Oversized Grip on Driver - What to expect?

[Danm2501]

I bought a Titleist 910 D2 off eBay this week, and I'm very happy with the condition of the club. The only thing I'm sceptical about is the fact it comes fitted with a Lamkin x10 oversized grip. I've not had chance to hit it yet, but just wondered if anyone had any experience with an oversized grip on a driver, what the potential benefits are, and what I should expect from it feel-wise? Feels a bit like a cricket bat in my hands, but I'm willing to give it a try before deciding to re-grip. Anyone use an oversize grip on their driver?

[KjBowen]

Hopefully you feel a larger grip..

In all seriousness.. Grips are about feel and some people believe that larger grips help tame a hook as it helps quiet your hand roll.

I am one of those that believe that and play larger grips

[Stuart_G]

The thing you should "look out for" is whether, for you, the larger size results in an increases or decreases to your grip pressure. That will be the dominant factor in how it might effect your swing results. And other than that, there are really no inherent benefits or disadvantages.

[rcain1us]

I have problems with my hands and need larger grips to keep from gripping to hard

Currently using standard grips with 5-6 wraps of tape underneath.

[BeGo]

Err, grip can be easily replaced with less than usd 5, and then

I do using a grip one size bigger than should, and that because, thicker grip more slip proof than normal grip at rather unfirm grip which I am used.

[Danm2501]

Thanks for the info chaps. Was just trying to find out if there was a technical reason for wanting a thicker grip on the driver shaft rather than just feel. I'll be heading to the range tonight, so I'll see how I get on with it. Will probably end up changing to something more standard though. We'll see!

[rcain1us]

[attachment=2680271:gripsize.jpg]

[butch33611]

Its a fact that larger grips reduce the ability to turn the club over. Smaller grips promote turning the hands over more.

I posted a study on this a long time ago where golfers were tested with the same clubs but with different sized grips. It turned out to be a fact. There's more to grip size then just comfort.

[Stuart_G]

There is a big difference between knowing that grip size can and does effect the results and understand the specific reason(s) why they effect the result, and that's even with a well thought out and executed study (not trying to imply yours might not have been). As I understand them, the more commonly (at least for now) accepted theories among the "experts" are that grip size does influence grip pressure and the change in grip pressure is the primary cause for any change in results. I would think that It would take some actual measuring of grip pressure during the swing (as part of any study) to really be able to disprove any of those theories.

Do you have a link to the full write-up of the study?

[bladehunter]

if you have a hooking problem it will help...but if yu have a release problem and/or a case of the wipes (slicing it) it will make it worse..... my experience of course.... I play a standard grip with driver to help with releasing it and squaring up the face... but play a midsize plus 2 wraps bottom hand on everything else...


edit----- the above is from my own extensive testing... I have large hands and played standard no wraps for years... could draw the ball easily or play a 40 yard hook if needed... went to midsze and now the big hook is hard to hit... my miss went to a push right... (hands not getting turned over)... but overall its a much better range...a push right miss is in a bunker... a huge hook can be anywhere... I play a straight fall left draw or fall right fade with the midsize grip.... driver that's a whole different story... I couldn't hit a hook with it if I tried... play a smaller grip so I can get it closed up.....tried a midsize on driver and could not get the face squared at impact...

[brockgolf44]

[quote name='Danm2501' timestamp='1427363390' post='11218645']
I bought a Titleist 910 D2 off eBay this week, and I'm very happy with the condition of the club. The only thing I'm sceptical about is the fact it comes fitted with a Lamkin x10 oversized grip. I've not had chance to hit it yet, but just wondered if anyone had any experience with an oversized grip on a driver, what the potential benefits are, and what I should expect from it feel-wise? Feels a bit like a cricket bat in my hands, but I'm willing to give it a try before deciding to re-grip. Anyone use an oversize grip on their driver?
[/quote]

I have always been in between on grips. The basic golf pride tour velvet is too small but I dont like the spongy feel of the midsize (had them on irons for a month or two). A few years ago after messing around with multiple grips, wraps, etc...I have perfected (for my taste) the grip. Two full wraps, one small strip under the right palm, and then I make sure that the grip does not stretch out past its original length. The grip feels bigger in my hand, but does not have the spongy feel.

