GolfWell Podcast · Cordie Walker - Formerly Golf Science Lab

Are You Gripping Your Golf Club Wrong?

·38 min·2 clips

The tour pro is around a 4 to 4.5 out of 10 at setup, while most amateurs are below 1.

1. GolfWell Podcast examines grip pressure in golf swings, using Liam Mucklow’s sensor data on high handicappers, slicers, hookers, and tour pros. 2. Liam Mucklow is the guest analyst, and the hosts use his pressure-sensor work to interpret grip strength, body motion, and swing timing. 3. The episode asks whether golfers should squeeze harder, how pressure changes through the swing, and whether grip pressure matches body movement. 4. At setup, the high handicapper and slicer are below 1 out of 10, the hooker is below 3 out of 10, and the tour pro sits around 4 to 4.5 out of 10. 5. Mucklow converts the setup numbers into pounds and says the tour pro lands around 124 pounds of pressure from a 276-pound combined grip-strength total. 6. He says most amateurs are using so little pressure that energy created by the body can leak out before it transfers to the club. 7. The time-based graphs show grip pressure rising as club speed changes, with the high handicapper grabbing harder when the club is already accelerating. 8. Mucklow describes that golfer as 'along for the ride' while the club leads the motion through the downswing. 9. The high handicapper is the only group with higher pressure from the bottom hand, while the other groups are top-hand dominant. 10. The hooker shows a strong left-hand pressure increase with low pelvis rotation and a sliding motion instead of body turn. 11. The slicer shows a steadier grip-pressure ramp, stronger right-hand pressure, and more pelvis rotation through the downswing. 12. The professionals are the only group with a small pressure peak at transition, which Mucklow links to changing direction and controlling the club. 13. He says the pros then show a reduction in grip pressure early in transition, which appears to help the body rotate and the club fall behind. 14. Mucklow says the graph for professionals looks flatter than the others because they keep club-face rotation minimal through the striking zone. 15. For interventions, he suggests left-hand-only wedge swings for high handicappers and notes Hogan’s three-finger drill for slicers. 16. He also recommends increasing left-hand pressure and reducing right-hand pressure for hookers, while turning the hips earlier. 17. The tone is technical but conversational, with repeated pauses for clarifying graphs, force percentages, and swing phases. 18. The format mixes live chart reading, practical coaching ideas, and a few personal examples, including Mike’s straight driving and Wendy’s frustration with the drill. 19. Golf coaches, data-minded players, and grip-size tinkerers will get the most out of this. 20. Casual listeners wanting a simple swing tip without graphs may skip it.

As heard by us

Grip pressure becomes a swing sequence, not just a setup number.

It treats grip pressure as more than a setup note, and that idea gives the episode its shape from transition through impact. Built around Liam Mucklow's pressure-sensor work, it moves between high handicappers, slicers, hookers, and pros, using the graphs to make the coaching…

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Why you'd press play

If grip pressure feels like golf folklore, this one puts it on a timeline.

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