Grip size variation/preference changes

[mvhoffman]

I don't know what is wrong with me, or if there is something wrong with me, but the golf grips that I go for vary like it is going out of style.  I go from regular NDMC grips to MCC+4 midsize to regular taper midsize to 58R standard on 60R shaft... it goes on and on.  Now I am all about trying different types of grips and starting a few threads that I have done lately on Amazon budget grips, but I can't seem to consistently find a comfortable size grip.  

 

Currently I have a standard .60 grip on my .60 shafts but the grip feels a little thicker.  When i pick up a GP TV gripped shaft it feels smaller than the standard I have on now.  I don't know?  The constant grip changes i'm sure effect my game, but I just can't seem to stay comfortable with a grip.  

 

Anyone else have an issue like this?

[MooJersey]

I switched to Jumbo Max (smalls) this year, and I'll never go back to anything else.  Unless I can get the same size in a leather grip.  Previously used gripmaster leathers.

[ShortGolfer]

I would suggest getting a digital dial caliper to measure shaft and grip diameters.  I suspect there may be differences between the published specifications and what you have.

A cheap $8 caliper is likely to be as accurate as a $100 one, but the expensive one feels a lot better.  I have both.

Edited July 28, 2021 by ShortGolfer

[mvhoffman]

2 hours ago, ShortGolfer said:

I would suggest getting a digital dial caliper to measure shaft and grip diameters.  I suspect there may be differences between the published specifications and what you have.

A cheap $8 caliper is likely to be as accurate as a $100 one, but the expensive one feels a lot better.  I have both.

I have a very nice digital caliper.  I use it for every set. They are as listed. 

[Stuart_G]

By any chance have you considered that the variation might be in your hands?  e.g. various amounts of swelling can sometimes occur in the hands.   It happens to me when I do a lot of hiking or inconsistent in keeping hydrated.

 

It doesn't actually bother me as far as grip size goes but some people can be more sensitive than others.

Edited July 28, 2021 by Stuart_G

[North Butte]

I'm like the fable about The Princess And The Pea when it comes to grips. Ridiculously small differences seem to totally screw me up and distract me. I always check my grips with a caliper at the 2", 5" and 8" stations and try to get them within plus or minus 0.010" or so of my preferred diameters. But I think even the firmness/softness or the texture pattern on them makes some grips feel fatter or thinner than the numbers I see on the calipers. 

 

Other things I'm totally insensitive to. Swingweight off by a couple points? Wouldn't notice it in a million years. The sound or "feel" of a golf ball at impact? Just doesn't bother me one way or the other. But man I'm a little snowflake when it comes to my grips. 

[PJE]

I sympathize with you.

I can't stand a .58 round on a .60 shaft. It just bugs me and I don't know why because I can hit it just fine.

By conventional wisdom, I should be in a mid size but I prefer the .60 Tour Velvet round on a .60 shaft. 

Anyway, have you tried the Golf Pride Tour Wrap 2G? It comes in .60 round but the simulated wrap construction gives it a different feel than conventional round grips. 

[mvhoffman]

6 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

By any chance have you considered that the variation might be in your hands?  e.g. various amounts of swelling can sometimes occur in the hands.   It happens to me when I do a lot of hiking or inconsistent in keeping hydrated.

 

It doesn't actually bother me as far as grip size goes but some people can be more sensitive than others.

Hey Pal, I have. I put in a valiant effort and tried at multiple times of the days in different temperatures, before and after numerous activities. The differences of the body just exacerbated the difference in size. Only got worse, never better. 

[mvhoffman]

6 hours ago, North Butte said:

I'm like the fable about The Princess And The Pea when it comes to grips. Ridiculously small differences seem to totally screw me up and distract me. I always check my grips with a caliper at the 2", 5" and 8" stations and try to get them within plus or minus 0.010" or so of my preferred diameters. But I think even the firmness/softness or the texture pattern on them makes some grips feel fatter or thinner than the numbers I see on the calipers. 

