Research Review: Grip Strength Correlates with Police Academy Outcomes

By Emmett Shaul

BLUF

In 169 Australian police recruits, stronger handgrip was linked with better TACOPS (Tactical Options Assessment) performance and higher handgun marksmanship scores; there was no link with the SIM (simulation) assessment. Recruits with very low grip struggled on TACOPS—only 44% passed when right-hand grip was under 30 kg, compared with 86% passing when over 55 kg. Weaker left-hand grip showed a small but statistically significant association with being injured during training.

Methods

• Design & Sample: Retrospective cohort of 169 right-hand-dominant police recruits completing 12 weeks of academy training. Data included handgrip strength, three occupational assessments, and injuries recorded during training.
• Grip Strength: TTM hand dynamometer; best of 2–3 trials per hand; recorded to nearest kg. Minimum academy standard at the time: 30 kg in each hand.
• Occupational Assessments:
  • Simulation Task (SIM): Scenario-based police task simulations including defensive tactics (e.g., restraining/handcuffing with protective gear) and the use of simulated munitions; instructor pass/fail.
  • Tactical Options Assessment (TACOPS): Scenario responses scored pass/fail based on selecting/applying appropriate tactical options to safely resolve the situation. 
  • Marksmanship: Glock .40 S&W on standard Z-4 target; 30 scoring rounds; pass score ≥80 points; standard isosceles stance.
• Injuries: Documented by medical staff during training (yes/no).
• Statistics: Correlation and group-difference analyses; significance set at 0.05.

Key Findings

Baseline & Pass Rates

• Average grip: Right 42.15 kg, Left 41.91 kg. Most recruits clustered within roughly 8–9 kg of these averages. Only 5.3% failed to reach 30 kg in at least one hand.
• Assessment outcomes: 55.0% passed SIM; 58.6% passed TACOPS; 84.0% passed marksmanship on first attempt; 25.4% reported an injury during training.

SIM

• No meaningful relationship between grip strength and SIM pass/fail.

TACOPS

• Stronger grip = higher pass rates. As grip increased, TACOPS passes rose. Example: only 44% of recruits with right-hand grip under 30 kg passed, compared with 86% passing when right-hand grip exceeded 55 kg.
• Differences in mean grip between TACOPS pass vs fail groups were statistically significant for both hands.

Marksmanship

• Stronger grip = higher shooting scores, especially for the left hand.
• The study provided a regression: Marksmanship score = 56.1 + 0.843 × (left-hand grip in kg). 
• Recruits who passed marksmanship had higher mean grip (both hands) than those who failed.
• Scores tended to plateau in the low-to-mid 40-kg range (with a slight downturn above ~60 kg for right-hand grip).

Injury During Training

• Left-hand grip showed a small association with lower injury risk; right-hand grip did not.

Practical Applications

• Screening/standards: Very low grip strength identified groups with lower TACOPS success; higher grip aligned with better TACOPS and marksmanship. Grip testing can support decisions around readiness and remediation needs within a broader assessment process. 
• Monitoring: Track left-hand grip alongside other indicators, given its small association with injury status in this sample. 
• Preparation & rehab context: Ensure recruits can meet required grip levels before academy entry and maintain/improve grip during training or rehabilitation as appropriate

Conclusion

In this cohort, a simple handgrip test provided useful signal for two mission-critical outcomes—TACOPS and marksmanship—but not for SIM. Extremely low grip strength was associated with poor TACOPS pass rates, while stronger grip aligned with higher TACOPS success and better shooting scores. Weaker left-hand grip was modestly associated with injury status. These are associations, not cause-and-effect, but the pattern supports using handgrip as part of a broader screening and monitoring approach in police-recruit training.

Bibliography

Orr R, Pope R, Stierli M, Hinton B. Grip Strength and Its Relationship to Police Recruit Task Performance and Injury Risk: A Retrospective Cohort Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.2017;14(8):941.