In terms of what to expect...i think you can probably expect a push, slice, fade ball flight more so than with the grips your used to. Its much easier to keep the club face open with the loose hands/bigger grip. Not sure if thats a good or bad thing for you...

I have read thats why Bubba uses like 10 extra wraps under the grip (and a bunch of other funky stuff) so help him from hooking it and hit a fade.

[Danm2501]

Okay, cheers for the info. I currently hit a bit of a push-fade, so not sure the big grip is going to suit my game. I'll have a go with it tonight and see how I get on, but from everything I've read it seems like the oversize grip isn't going to be for me. Will keep an open mind though, and see how I get on!

[hayzooos]

So long as it's not an Enlow, you should be alright. I walked into a shop the other day and three clubs had these things on there. Awful, just awful grips. Think like original SuperStroke but on every single club. They must weigh about 170g a piece.

 

[butch33611]

[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1427373104' post='11219083']
There is a big difference between knowing that grip size can and does effect the results and understand the specific reason(s) why they effect the result, and that's even with a well thought out and executed study (not trying to imply yours might not have been). As I understand them, the more commonly (at least for now) accepted theories among the "experts" are that grip size does influence grip pressure and the change in grip pressure is the primary cause for any change in results. I would think that It would take some actual measuring of grip pressure during the swing (as part of any study) to really be able to disprove any of those theories.

Do you have a link to the full write-up of the study?
[/quote]

I knew this was coming. It wasnt my study. I had nothing to do with it. There was a thread a long time ago exactly like this one about the effects of grip size. It went back and fourth and fourth and back. I found this link that proved grip size effects ball flight. Everyone went and checked it out and went wow, I didnt know that. Shortly after that the thread died. It was indisputable even for this place.

I have 0 reason to make this up. What possible motive could there be? The only reason I posted was to help the OP with his question. I'll take a quick look to see if I can find but im not going to spend hours trying to find something to prove to you im right. You can believe whatever you like. If you want to go through life thinking its all grip pressure, be my guest. I agree grip pressure playing into ball flight but the size of the grip is just as important.

[Stuart_G]

You seem to think my post was an attack against you or the study? I suggest you read it again, I assure you it wasn't. It was simply a statement indicating caution when dealing with "study" results. It is very easy to jump to the wrong conclusions and one study does not necessarily constitute "fact." Although, without the specifics, we can't even judge if it is In fact it really contradictory to what has been said. It's well known that grip size certainly does (or can) effect grip pressure and therefore can certainly impact ball flight. There can even be .certain tendencies but those tend to be quite general and not fully dependable since both the mechanics of the golf swing and the reactions of the human mind to various changes in feel can vary so widely that it is rare for such "universal" truths to exist.

And I wouldn't have asked for the link if I wasn't interested in how it might have been done and looking at the methods and results in more detail.

[Spooky67]

I play a Lamkin midsize on my driver. I tried one on a whim when one of my driver shafts needed re-gripping, I like it a lot, and plan on going midsize with my other clubs as they need new grips.

[Gotblades]

The grip is the only thing that determines the difference between pink and purple.

[butch33611]

[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1427402947' post='11222607']
You seem to think my post was an attack against you or the study? I suggest you read it again, I assure you it wasn't. It was simply a statement indicating caution when dealing with "study" results. It is very easy to jump to the wrong conclusions and one study does not necessarily constitute "fact." Although, without the specifics, we can't even judge if it is In fact it really contradictory to what has been said. It's well known that grip size certainly does (or can) effect grip pressure and therefore can certainly impact ball flight. There can even be .certain tendencies but those tend to be quite general and not fully dependable since both the mechanics of the golf swing and the reactions of the human mind to various changes in feel can vary so widely that it is rare for such "universal" truths to exist.

