How to choose the right golf grip for You?
Players that have arthritis or experience hand pain will play better with softer (and/or larger grips). If you prefer a soft grip, it's important to select a grip that has a stable core that will produce minimal torque so there is no twisting during the swing.
What is a jumbo grip on a golf club?
This is why a heavier Jumbo or "super-oversized" Grip on woods and irons will, in the mechanical sense (the scale) lessen the swing weight, but since the weight of the grip is distributed half above the true pivot point and half below, the club with a jumbo grip will feel the same to that player.
What do the alignment marks on the grips mean?
Different grips contain different alignment marks, but almost all grips have a small notch at the top of the grip and another at the bottom of the grip. Sometimes the logo or company name that runs vertically down the grip also serves as the alignment mark.
What are the ridges on a golf grip?
With rare exceptions, a golf grip will contain some ridges or flatter spaces that help golfers hold the club correctly. Additionally, grips may contain small markings, known as alignment marks, to help clubfitters place the grips correctly, so the ridges or flat spots will be in the correct positions when golfers grasp the clubs.
What does swing weight C9 mean?
The swingweight scale goes from A-F with ten increments marked 0 to 9 within each letter category hence swingweights such as C9 or D3. The greater the letter and the number the heavier the swingweight. Therefore a swingweight of D2 is heavier than a swingweight of C8.
How many grams increase swing weight?
two-gramThe general rules are that a two-gram change in clubhead weight will change the swingweight one point (heavier = higher swingweight); a five-gram change in grip weight will change the swingweight one point (heavier = lower swingweight), and a nine-gram change in shaft weight will change the swingweight one point ( ...
What is a D7 swing weight?
D7 is a measurement that gives you some idea of how heavy a club will swing [ D7 is 2 points heavier than D5]. It is also a way to insure your irons are consistant and swing the same way by building them all to a D7 swing weight.
How many grams is swing weight?
Golfers can add one swingweight point (increase from D4 to D5, for example) by adding 2 grams of club head weight. Conversely, decreasing club head weight by 2 grams will deduct one swingweight point. The most common way of adding weight to a club head is by using lead tape.
Is D5 swing weight too heavy?
If it feels too heavy at D5, you can remove strips of lead tape one by one until it feels right. If your driver is heavier than D5, ask your club fitter to add a heavier grip or a counterweight to reduce swing weight to D5. Get Fitted By A TPT Authorized Fitter.
Does a heavier golf club hit the ball farther?
Together, the speed and mass determine the magnitude of the force that is applied to the golf ball. It stands to reason that given the same swing speed, a heavier golf club will apply more force to a golf ball than a lighter one and will, therefore, result in greater distance.
What is a good swing weight for a senior golfer?
A swing weight between C-8 and D-1 is the best swing weight for a senior driver, and the shaft should be 55-60 grams. Loft should be 12-13 degrees or higher, and seniors should look for 2-4 degrees of hook in the face or consider an offset driver head to prevent slicing.
What swing weight does Rory McIlroy use?
The swing weight of irons probably varies between D2 and D5 for 95% of Tour players. Most will be somewhere in this range. Players with high club head speed like Rory McIlroy or Dustin Johnson tend to be around D5-D6. Players with more average tour club head speed are around D3-D4.
What is a good swing weight for irons?
The actual swing weight ranges roughly between C-0 and D-8. While C-0 is a swing weight that is recommended for senior women and ladies, D-8 is pretty much the maximum that is played on tour. This swing weight can usually only be achieved with heavy heads, heavy shafts and light grips.
Does swing weight affect distance?
How Much Does Swing Weight Affect Distance? Both swing weight and the total weight of the club are going to affect distance. In order to hit the ball far, you must be swinging at a high rate of speed, and the ball has to be hit in the center of the clubface.
Does a lighter golf shaft increase swing speed?
A lighter driver shaft rarely leads to a faster swing. “Only 12 percent of golfers swing their fastest with the lightest club,” Mucklow says.
How do I know my swing weight?
