The topic of discussion is grips, handles,
tread, whatever you may prefer to call them.
Are they worn, ripped, cracked, worn down to
the metal, slick or maybe even disintegrated?
If this describes the predicament you and your
grips are in, then I would recommend starting
your golf season out right, get your golf clubs
a gift, some new tread.
Yet before you put the same old grips on think
about how important the grip is before just
saying “what difference does it make”.
Think about this, the reason that grips must
be kept in reasonable condition is that this
is a player’s only contact with the club
and you have to be able to hold on with a delicate,
yet firm, grasp. If the grips are worn, then
certain swing compensations will manifest causing
more chaos than consistency. Golf is hard enough
with out trying to figure out if the club is
going to go flying out of our hands.
So that’s great but who cares, a grip
is a grip right? No, not really. In the past
grip choices were basic, they were made of leather
or rubber and were available in only a few styles,
wrap or velvet, with only a few options in textures
(non-cord, cord, and ½ cord). The only
consistency throughout the years in regards
to player aid is inside the grip. The inner
structure comes with only 2 options available,
either round or ribbed (know as a grip with
a reminder, which is a raised ridge inside the
grip that assists the player in placing the
club in the hands).
Grips, like golf clubs, should be suited to
the player, not the other way around. A fitting
for a grip should be considered, due to the
uniqueness that all players have; different
hand size, finger length, and strength.
Grip selection is normally based on:
- Feel (tacky, firm, soft, and course)
- Size (undersize, standard, mid, jumbo, and
arthritic)
- Style (wrap, tour velvet, cord, no cord)
Questions and suggestions that need to be considered
prior to getting new grips:
- Do my current grips feel to big/small in
the hand?
- Do my hands perspire?
- Do I wear a glove?
- Do I slice/hook the ball?
- Do I have trouble placing my hands properly
on the club?
Golf
Grips: Tips for the Proper Fit,
page 2
|