soft or firm and how much does size matter?

[dbelles1]

Well, I’m needing a little help with a starting point for a grip experiment. I have two questions that I think you all can help me with are: how does the softness or firmness affect grip pressure?; What does the size of an ill-fitting grip for your hands do to your swing? Ideally I would just go get grips to try out, but I can’t do that until a few months.

[Stuart_G]

4 hours ago, dbelles1 said:

Well, I’m needing a little help with a starting point for a grip experiment. I have two questions that I think you all can help me with are: how does the softness or firmness affect grip pressure?; What does the size of an ill-fitting grip for your hands do to your swing? Ideally I would just go get grips to try out, but I can’t do that until a few months.

 

There is no rule.  It's completely subjective and all about how you interpret the change in feel as a change in comfort and how secure the grip feels.  That applies to both size and how soft/firm the grip might feel.   How secure or comfortable the grip feels can change the grip pressure - which in turn can effect the swing.

[dbelles1]

5 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

There is no rule.  It's completely subjective and all about how you interpret the change in feel as a change in comfort and how secure the grip feels.  That applies to both size and how soft/firm the grip might feel.   How secure or comfortable the grip feels can change the grip pressure - which in turn can effect the swing.

Yes, there is no one rule. I am looking for generalities that other members have found.

[TallGuy90]

I much prefer a soft grip. I am in Jumbo Max  Mids now and it a delight

compared to the TV or MCC +

 

The bigger grips have definitely help me keep my hands more quite. 

Edited January 28, 2021 by TallGuy90

[dbelles1]

2 hours ago, TallGuy90 said:

I much prefer a soft grip. I am in Jumbo Max  Mids now and it a delight

compared to the TV or MCC +

 

The bigger grips have definitely help me keep my hands more quite. 

How do the bigger and soft grips affect your grip pressure? Light or a death grip?

[TallGuy90]

5 minutes ago, dbelles1 said:

How do the bigger and soft grips affect your grip pressure? Light or a death grip?

The bigger grips soften it. Small grips I was worried about the club flying out of my hands and it would move around unexpected if I had soft grip

[Pepperturbo]

Grip pressure IMO is like holding a baby bird in your hand.  That shows my age.  Anyway, soft surface makes the user grip a bit tighter, firm surface less so.  However, grip diameter affects how we grip the club.  The larger the diameter of grip the better it eases arthritis. 

 

I play TV Align because I like firm + 3 wraps.

Edited January 28, 2021 by Pepperturbo

[dbelles1]

6 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

Grip pressure IMO is like holding a baby bird in your hand.  That shows my age.  Anyway, soft surface makes the user grip a bit tighter, firm surface less so.  However, grip diameter affects how we grip the club.  The larger the diameter of grip the better it eases arthritis. 

 

I play TV Align because I like firm + 3 wraps.

So bigger and firmer usually equates to lighter grip pressure?

[GLF4EVR]

Likely us making these posts have arthritis.  That makes a good reason to try larger/softer grips for exactly the reason Pepperturbo stated.  My hand size has me at standard grip size.  Have been using a mid-size soft grip on my driver for a couple of years now.  Last season put one on the 3 wood & will definitely keep it.  All the rest of the clubs are irons with pure grips on them.  I have a set of golf pride CP2 wrap mid-size that might go on the irons before it warms up enough to hit balls.

 

The driver switch.  Besides the visits from uncle Arthur, felt like I was just gripping the driver too hard at times.  So had some 2G mid-size grips & gave it a try.  Could notice results right away with both the shots & my hands.  Then changed the 3 wood last year at this time.  Again, the same result......have just about talked myself into changing the iron grips.

[Pepperturbo]

1 hour ago, dbelles1 said:

So bigger and firmer usually equates to lighter grip pressure?

I have osteoarthritis in my hands, among other places.  Small and or soft grips force a tighter grip which irritates the arthritis.  TV Align standard grips + 3 wraps are perfect for my large hands, at the current time.

[GLF4EVR]

16 minutes ago, Pepperturbo said:

I have osteoarthritis in my hands, among other places.  Small and or soft grips force a tighter grip which irritates the arthritis.  TV Align standard grips + 3 wraps are perfect for my large hands, at the current time.

Same....osteo in the hands.  Other body parts have not started, yet.  Kind of have a smorgasbord of old injuries to guess the next body parts to get the uncle Arthur visits.  Have a jumbo 2G grip on hand for the driver "when" the time comes.   

[ChipNRun]

One newer factor to take into account is the amount of low hand taper on the grip. Some grips are thicker down low to help quiet hands.

 

An example is the Golf Pride CP2 Wrap midsize (left). I had played midsize for several years in other brands, and switched over to CP2 in Spring 2020. This less low-hand taper proved to be "too much of a good thing" and I was having trouble squaring up. Went to the standard version (extra $$ !) and things straightened out.

 

You might do a one-club test with this grip to make sure you have the right thickness.

 

Note: I did keep the midsize on my SW and LW.

 

Edited January 28, 2021 by ChipNRun
Clarify thickness.

[Aviador Naval]

I wear a large-cadet glove but prefer either midsize grips or some reduced taper from extra low hand tape or the new GP TV Plus 4 series.

 

I prefer GP Tour Velvet which to me feels like firm body with soft skin.

 

I do NOT like hard grips or cord which means for me GP MCC is about the worst grip in the history of golf.

 

With due respect to Sam Snead, who I suspect probably never actually held a baby bird, I’m looking for the tightest connection I can get to the club that causes no tension in my hands or forearms.  I believe i understand the end state he was pointing folks toward but when I went there years ago it became apparent from the wear marks on my gloves and grips I was likely ‘re-gripping’ at the top or somewhere else within the swing.  As such, I want to be perfectly and completed welded to the club with no tension in my hands/arms but if I’m going to miss it I’d rather be a skosh too tight than too loose because the ensuing compensations for too loose are worse for my swing.

[Pepperturbo]

@Aviador Naval - I am self-taught using 3-books.  Ben Hogans Five Lessons is still #1, as it sets on my desk with two others.  Snead and Hogan had a slightly different view of the grip.  Though more than once, I've referenced Sam Snead's baby bird belief, (above) I was never convinced of its practicality, for anything other than perspective and maybe beginners. 

 

I have trusted in Hogans multiple uses of what he called "active" firm grip.  It was nice to revisit his book too, and remind myself of the influence of 3-fingers in the grip, especially it's control and connection to the club and our body.

Edited January 29, 2021 by Pepperturbo

[Jab3384]

We talking about golf grips, right? Just making sure...

[Pepperturbo]

1 hour ago, Jab3384 said:

We talking about golf grips, right? Just making sure...

Yep, except I think far too many people think grip makeup supersedes how they grip the club.  In fact, the golf grips connection to grip on the club - together makes the difference.