Here's how it works: the swing weight of a golf club is measured on a 14-inch fulcrum that assesses the balance point of a club, which is displayed on an alphanumeric scale. The heavier a club “feels,” the more the club will tilt toward the club head side when balanced on that fulcrum.
What is a grip build up?
Adding extra layers of grip tape to the shaft while installing a grip will increase the diameter which the grip will go over. Whether it’s one, two, or more extra layers of tape on the shaft when the grip is installed, the rubber grip will stretch over the tape, thus making the grip larger.
Reasons for building up your grip
Whether it’s a feel preference or for shot performance, here are a few reasons why golfers add this specific item to their installation spec sheet.
How do I build up the grip with tape?
If you are taking your clubs to your trusted golf shop or course to change the grips, tell them how many extra wraps of tape you would like and they will know what to do.
What is Golf Pride's grip?
Golf Pride produces a number of their most popular grips with their Align technology. If you are looking for an extra bit of help in your swing, these grips lock your hands into the proper alignment consistently to help you keep the club face square throughout your swing.
Why do golfers prefer a larger grip?
Some golfers prefer a larger grip because it limits the wrist action in the swing that can lead to a hook. Conversely, some prefer a thinner grip because it can help reduce a slice. Grips are generally available in four sizes: standard, midsize, oversize, and undersize.
What is a ridge on a golf grip?
Ribbed grips include a ridge that runs along the grip to serve as an alignment guide. It reminds golfers where to place their fingers and hands on the grip for the proper alignment. If you prefer a smooth, seamless feel to your grips then you will want to play with round grips.
How to determine the right grip size for golf swing?
The general rule for finding the right grip size is to find a grip that allows the fingers on the top hand to just barely touch the palm of your hand. Some golfers prefer a larger grip because it limits the wrist action in the swing that can lead to a hook. Conversely, some prefer a thinner grip because it can help reduce a slice. Grips are generally available in four sizes: standard, midsize, oversize, and undersize.
How to clean rubber grips?
For other types of grips, use a washcloth instead of a brush. Thoroughly rinse the grips with warm water to remove any soap. Dry them with a towel or let them air dry and your grips are clean and ready for another round.
What are velvet golf grips made of?
Velvet Golf Grips. Often made with rubber-blend compounds for great feel and feedback. Blended materials improve grip in wet conditions over rubber grips. Many grips of this style include a surface texture that is not as rough as cord but increase grip and draws moisture away.
What size is a standard golf grip?
Standard = 0.58 to 0.60 in diameter . Midsize = 1/16th inch larger than standard. Oversize = 1/8th inch larger than standard. Undersize = 1/64th inch smaller than standard. For other adjustments, golfers will use extra wraps of tape under the grip to build up the size without selecting a larger grip.
What is a golf grip?
For example, the grip is a curved surface, but it’s not uniformly curved. With rare exceptions, a golf grip will contain some ridges or flatter spaces that help golfers hold the club correctly.
How to make a golf club a grip?
Step 1. Place a rubber shaft clamp around club’s shaft, a few inches below the grip. Set the clamp into a vise, then tighten the vise. The clubhead must be square relative to the vise, basically perpendicular to the ground.
Why do golf clubs have alignment marks?
Additionally, grips may contain small markings, known as alignment marks, to help clubfitters place the grips correctly, so the ridges or flat spots will be in the correct positions when golfers grasp the clubs.
Where is the alignment mark on a grip?
Different grips contain different alignment marks, but almost all grips have a small notch at the top of the grip and another at the bottom of the grip. Sometimes the logo or company name that runs vertically down the grip also serves as the alignment mark.
Where should the rib be on a golf shaft?
But if you're placing a ribbed grip on the shaft, the rib should be on the bottom. “The rib sits at 6 o’clock," according to DeWulf. "If it’s at 5 or 7 when you grab it, it can adjust the face angle if you’re not careful.”.
What is a strong grip in golf?
This is a different concept than the type of grip employed such a overlapping grip--the little finger of the right hand overlaps the space between the left index and middle fingers--or the interlocking grip, ...
Why is it important to adjust the grip on a golf club?
Adjusting the grip to a stronger position can curb this problem because it promotes a fuller release of the hands through impact, and the club arrives at the ball in a square rather than open--aimed to the right--position.
