This is an interesting topic as there are definitely elite players who have different levels of grip pressure. The biggest part in being successful is to make sure that the grip pressure stays the same from set-up right up until the end of the swing. The majority of golfers though need to err on the side of having light grip pressure. I usually explain this by trying to have around a 3/10 in grip pressure with 100% being the tightest you can hold it.
Most golfers who come in for lessons tend to have a grip pressure of around 8/10. You can actually notice this by the sound that the club makes with the ground and ball. Usually the tighter you hold the club, the more prone you are to 'slice' the ball. This is because the more the club is gripped tightly, the less the clubface wants to rotate through the ball. It can also affect body movement as the greater the tension, the less the body moves efficiently throughout the swing.
One of my first lessons was from a coach where all he said was to hit the next shot with even less grip pressure than the shot before. It was a great learning experience in just allowing the clubface to move without forcing it through the swing. The other benefit of this was that it enabled me to keep my balance consistently while to my surprise, also adding more distance. This distance is the result of allowing the arms and hands to move faster due to less pressure while maintaining control of the clubface.
You should also keep this light grip pressure for all parts of the game in particular your short game. The keep to being able to hit any kind of chip shot is light grip pressure that remains constant throughout the action. This is especially true for putting also as it will help you control your speed and tempo.
If you are unsure whether you are gripping too tightly, just contact myself via David Waters Golf or Emerald Lakes Coaching Centre.
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