With the temperature dropping rapidly here in Wyoming, you’re bound to get more posts about putting from me!
I’ve heard this subject described in various ways, and I’ve tried them all. Here’s what I think works for me. I experiment with grip pressure from 1 (barely touching the club with my hands, can hardly control it or pick it off the ground, would never putt this way, but just try it to get a true extreme on the loose end) to 10 (absolutely choking it with all my strength; again, would never putt this way, just want to see the extreme on the tight end), and then I try to feel equal increments going up from that 1 all the way to 10, being very conscious of what’s going on at each increment and how it’s different. It’s a fun experiment to try, especially as you putt in your basement for 5 months!
I think level 5 is my preferred grip pressure. This may be a little tighter than some recommend (seems more than holding a bird or a tube of toothpaste without the cap on), but I find with anything less I don’t have very good control or feel over the putter and the face. Anything more and I start to tighten up and don’t make a nice, smooth stroke. This could also be because my putter is longer and heavier than average, as I’m a taller than average guy, and perhaps that means I need more pressure in the grip to control it? Who knows, but it seems to be what works for me.
Then, as an added benefit, I use this conscious feeling of level 5 grip pressure as my “trigger” to start the swing. I place the putter head with great care to align it perfectly with very little pressure, take my last look at the hole while barely holding it, and then, to start the stroke, I press my hands onto the grip until I get to that 5, and as soon as I hit that 5, I’m ready to go.
What are your thoughts on grip pressure on putter?