In this article we’re going to cover the basics of why oversize golf grips improve your game. We’re going over what oversize golf grips benefits are, and how they can boost your consistency.
With oversize golf grips compared to standard ones, you will benefit from the locking of your wrist to prevent pulling the ball. This will result in increased control and consistency in your game. Other added benefits are increased comfort, because grip pressure can be lowered and thus increased comfort for players struggling with arthritis.
Let’s get into the details in the article!
Table of Contents
Oversized Golf Grips Main Benefits
Depending on what your struggles are – discomfort, slicing or hooking – it can be beneficial to look into your grip size.
There are a few benefits to oversized golf grips, which we’ll cover in the following.
Grip Pressure
Let’s make an extreme example to emphasize the effect of a thick golf grip.
Try gripping your golf club at the clubhead end where it’s thin. You will struggle to apply enough gripping pressure for it to be comfortable to hold it.
Now try to find something in your home or garage that is way thicker than a shaft. It could be a broomstick or the like. Ideally it will be around 2” in diameter – we’re exaggerating to make a point.
Feel the difference when gripping the thick object. It will be easier for you to apply grip pressure and hold it firmly, without it being uncomfortable.
Wrist Action
Like grip pressure increases with thicker grips, wrist action decreases. This is a huge benefit, if you’re having trouble with accuracy in your game.
Too much wrist action and you’ll be prone to leave the ball left or right from your target path.
Take a look at this great video on the importance of the right wrist action in the golf swing.
Comfort And Pain Relief
Like all other sports, misfit on your equipment can have bad repercussions.
If your grip is too small, it can lead to arthritis and pain – especially if you play often, and more than 18 holes at a time.
It is advised to make sure that the grip fits you whether you have small or big hands. Check out our guide on how to choose the right golf grip.
Do I Need Bigger Golf Grips?
Ask yourself: Do I struggle with pulling or pushing the ball too often? Do I have pains in my hands, even though I haven’t completed a whole round?
If you can answer “Yes” to one of these questions, it might be a good idea to look into grip sizing. We’ve written another article on how to choose golf grips, which might be interesting to you.
Like shown in the video below, you can check your grip size yourself. Simply grip your club and stand in your normal swing position.
Then take a look at your left hand (if you’re a right-handed player). Specifically you’ll be looking at the middle finger and ring finger. Are they touching your palm? If they are touching your palm lightly, you have a good grip size. If there is a larger gap, the grip is too large. If the two fingers press hardly into your palm, the grip is too small.
This is a quick way to evaluate your grip size, and can be a good rule of thumb to remember. If you’re still in doubt or the results aren’t showing, make sure to visit your local PGA Professional.
Golf Putter Grips Oversize Or Not?
Have you wondered if these above things apply to choosing a putter grip too? Well, to some extent they do. Things like grip pressure and wrist action really applies to the precision art of putting. Other things like the importance of size in regards to the size of your hands, doesn’t matter much. Pain shouldn’t be an issue either (then you should definitely see a physiotherapist or another health professional!).
When it comes to the question, “Should my putter grip be oversized?” it comes down to a few things. What is your current grip like, and where do you think you can improve, by choosing a thick putter grip?
Do you struggle with precision? Then it might be an idea to look for an oversized grip, to decrease wrist action and hopefully improve precision that way.
Are you having trouble with general discomfort, or just a lack of feel in your putts? Getting an oversized putter grip might help you on the comfort side, but depending on what kind of material the grip is made of, the feel might not improve. Actually a larger grip can have the opposite effect, and decrease feel.
All in all, there are quite a few things to take into consideration.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Improve My Swing In Any Other Ways Than With Grips?
Sure you can. Golf is a very complex sport, You can continuously improve and tweak every aspect of your swing and your game.
If you’re looking for a great and easy way to hit more greens in regulation – take a look at this peculiar secret that reveals a long-lost secret aspect to Ben Hogan’s legendary golf swing.
How Often Should You Change Your Golf Grips?
Different factors have an impact on when you should change your grips. Generally it is advisable to keep your grips fresh. So try to aim for changing your grips once a year or every 40 rounds. There is a general consensus around the industry, that 40 rounds is a good number. If you’re interested in regripping your clubs yourself, take a look at our article on the subject.
What Are The Best Golf Grips?
What are you looking for? A nice tacky and soft feeling grip? Or something with cord which provides excellent grip in the rain. We’ve covered these things and come with a few different options in our best grips guide. If it’s a putter grip you’re on the lookout for, check out this article.
Do Pros Use Oversize Golf Grips?
It’s impossible to just say yes or no to this question. The fact is, that most pros doesn’t use oversize grips. What they do is, they use several strategically placed layers of tape. Of course the pros are looking to every little detail. By doing the tape thing, they are replicating the best aspects of the oversized grips, while lowering the worse aspects (like reduced feel). This is not really an option for the average golfer, unless you’re really into testing and possibly also a pretty low handicap.
Photo by Court Cook on Unsplash
