Have you ever wondered why choosing the right golf grip is so important? Well, there’s plenty of reasons that having the right grip can impact your swing, and ultimately your overall golf game. But here’s the simplest answer: The grip is the golfer’s only connection to the club.
While there are many different schools of thought on grip fitting, there are two basic considerations that the industry has established for when golfers choose their grip: size & type.
SIZE: When a golfer’s grip is too small, it can easily lead to the golfer holding onto the club too tight and seriously impacting the swing speed ability, power, and contact to the ball. But when a grip is too big, the club might come loose from the golfer’s hands on the backswing and cause a slice on the club. Overall, with the wrong size grip your ball is more likely to go to the left or the right instead of straight. So choosing a grip size is a game of Goldilocks and The Three Bears, not too big, not too small, just right.
TYPE: When it comes to golf grips a new golfer may seem lost & overwhelmed by the different styles + materials available. However choosing a type of grip comes down to a few considerations. First, what type of feel & texture do YOU want? Some golfers like rough & aggressive grips, while some prefer a less aggressive grip, but still want a firm texture, and some golfers go for a softer feel and texture that can help ease joint constraints. While all of these types of grips have their own place on the course, choosing one comes down to personal preference: what feels good to each individual golfer & what grip type elevates a golfer’s game to the next level, instead of inhibiting it. Further considerations for your grip type include: considering the materials used in the grip & thinking about things like what type of moisture control you’ll need on the course.
You’ve heard what our experts have to say about choosing a grip, but we wanted to do our due diligence, so we brought in Doc Griffin. Doc Griffin is an International Top 100 Master Fitter & a Callaway Master Fitter as well as a Fitting Board Member. Doc is located in Columbia, South Carolina and provides expert service to fit golfers with the best equipment for them & give golfer’s the opportunity to play at their best every time they hit the course. Doc is also a long-time & loyal user of PURE Grips. Here’s what Doc Griffin told us about fitting his golfer’s with grips:
“I am not like most people in the industry when it comes to “fitting” for grips. I realize what has been handed down through the years about grip size having an effect on shot dispersion. Too big a grip and the player slices and too small a grip and the player hooks. I have offered a check for $10,000 to anyone that can show me the empirical data that has ever been produced that proves this about grips. I still have the money! Just think, a baseball bat is bigger than a golf grip yet the batter can pull a ball down third, and a tennis racket is larger than a golf grip and the tennis player can certainly hit a forehand smash to the opposite court, so it has to be something other than the size of the grip.
I have even seen grip companies produce a “hand chart” where you place your hand on the card and it tells you what size grip to play. Sorry, I don’t adhere to any of the common philosophies or wisdoms of grip fitting. My method is to simply put two different size grips in a player's hand (on a shaft) and ask them what feels the best. From there, I continue to work through a process of elimination, going up or down in size based on their initial response until we find the grip that they say is best. (Side note here, I actually have more women pick a men’s mid-size grip than a lady’s grip). So, in my facility, choosing a grip is a lot like trying on a shoe. You know when it feels right.
I stress the importance of understanding correct grip pressure is also key, just as important as having a grip that “feels” right. Improper grip pressure is normally the culprit of common swing issues, rather than grips that are incorrect. You don’t want to hold the grip as if it were a baby bird; you simply cannot hit a ball if hold the club that loosely. If the grip is held too lightly, you will re-grip & grab the club at the top of the backswing, causing the club to cast and wearing out the heel of your golf glove. You also don’t want to hold the club so tightly that you have it in a “death grip”, therefore restricting the ability to release the club. So, getting the right grip for the player that allows them to hold the grip correctly becomes the issue and that is in the perception of the player.
So, what texture is best. Here in the South where it’s quite humid, I do a lot of the DTX grip. It’s on all my clubs. It is fantastic for moisture control. I have the DTX on all my fitting equipment and people love it. However, not all people are enamored with it. Some people prefer a bit softer feel (even though I don’t find the DTX too firm) and like the Pro or Wrap grips. Again, the texture of grip is an individual specific issue and you have to rely on customer feedback to get the proper grip for them.
I have found that I can fit just about anyone into a PURE Grip and have gotten nothing but rave reviews from all golfers that have put them on their clubs. For me personally, I would not even consider putting anything else on my clubs!” (Doc Griffin)
While there are the more traditional methods & industry standards for choosing a grip, as Doc Griffin discusses, the best thing you can do to make sure your playing the right grip is get fitted by a pro! Having the correct grip can change your swing + give you the comfort and confidence boost on the course. Unlock all of your potential & elevate your golf game by making sure you’ve got the perfect grip & fit for you.
