By T.J. TOMASI
Universal Press Syndicate

How tightly should you hold the club? On a 1-to-10 continuum, where a 10 grip leaves fingerprints and a 1 grip has the force of tissue paper picking up after your dog, your golf grip should be about a 5.

Why such a light grip when you're out to cream the ball? For starters, you shouldn't try to hit it so hard. I'd estimate that 85 percent of full power is good enough.

The key to power is setting then retaining a 90-degree angle between your front arm and the shaft until just before impact. When your grip pressure is too tight, you can't cock your wrists enough to form this lever, so all you can do is make a weak slap at the ball.

A 5 is the proper grip pressure because your brain, guided by information from pressure sensors in your body, will make the adjustments necessary to maintain the correct hold on your club as you swing. All this is done automatically by your neural networks ― high-tech brain technology that comes with every brain. When you strangle the club, you cut off all feeling to your brain.

So relax your hands. Make it a "hold" rather than a "grip." The hands are clamps, not for crushing but for anchoring.

Your grip pressure should be light enough to allow you to cock your wrists, but heavy enough to secure the club in your hands so you don't have to regrip during the downswing. With the correct grip pressure your wrists can cock (never roll) in the up/down direction and produce leverage that can be released on time. This is the definition of a good grip.