donswords6671]

Yeah. Strengthen that grip so you have nice tight forearms. The two are connected. I prefer to go lighter (not loose) to relax a bit to feel the club head Good luck.

[@Henricule]

Personally I think that if one relies on his subconscious he/she will automatically and subconsciously applies and adjusts the rigth grip pressure for the situation. one can observe such in any "grip sport" ie tennis, badminton, baseball etc . Even when you cutting meat or writing .. .you do this automatically. For me self I feel the most change in preasure during chipping an putting.

[@adrianleman5158]

Thanks James,great advice👍

[@boratpausenot26]

Aligning with your feet rather than your shoulders a bad thing?

[@stevenyourtoyotapro]

How about your arms tension wise, I've been told the same thing about your hands for your arms to keep them loose, but when I see players like Rory they seem to have some tension in their arms

[@davemitchell1099]

Finally a grip pressure video that makes sense!!

[@hommuside]

Stopped hitting duffs when I relaxed my grip

[@James_D807]

Advice seems legit, might use it lol. I know when I'm gripping too tight, forearm starts to hurt, and I seem to pull the crap out of it. Not that the pull has anything to do with grip tightness, I can pull it at any time :) I basically just try to have it feel firm and comfortable, then try to forget about it.

[@Topblokepiano]

James Dwyer I know what your saying, when you grip hard you naturally tighten the forearm, train yourself to tighten your grip and keep the tension in your forearm to a minimum. It takes time and patience.

[@fradaja]

The first time I shot single figures , I loosened the grip to about 4/10 , at impact

[@michaeltotten5767]

Great rant. I have always found that I strike the ball better with a little firmer grip. The bird / toothpaste analogy seems like garbage. Makes my swing too loose.

[@askmehow702]

I have a Jack Nicklaus video teaching exactly that: “Relax your grip to release the tension in your forearms and shoulders to increase club head speed”. What gives?

[@A11YourBase]

I think holding a golf club like toothpaste really helps. I often use my 4 iron to clean my teeth because it helps me get the right feel 😂

[@johnswanson4266]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@legend9018]

Love it as usual. So well put.

[@dkvalour3574]

Golf mythbuster series! I like it.

[@DanTAT1987]

I loved this video. I have been told the toothpaste tube dozens of times hahaha. cheer Dan

[@ElvisPriscillaPresley]

Well said.

[@gaffs82]

Didn't Snead say to grip it like a baby bird?

[@TheJohnswa]

Sprayed the ball all over the place until I finally tightened up the grip pressure. Gripped the club like a bird and watched the ball fly like one too! LOL!

[@blue24563]

The problem with your advice here is that there is barely an amateur in the world who holds the club too lightly. Everyone grips it and rips it. This is compounded by the fact amateurs often never replace their grips for years, causing them to hold tighter on worn grips The most important thing about grip pressure is it needs to be light enough for you to initiate a 'throw' or 'whip' motion with the club around your body with as little tension in your arms and shoulders as possible, rather than fighting against the weight of the clubhead. A light grip pressure will make continuous motion feel more natural, allowing you to build momentum to move the clubhead. It will also keep the clubhead in the correct position because otherwise it would be too heavy to hold ('laid off', for example). Subconsciously, the average golfer grips tightly because they are trying to move the clubhead first, but actually, the body moves first, initiating a continuous movement where the clubhead feels as if it is always behind the body and suddenly releases at impact (much like the tail of a whip). There is hardly an amateur I've met that understands this feeling, mostly due to their interring tension and strong grip pressure. Bobby Jones was a master at this. If you analyse his swing carefully, you'll notice that the first movement is made with his body, then the hands. He moves the grip of the club back which initiates the 'throw'.

[@TheRealLindenH]

Great video, obviously passionate about how much you hate one particular myth (1:09) 😂

[@jackhenderson9798]

I softened my grip on my driver and added 60 yards to my drive

[@YannickRollandRacing]

"you're lifting your head" next please Dan !

[@fradaja]

Yannick Rolland Racing it's exactly the same thing. As losing spine angle

[@leefitton8851]

Superb 👍

[@JohnFranklin-ju2vi]

Disagree, even Tiger says light is right! Tension is directly related to grip pressure. You can’t have tight grip pressure and relaxed forearms. Centrifugal force will increase pressure on the downswing, starting out tense will never allow a player to play fearless golf and swing target focused and balanced

[@SuperR0551]

Nice rant 😆

[@ianh8396]

Love the rant :-) Dan

[@cedriclejeune7013]

Please check your emails Dan :)

[@oliverborowiakify]

Loving those sneakers pal

[@ward4251]

I grip the SHIT OUT OF THE CLUB. Never hit better.