And I wouldn't have asked for the link if I wasn't interested in how it might have been done and looking at the methods and results in more detail.
[/quote]

Ok, sorry. Your responce seemed a little dismissive to me like I did the study. Lets move on. I went back and by some huge stroke of luck found the study I was referring to. So anyone who has questions about grip size should certainly follow this link and check it out.

http://www.golf.com/instruction/youre-playing-wrong-size-grips

[nbg352]

[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1427402947' post='11222607']
You seem to think my post was an attack against you or the study? I suggest you read it again, I assure you it wasn't. It was simply a statement indicating caution when dealing with "study" results. It is very easy to jump to the wrong conclusions and one study does not necessarily constitute "fact." Although, without the specifics, we can't even judge if it is In fact it really contradictory to what has been said. It's well known that grip size certainly does (or can) effect grip pressure and therefore can certainly impact ball flight. There can even be .certain tendencies but those tend to be quite general and not fully dependable since both the mechanics of the golf swing and the reactions of the human mind to various changes in feel can vary so widely that it is rare for such "universal" truths to exist.

And I wouldn't have asked for the link if I wasn't interested in how it might have been done and looking at the methods and results in more detail.
[/quote]
Is it the grip size or the grip pressure that ultimately affects ball flight? I grew up in the long ago being told the former. For the last ten years or so, both golf club OEM's and grip manufacturers, while generally sticking to the hand size charts, have made it clear, that in the end, it is comfort that should dictate final choice of grip size. Having a light grip pressure that still feels secure on the club is the ultimate goal and the grip size that allows one to attain that feeling varies from person to person regardless of their hand size.

[butch33611]

So long as it's not an Enlow, you should be alright. I walked into a shop the other day and three clubs had these things on there. Awful, just awful grips. Think like original SuperStroke but on every single club. They must weigh about 170g a piece.

 

 

That appears to be whats known as an arthritic grip. Its for older players who cant close their hands around even an over sized grip. I've seen them as big a 5.0 super stroke putter grip. I was at a fitting a few years ago and saw these huge grips on a set of clubs he had done for a customer. I swung a few irons on the monitor. No matter how hard I tried I couldnt get the club face closed and I hit the ball from right to left. Very strange feeling to be sure but that is the only way to keep me on the course I would have to figure it out like a lot of older players have done.

[swizbeatz]

I put one of the new decade +4's on my driver because I like to choke up on it a little and it seemed like a good alternative to adding wraps. I've only played 1 round but I agree with those saying a bigger grip makes it harder to turn over. That was the plan.

[HawkeyeDan]

[quote name='butch33611' timestamp='1427405177' post='11222837']
[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1427402947' post='11222607']
You seem to think my post was an attack against you or the study? I suggest you read it again, I assure you it wasn't. It was simply a statement indicating caution when dealing with "study" results. It is very easy to jump to the wrong conclusions and one study does not necessarily constitute "fact." Although, without the specifics, we can't even judge if it is In fact it really contradictory to what has been said. It's well known that grip size certainly does (or can) effect grip pressure and therefore can certainly impact ball flight. There can even be .certain tendencies but those tend to be quite general and not fully dependable since both the mechanics of the golf swing and the reactions of the human mind to various changes in feel can vary so widely that it is rare for such "universal" truths to exist.

And I wouldn't have asked for the link if I wasn't interested in how it might have been done and looking at the methods and results in more detail.
[/quote]

Ok, sorry. Your responce seemed a little dismissive to me like I did the study. Lets move on. I went back and by some huge stroke of luck found the study I was referring to. So anyone who has questions about grip size should certainly follow this link and check it out.

http://www.golf.com/instruction/youre-playing-wrong-size-grips
[/quote]

That study does show grip size on ball flight/shot results. But where it is unhelpful is it doesn't say how. It says nothing about larger grips do this, smaller ones do that, etc.

