Have you played the first season with your clubs and got the feeling that your grips are a little firmer than they used to? Maybe you feel a bit of slipping when swinging, or maybe you have noticed that your grip pressure has increased and it feels uncomfortable? A lot will be affected by worn grips, and you might not always notice it. I guess you’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to change your grips since you’ve landed on this article, great! I will take you through the process of how to choose golf grips.
Table of Contents
Why Is It Important To Get The Right Grip?
Changing your grips is one of the most important decisions you can make, since this is your direct connection from your own body, to the club.
The golfswing is a complex movement. Every small imperfection can add up, so why not try and eliminate the easiest ones? It’s starts by getting to know the method of how to choose golf grips.
The golf grip has evolved quite a bit through the years and a lot of technology goes into them nowadays. The primary purpose of the grip is to ensure that your hands are relaxed and stable, while you’re able to hold the club tight enough to complete the golf swing in the most optimal way. To accomplish this, several factors need to be sorted.
The size of the grip in relation to the size of your hands is an important factor. The material composition according to your preferences is key. They come in alot of different rubbers blends, some in leather, and some with build in cord material to enhance grip. Some are made with alignment features and others enchanced specifically to play in rainy conditions.
As you can see, it is not easy to find the correct grips unless you put some thought into it. Thankfully this guide will help you on the way to some awesome grips – just for you!
Grip Size – Things To Consider
This is the single most important factor of choosing the correct grip. Most clubs comes with standard size grips, but depending on your own hand size you might go wrong with just the standard. If the grip is too small will open up for more movement in the rotation of your hands, in the worst case resulting in a pull of the ball. If your grip is too large it limits movement of the wrist, which in the worst case can result in a push of the ball.
You can get professionally fitted for your grips, or you can try a Grip Selector tool from Lamkin or Golf Pride which are major players in the golf grip industry. I encourage you to try both tools, to see if they agree. If you’re totally in doubt, your local PGA professional is the way to go.
If you like tinkering and are up to the challenge yourself, there are a few different ways to go when learning how to choose golf grip size.
The Simple Method
Sometimes less is more, so unless you have a feeling something drastically is wrong with your grip size, try out this simple method first. It all comes down to one simple rule:
Looking at your middle and ring finger when gripping your current grips, will they touch your palm?
Take a look at this and reflect on what you see. If the fingers doesn’t reach your palm, your grips might be too thick. If the fingers goes into the flesh of your palm, your grips might be too thin.
Most of us will do best with grips where your fingers just barely touch the palm. If you evaluate by this method, do think a little about it before you rush out and buy new grips. Some people might benefit more from a slightly thicker grip, because of a need of stability through the swing.
If you do change grip size, do it gradually, so you don’t make changes for the worse.
The More Extensive Method
Like with everything else, it is possible to dig even deeper into the details, and find scientific ways to make your way to better results. One method relies on measuring your hand, and comparing results to charts developed by equipment manufacturers. In this case PING will help us along the way. For many years now, Ping has had the clever color system, to help golfers easily distinguish which size equipment is for them.
Measure the length of your longest finger and the length of your hand.
To get started with how to choose golf grips, you have to do the following: measure your total hand length from the dominant crease in your wrist to the tip of your middle finger. Then measure the total length of your longest finger (most likely the middle finger). By comparing these numbers in the above chart, you’ll have the suggested grip size for you. Don’t be fooled by PING colors. For an example; if you’re in the red section, you’re to get a grip that’s 1/32″ smaller than standard.
Shows where to measure for correct grip size.
If you’re floating somewhere between the lines of two colors, you have to take some things into consideration as mentioned in the above sections. Like if you have a tendency to pull the ball, it might be wise to pick the larger of the grip sizes suggested.
Try out these measuring techniques and see how it works for you. Your last resort will be your local PGA professional, and in any case some advise from a professional is always great.
Material Composition
Depending on your local area normal weather and your personal preferences, grip material can have a huge say. Most grips are made of some kind of rubber variety. They have the benefit of lasting long, have great vibration dampening and for the style-oriented golfer they usually come in quite a few color variations.
There are a lot of factors in play when discussing material composition of grips. One thing that can be quite different from grip to grip is the firmness. If your golf swing is healthy this mostly comes down to prefence. If you prefer soft grips, get a wrap type grip, like the Golf Pride Tour Wrap 2G. If on the other hand you prefer firmer grips and maybe play some rounds in the rain, get something corded like the Lamkin Crossline Full-Cord.
Your preference might not so much be the actual feel of the grip, but the feel when you hit the ball. It can have quite a lot to say about your overall experience of the impact, what grip firmness you choose.
Alot comes down to preference, and how hard you’re gripping the club. If you’re buying grips online it is best to read reviews of the specific grip you’re interested in, since you can’ actually hold it in your hands before buying. We will cover different characteristics in our ultimate guide to new golf grips.
Features
Modern day grips contain a lot of R&D. It is not as random as the early days of golf, where a leather strap around the shaft was sufficient. Choosing the right grip for your clubs (and you), can mean quite a big difference. So why not take advantage of all this research as much as you can?
