To determine how much pressure you should touch with, we had a saying in prison; kiss the baby. If your upper chest (for example) touches a baseball at the bottom of the pushup, it should only make contact with the amount of force you would use to kiss a baby on the forehead. No more, no less. This technique of pausing briefly at the bottom of a pushup removes any momentum and builds excellent muscle strength and control. It’s why I advocate a one second pause at the bottom of all movements.
