Pete Finch – PGA Teaching Pro

Many people with strong golf grips can hit the ball very, very well at the driving range. However, when they get out into competition, when they get out into club comps, when they’re playing against their usual buddies on a Saturday morning, all of a sudden, pressure can have quite a big impact on the overall ball flight.

That’s because what tends to happen with golfers when they get a little bit tight, when they get a little under pressure is that the big core muscles start to shut down and the hands and the eyes become a little bit more active.

You’ve seen it many, many times when people are up the driving range swinging with a nice, beautiful, smooth rhythm, and then as soon as they get over the ball on the first tee, hands and the arms takeover and they hit all manner of golf shots.

The problem becomes the golfers. When they get very handsy, when they very armsy, that really does stop the big muscles from saving certain aspects of the shot. If you have a strong golf grip and a strong clubface position where that clubface is generally going to be pointing off to the left-hand side, if you get more active with the hand as the pressure starts to mount, all that’s going to happen is that clubface is going to start moving more off to the left-hand side. So that hook and that pole, and that horrible shot that you weren’t seeing at the driving range all of a sudden can become a big, big problem when you’re on the golf course.

That is why you aren’t playing with a strong grip, focusing more on the body terms, focusing more on the core muscles when you’re swinging can be in benefit. Or even better, you’re just trying to neutralize that grip out a little bit so you have more of a consistent clubface position throughout all your shots.