[@svennkellner2093]

Great video again. Good one to show the freaks who still talks about the bird. :) Hope to get the time to go an take some lessons from you.

[@jorgepinto383]

Grate tip for everyone

[@michaelticehurst5275]

Yeah, some old fool told me to hold the grip like a tube of toothpaste (when I was a teenager) It just didn't sound right to me....But, I know when I grip too tight, it restricts my backswing and I can't get enough swing-speed and make an improper strike...Currently, I just interlock it in place, and make a comfortable / relaxed swing. Cheers Dan.

[@Topblokepiano]

I like the rant version of dan , I think yiu should do a weekly rant on golf myths, if you want some inspiration on crap advice look up mark crossfield

[@garflad1406]

if MC was giving me a golf lesson and standing behind me, I would have zero grip pressure....

[@jht9407]

I hear ya Jason. I am reluctant to comment as I don't want to come across like a hater because I have nothing against the guy but Mark to me seems to talk a lot without saying anything. Also surprised Dan hasn't heard of him.

[@Topblokepiano]

Justin Taylor ha, I think dan is being flippant ! Look, just because u don't like or disagree with something, doesn't make you a hater or a troll, crossy is a hard worker but also not a very nice person the way he puts fellows golfers down to to make himself look good , yes I agree, he explains things in a convoluted way. I don't hate him, I hate his ways.

[@seansunyoon]

This is rubbish. Everybody has different grip pressure that works for them. Some people swings faster, and more on plane with lighter pressure while others with firmer ones. For example, I personally have insanely light grip pressure. That's the only way I could quite down my wrists and arms, keeping the club in front of my body squared at most of points throughout my swing.

[@Tobes57]

Many people tense up on the course and consequently grip too tightly which slows club head speed and throws the path off line. To consider this as a possibility and try gripping lighter is good sound advice and certainly not something to have a rant about, surely. In your video you actually then go on to explain rather poorly how to grip with the correct grip pressure. For someone who charges a premium for lessons I would have expected better.

[@Yozzer72]

A weekly rant would be good Dan. All about yr pet swing peeves??

[@Yozzer72]

Keeping yr head still?

[@Seistrup9]

Jason Hughes Best Way to get a neck injury 👍

[@stevewright6051]

Don't like angry Dan. lol

[@Mrhallryu]

'Keep your head down'! Debunk this garbage for us as well please Dan.

[@jbmurphy0468]

I guess Jack Nicklaus and sam Snead don’t know that they are talking about

[@acheamwake4287]

Snead said that you should hold the club like a bird. What they didn’t tell you is that the bird was an Fing hawk!😅

[@dickturnip504]

Utter tripe. The golf grip really cannot be too light. This fellow doesn't know what he's saying---indeed, has he ever been any good at golf? What has he ever WON?!! I guarantee the answer is -----DAMN ALL----but he considers himself an "expert"?!! hahaha Who IS Dan Whittaker? I've never heard of him......

[@MarkSmith-lz5rk]

I cant know for sure how many people have heard of him but I can say at least 31000 people know who he is since that's what his sub count is at...I dont know if you get to be certified as a PGA teaching pro if you dont know anything about golf...so we have two opinions here...bill easson who I'm guessing for sure most people dont know who the fuck that is...or Dan Whittaker who (at the very least) has a successful KZbin channel, his own golf school, has given golf lessons to countless golfers with sub 10 handicaps, and is a certified class A PGA professional...I think I'll take Dan's advice over yours

[@MarkSmith-lz5rk]

Oh and I'm a scratch golfer so, before you say I know nothing, you should probably know that

[@dickturnip504]

@@MarkSmith-lz5rk You clot. Lee Trevino summed up these so-called "gurus"---he said if they could find one who could beat him, he'd listen, otherwise they were just blowing hot air. Whittaker is a nonentity and I bet he couldn't beat me ( my h'cap is +5, I wonder if he can break 80? I bet not), although he'd probably thrash you, and I definitely would.

[@dickturnip504]

@@MarkSmith-lz5rk As an international and a +5 player, I think I might run rings round you, you conceited oaf.

[@MarkSmith-lz5rk]

@@dickturnip504 lol +5...that's cute