How to tell if your grip is strong or weak?
The key to knowing whether your grip is strong or weak is to look down at the Vs formed by the thumb and index finger of each hand. With a strong grip, the Vs are turned toward the right so you can see three knuckles of your left hand.
Why do golfers slice the ball?
Many golfers find they have a tendency to slice the ball, meaning their normal shot curves from left to right. If this problem is severe, it can greatly reduce shot accuracy. Golfers who slice the ball dramatically generally encounter more trouble such as hitting into the rough, and they may lose distance as well. Adjusting the grip to a stronger position can curb this problem because it promotes a fuller release of the hands through impact, and the club arrives at the ball in a square rather than open--aimed to the right--position.
Why is a draw shot important in golf?
Many golfers find that a draw shot adds distance to their drives because the right-to-left spin causes it to roll farther down the fairway than a straight shot normally would.
Does Fred Couples have a strong grip?
Major championship winner Fred Couples has consistently employed a strong grip in his career. He says in his book “Total Shotmaking” that he believes he gains a lot of club head speed with this grip. He says it does not cause him to close the club face too much as it nears impact with the ball.
How many wraps of tape does a driver grip have?
For instance, Bubba Watson’s driver grip has 15 wraps of tape under the bottom half and 13 wraps under the top half.
Why do you put more tape on oversized grips?
On the flip side, adding more tape to the grip is going to stretch the walls of the rubber, giving it a firmer feel.
Does adding wraps to a golf club make it heavier?
Adding wraps will make the handle of the club heavier, which will no doubt alter swing weight. So if you’ve always played a heavier swing weight, adding more mass to the handle will completely alter the overall feel. A rule of thumb is more wraps of tape should be used if you prefer a lighter swing weight; fewer wraps should be employed ...
Weight Adjustment Guidelines (Useful reference)
Here are some useful conversions that will help you when swing-weighting your clubs :
About the Author: Zach Gollwitzer
Hey!! I'm Zach, the founder of The DIY Golfer. I created this site in 2015 while playing D1 collegiate golf to help myself understand the game of golf better and improve as a player. Fast forward a few years, and it has become much more than a journal.
What does a trimming chart show?
It is also important to understand the trimming charts show how much (if any) to take off the tip end (the skinny part or where the head will be attached). The trimming charts will not tell you an amount to take off the butt end (the fat part where the grip is installed).
Why trim a shaft?
Why trim or cut a shaft at all? When the manufacturers make a shaft, they do so in mind that is could be used for a wide number of golfers and applications, so the manufacturer makes the shaft longer than it will most likely be used in the final golf club. The number one reason for making the shaft longer is to accommodate taller players so they ...
Why do you need to trim a parallel shaft?
This is required to offset the increasing heads weights as the clubs become shorter and maintain the flex the manufacturer designed into the shaft for a finished club.
What is a combination flex shaft?
These "combination flex" shafts are designed to reduce inventory by being able to create multiple flexes from a single shaft rather than produce two different shafts. Here are the most common ones below.
How far away from the grip end of a golf club is the swing weight?
Swing weight, or moment of inertia, is measured on a club at the industry standard point 14 inches from the grip end of the club. But your hands actually pivot at a point closer to 6 inches from the end of the club.
Can you put extra light grips on a golf club?
Definitely. You can put extra-light grips on if you want a bit heavier swingweight. My clubmaker laughed when I had him do this, since most golfers can't discern between going from D0 to D1 in their swing -- or D2 to D4 for that matter. Since swingweight doesn't have units of measure (it takes less weight to change the swingweight on your driver than your wedge, because of the length of the shaft), what it comes down to is all feel, like virtually everything else in golf.#N#Really, can most people feel the difference between a a dime's weight on the head of their driver?
Does jumbo grip affect swingweight?
Adding a mid-size or jumbo grip over a regular grip affects the swingweight by up to 3 points. However, the feel from swinging the club may be the same, the grip "fools" the swingweight and it does change. I put a Lamkin midsize grip replacing a regular grip on a PING i5 iron and it changed from C9 to C6.