I don't have any beef with you, but because of above I have always hated this article. Basically the article says "its likely you are playing the wrong size - now go figure it out via trial and error with no additional guidance."

Full disclosure - I fall in the comfort is the most important thing camp. But hey guys, just my opinion and I respect yours also.

[butch33611]

[quote name='HawkeyeDan' timestamp='1427414846' post='11223879']
[quote name='butch33611' timestamp='1427405177' post='11222837']
[quote name='Stuart G.' timestamp='1427402947' post='11222607']
You seem to think my post was an attack against you or the study? I suggest you read it again, I assure you it wasn't. It was simply a statement indicating caution when dealing with "study" results. It is very easy to jump to the wrong conclusions and one study does not necessarily constitute "fact." Although, without the specifics, we can't even judge if it is In fact it really contradictory to what has been said. It's well known that grip size certainly does (or can) effect grip pressure and therefore can certainly impact ball flight. There can even be .certain tendencies but those tend to be quite general and not fully dependable since both the mechanics of the golf swing and the reactions of the human mind to various changes in feel can vary so widely that it is rare for such "universal" truths to exist.

And I wouldn't have asked for the link if I wasn't interested in how it might have been done and looking at the methods and results in more detail.
[/quote]

Ok, sorry. Your responce seemed a little dismissive to me like I did the study. Lets move on. I went back and by some huge stroke of luck found the study I was referring to. So anyone who has questions about grip size should certainly follow this link and check it out.

[url="http://www.golf.com/instruction/youre-playing-wrong-size-grips"]http://www.golf.com/...rong-size-grips[/url]
[/quote]

That study does show grip size on ball flight/shot results. But where it is unhelpful is it doesn't say how. It says nothing about larger grips do this, smaller ones do that, etc.

I don't have any beef with you, but because of above I have always hated this article. Basically the article says "its likely you are playing the wrong size - now go figure it out via trial and error with no additional guidance."

Full disclosure - I fall in the comfort is the most important thing camp. But hey guys, just my opinion and I respect yours also.
[/quote]

I dont think the article was intended to help any one type of golfer. It was intended to show that grip size plays a bigger role in the swing then most people give it credit for. Nothing more then that. If you were to swing two irons with the same weight. One with a standard grip and the other with the grip like the picture above you would soon see the difference.

Now through trial and error you have to find the one that creates the best ball flight for your swing.

My only point in this whole thing was to help the OP answer his question. I expect with an over sized grip on his driver his shots wont go as far left as it will be more difficult for him to close the face of the club. Even if its only slight difference there will still be a difference.

As was explained in the article comfort has very little to with hitting the pin. Comfort does not always = birdies.

[Stuart_G]

[quote name='nbg352' timestamp='1427405261' post='11222847']
Is it the grip size or the grip pressure that ultimately affects ball flight?
[/quote]

Within the scope of the common grip sizes, it's believed that the effect on grip pressure is much more dominant. That doesn't mean that if I put a super-stroke 3.0 on one of my irons or left the grip off all together, the larger or smaller size wont have some impact because of the size. We are talking in the context of the more common range of grip sizes, variations somewhere in the range of 1/64" to 1/16". I don't know of anyone who's looked at what might happen or what to expect for more extreme changes.


[quote name='butch33611' timestamp='1427405177' post='11222837']
Ok, sorry. Your responce seemed a little dismissive to me like I did the study. Lets move on. I went back and by some huge stroke of luck found the study I was referring to. So anyone who has questions about grip size should certainly follow this link and check it out.

[url="http://www.golf.com/instruction/youre-playing-wrong-size-grips"]http://www.golf.com/...rong-size-grips[/url]
[/quote]

No problem. The written word can be easily mis-interpretted in that respect. Thanks for finding the link. I'll take a detailed look through it when I get a chance.

[apprenti23]

Grip pressure change and vibration reduction are the only two facts that you will experience when going to a larger size grip.

The theory of larger grips fighting a hook has been debunked a long time ago from the grip manufacturers themselves. It's a placebo affect for those who believe in the theory.

