“Holding tight enough to contain the bird but not so tight you crush the life out of the bird” and Tim Watson (as always) fired off “Hold the club vertical and only hold it tight enough so the it doesn’t slip through your fingers” are among the biggest crocks ever thrown out there. On the Golf Channel, early Tiger said he holds a 7 or an 8 out of 10. The host felt the need to explain the scale to him! Your piece was quite good. Grip pressure varies with the task - deep rough to short pitch. What everyone missed is the element you mention - tight enough to control the face but with mobility. As a tennis teacher, I have become convinced that the quality of instruction in golf is horrible as well. Nice piece by you. But it was not too helpful. The player has to experiment with the range of grip pressure and evaluate if he loses control when he holds too loose.