I power grip my mids and putters on approaches.
Who are these folks who get effortless spin out of their fan grips? lol
*raises hand*
I am one of the rare weird players that, when I have it in my bag, will power grip or fan grip every single disc in my bag, depending on the flight path I want. A fan grip and a power grip differ, in my opinion, most on the way they influence the outcome in terms of the shape of the flight more so than the distance of the flight.
For me, the key to power on any grip is proper utilization of sheering forces to create grip. I'm not just clenching the disc, I'm also making sure that the pinch on my disc (in the case of my fan grip: this is where my thumb and middle finger apply pressure to each other through the flight plate). I'm applying some small pressure in the direction I would call 'forward' with my thumb, and pulling 'back' so to speak with the middle finger and to some extent all of the fingers under the plate (index finger is relatively inactive curled sliiiightly under the rim).
My thumb and index finger aren't just applying force together, there's a slight interaction with the friction of the disc because they're applying a bit of that sheering force, which really locks the disc in so the power can be transferred.
Very similar to:
But with my index finger curled under just a hair more, and my thumb is a bit more out over the flight plate to engage above the middle finger. My middle finger also has more of the pad pressing directly into the flight plate, and my middle overlaps my ring a tiny bit, which overlaps my pinky a tiny bit, creating a more solid singular platform.
I will use that grip for everything from a long-skipping Gold Line Stiletto shot under 275 to a straight Fuzion Judge with height to 370.
All that said - I am going to be reintegrating my putter and mid power grip with more practice time this year, its been almost 10 years since I had it in the bag, and it IS a slight distance advantage, I'd give it 20-25 ft. Worth practicing when you have time, but with diminishing returns in terms of time vs advantage on the course if you're not playing much.
for me a power grip feels stable and powerful. It also makes the disc a bit harder to control so maybe use a three finger grip for more accuracy. No, using them on putters and mids is perfectly fine as long as it works.
I truly believe that the most important thing is establishing a powerful grip that works for your own individual hands. Like I have a 3 minute video on YouTube discussing the power grip, and the thing is - it simply doesn't apply for some people who have hands that won't be able to establish a power grip on anything without the disc slipping. Or there are other people for whom a power grip won't feel right the way I describe it, because they'd feel like they're jamming their overlong fingers into the space mine occupy.
For example:
Watch some Tyler Horne throws, just as an example of a bomber with a crazy power grip on everything. Even on short throws - you can see that he angles the disc in his hands COMPLETELY different from how I'd teach most people, but for his hands he's found a ton of comfort with the hand way, as I'd describe it, 'over the top' of the disc. He's also a giant. So I can't possibly match holding the disc like that and getting any comfortable feel out of it (trust me, I've tried, watching him throw is literally awe-inspiring in the way it is watching most of the best touring pros, or at least it was when I last played with him).