Alignment Aid
A lot of grips feature some kind of alignment aid. This can be very helpful if you’re struggling with bad hand placement or trying to change your grip. Some come in subtle variations with just a few dots or lines, while others come with different colored areas, shapes and lines so that even non-golfers would be able to place their hands correctly on the golf club.
It is up to personal preference, and it’s really up to yourself to decide.
Surface Texture
Some prefer a soft and tacky feel, others prefer a firmer experience when hitting the ball. Golf grips are engineered in many different ways and comes prepared to solve your needs, depending on what they are.
If you’re playing in normal conditions without much rain, and prefer a softer feel a plain grip made from a soft rubber compound might be the way to go. Most clubs comes with this kind of grip – like Golf Pride Tour Velvet. A lot of pros use this grip because of softness/feel and tackiness.
Corded grips are widely used when golfers want even more grip. They rely on friction to provide a good grip, therefore corded grips aren’t that tacky. Small pieces of cord is implemented in the grip surface – to provide more resistance. This means that they can be hard on your hands until you’re used to them. They are particularly great in wet weather, since wet cord still offer resistance. Pure rubber grips tend to get slippery in the wet, so if you’re looking for all-weather grips, we suggest looking for corded ones.
You will stumble upon grips that are split into sections of cord and non-corded surfaces. Golf Pride call their version Multicompound. The corded surface for the upper hand – which enhances control in wet conditions. And then a rubber surface in the lower section for increased feel both in the short and long game.
Round Vs Ribbed
Ever heard about a ribbed or reminder golf grip? Essentially it’s another feature available in a golf grip to help align your hands properly every time. Basically it’s fitted with an internal rib running along the length of the grip. This promotes correct hand placement – when gripping the club muscle memory kicks in, and correct hand placement feels most comfortable.
Most players utilizing ribbed grips, will apply them to their clubs and irons, but keep the wedges to round grips. When opening or closing the club face in the short game, ribbed grips will make your grip on the club uncomfortable.
Installation of ribbed grips will require more precision, as there is only one way to place your hands. If you have never tried ribbed grips, it is worth a try. You might discover that your hand placement is not that consistent, and your game will benefit from placing the hand the same way every time.
Quality
There are loads of manufacturers on the grip market, and it can be hard to navigate. Generally there are three major players in the field; Golf Pride, Lamkin and Winn. Often price and quality comes hand in hand, but with so many possibilities it can be hard to find the best fit for you.
Under this paragraph we have compared three similar grips from the above mentioned manufacturers according to amazon reviews, price range and which pros who use the brand. As you can see you won’t go wrong when choosing grips from any of the big manufacturers.
Comparison chart coming soon
You will come across a lot of other manufacturers, and most of them make grips that will work. But in the long run, the renowned names aren’t that much more expensive, and they do provide better bang for the buck. I hope you are catching on how to choose golf grips, so that you’re soon able to do it yourself.
Price
To give you an idea about the cost of regripping your clubs, below are a few examples. They are based on 13 clubs – and a putter grip. The grips from the examples are taken from our Best Golf Grips and Best Putter Grips articles – so you are able to check them out if you find the pricing compelling.
Expensive Option
This is a calculation based on a set of premium Dritac grips from Winn and a Superstroke putter grip. These are all great grips which will easily last you a good while and keep it’s properties for longer.
13 grips of $7,12 = $92,56
1 putter grip of $18,95
Total = $111,51
Budget Option
For the budget option we have chosen to showcase a set of Karma Velvet and a standard Karma putter grip. This is an extremely cheap option, and reviews on Amazon suggests, that they might not last as long as some of the more expensive options.
13 grips of $0,99 = $12,87
1 putter grip of $7,97
Total = $20,84
5 Steps To Choose Your Grips – Downloadable Infographic
To help you further in your grip searching endeavors, we’ve come up with this infographic about how to choose a golf grip. We hope it will help you get to know how to choose golf grips – please let us know if you have any questions or ideas.
Coming soon.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
What Are The Best Golf Grips?
If you’re in doubt, check out this article about the best golf grips around. It is a decision that can have a big impact on your game, so choose wisely. If money isn’t an issue, it might also be worth experimenting to find the best golf grips for you. These days golf grips contain a lot of technology, so it is a good idea to be well informed when choosing. A lot also comes down to personal preference, and sometimes it even comes down to what colors are available!
How Do I Regrip Golf Clubs Myself?
It can be worth it to learn regripping your clubs yourself. If you’re paying your local shop 30-50% of the total cost in regripping fees, you will be saving money on your third regripping job. By learning the skill yourself, it is also easier to experiment, and get the job done without having to drive to the shop to deliver and pick up your clubs. The investment is small since you only need solvent, grip tape and some basic tools. Most of the time the grips themselves are also cheaper to purchase online. How to regrip golf clubs can be learned here.
How Often Should I Change My Grips?
Most manufacturers say every year or 40 rounds – but it really is up to yourself. You should try and pay attention to your gripping force throughout the swing. If you feel more tense, and like you have to use additional force to hold on to the club, it may be time to do something. It is advisable to keep your grips fresh, and so many factors will impact the condition of your grips. Instead of changing grips often, it is a good idea to keep them fresh by cleaning them often in mild soapy water with a soft towel. It will prolong tackiness and life of the grips. Be aware that some manufacturers (like Winn) discourage washing grips in soap!
