How Fast Is Handshake?

A standard handshake has hands meeting at about 0.5 metres per second. Power handshakes — meant to assert dominance — move much faster and harder, sometimes uncomfortably so. The whole interaction lasts about 3 seconds on average.

A standard handshake takes about 3 seconds — long enough to assess, short enough not to linger.

• Similar to escalator pace
• Average handshake lasts 3 seconds