[Stuart_G]

Well, after having read the study, here are a few observations.

The primary conclusion (grip size based on measured hand size) is completely in line with the commonly "preached" thoughts here in the forum.

When he is talking about a "preferred sizes" he is talking about a choice made with static decision:

[quote]
All markings were covered to prevent any previous size bias. While blindfolded, each golfer was asked to choose the grip they preferred simply by holding each club in their hands.
[/quote]

That is very different from choosing based on the preferred feel [u]during the swing[/u] - which is what is generally recommended here (although I do admit that distinction might not always be made clear when the advice is given here in the forum). So I don't think there is really any disagreement or inconsistency there either.


The sample size seemed good enough for some good basic generalizations but I think he might be stretching things a bit to believe those percentages are accurate when applied to the golfing population as a whole. That's just an issue with the accuracy of the probabilities and not the general trends. The use of only low cappers also limits the ability to accurately apply the specific probabilities to a larger target group. But those are just minor nit-picks.

I'm guessing the lower cappers were chosen in the assumption that they will have more consistent results thus it would be easier to spot variations in the shots that might be due to grip size. The downside is that grip pressure can be impacted both by conscious and sub-conscious efforts and a low capper would be more likely to be able to compensate for a grip size that was not 'ideal'. And also means the "5 strokes per round" comment might be a bit of a stretch.

The only "hole" (if it even could be considered that) would be the use of a completely different club (each players own 5 iron) as a "control" club. A real control in a study has to be the same in every way except the specific variations being tested or evaluated. That means any difference between the control club and the test clubs could easily come from other differences in the club specs. probably should have stuck to just using the data from the test clubs and leave the players clubs out of the equation - which would still have resulted in most of the same conclusions. Or ideally, collected data only using the players club just switching grips size out for the different sets of shots.

Overall though, not too bad an effort.

[butch33611]

I agree with the final notion and advice about trying different grip sizes to fit your swing to find the best results. Its proven here all the time. Guys using extra wraps under their grips. Extra wraps just on the lower half of the grip. There's probably a 1000 different combinations a person could use. Buba using all those wraps under his driver to keep from hooking the ball.

Like everything else in this game it all comes down to personal preference.

[Mookie91]

[quote name='KjBowenWRX' timestamp='1427364431' post='11218655']
Hopefully you feel a larger grip..

In all seriousness.. Grips are about feel and some people believe that larger grips help tame a hook as it helps quiet your hand roll.

I am one of those that believe that and play larger grips
[/quote]

I'd echo this. Play Crossline Oversize on driver, crossline midsize on woods, Golf Pride Z Cord Midsize on all irons and wedges with the exception of the 58. I don't know how much stock I put into "helping the hook" but even though I have smaller hands, ML glove, I just like the feel of the oversize firm grips, not a fan of Winn products.

[NoTalentLefty]

It is an interesting subject. When my hands are more relaxed the ball height increases by about 1/4 and distance increases. Hoping my Jumbomax small grips will give me that relaxed feel that is missing as I close in to 60+ years.

[RichieHunt]

> @hayzooos said:

> So long as it's not an Enlow, you should be alright. I walked into a shop the other day and three clubs had these things on there. Awful, just awful grips. Think like original SuperStroke but on every single club. They must weigh about 170g a piece.

 

I used to have the Enlow grips. I actually really liked them. The only thing I didn't like them on was the wedges. Tough to hit flops, lobs, etc. and do it with them. The grips weigh about 130 grams, IIRC. Changes the club MOI by about 30-40 units.

 

I tried other reverse taper grips and the butt end was too small and the face rotated like a mother and it was hook city. I've also tried the JumboMaxx. They are fairly heavy as well. I couldn't hit them...high and dead right. I think a lot of it depends on how you grip the club. Bryson uses the JumboMaxx really well, but his grip is more in the palms. I have my grip more in the fingers of my left hand and that just doesn't work with such a big grip.

 

 

 

 

 

RH