 

Other things I'm totally insensitive to. Swingweight off by a couple points? Wouldn't notice it in a million years. The sound or "feel" of a golf ball at impact? Just doesn't bother me one way or the other. But man I'm a little snowflake when it comes to my grips. 

I’m with you on the grips, any little difference is noticeable for me. Using my hands at work for different procedures on patients, I have a sensitivity to differences in feel. Im horrible though, I’m one of those people that notice the SW being off, different sounds, etc. I have the trifecta of annoyances lol

[mvhoffman]

5 hours ago, PJE said:

I sympathize with you.

I can't stand a .58 round on a .60 shaft. It just bugs me and I don't know why because I can hit it just fine.

By conventional wisdom, I should be in a mid size but I prefer the .60 Tour Velvet round on a .60 shaft. 

Anyway, have you tried the Golf Pride Tour Wrap 2G? It comes in .60 round but the simulated wrap construction gives it a different feel than conventional round grips. 

I said screw it and regripped tonight. I tossed some good old fashion .60 Velvet 360 on the clubs. Immediately just felt right!

[WasatchBogey]

9 hours ago, MooJersey said:

I switched to Jumbo Max (smalls) this year, and I'll never go back to anything else.  Unless I can get the same size in a leather grip.  Previously used gripmaster leathers.

👍Went to JM ultralites, (xs) this year, and like you, will never play anything else

[Stuart_G]

7 hours ago, mvhoffman said:

The differences of the body just exacerbated the difference in size. Only got worse, never better. 

 

I know it would.  That's was the point.  Did you think I was trying to suggesting something different?

 

Edited July 29, 2021 by Stuart_G

[mvhoffman]

2 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

I know it would.  That's was the point.  Did you think I was trying to suggesting something different?

 

No not at all, you were/are completely right.  I knew exactly what you were saying and I completely agree with you so I did a few different tests over a few days just to make sure that it wasn't just completely that.  I started in the iffy spot of "so so, but not 100% what I want to feel" and over the few days in different situations the feeling never got better.  There was never an improvement from the so so area.  Last night after I cut the grass, I grabbed a wedge and took a few swings and the feels just weren't there.  Immediately I grabbed an old wedge out of the dead stock bag that had a Velvet 360 standard grip on and it was perfect.  Flipped back and forth to make sure and the 360 just felt so much better.  I went back in the basement, blew off the other grips and regripped the whole set with some fresh Velvet 360's.  Felt so much better initially I was happy but told myself to wait until this morning to be sure.  Before leaving for the office this morning I ran down to the basement, tossed on a glove and grabbed the club.  The feel was just as good as last night.  I will be keeping the 360's on the clubs.

 

After checking with the calipers, the 360's are fractionally smaller than the other ones that I put on (Lamkin Sonar Tour) which is a shame because the LST's have such a unique feel to them it was nice, but the minimal size difference just kills me.

[Stuart_G]

1 minute ago, mvhoffman said:

No not at all, you were/are completely right.  I knew exactly what you were saying and I completely agree with you

 

Good.  For some reason I got a different impression from your post.  Sorry for that.

 

 

1 minute ago, mvhoffman said:

After checking with the calipers, the 360's are fractionally smaller than the other ones that I put on (Lamkin Sonar Tour) which is a shame because the LST's have such a unique feel to them it was nice, but the minimal size difference just kills me.

 

Different amounts of stretching of the grip can happen during installation and that can effect the final diameter.  Unless it's done to some extremes (intentionally), it's usually not enough for most to notice but you could be the exception to that.   To check for that you can measure and compare the length of the grip before and after installation (once it's settled for solvent based installs).

 

And of course, the grip size standard is only based on the measurement at one point on the grip (2" from the butt end).  There are no standards for the amount of taper so different models can have different size profiles which will typically mean potentially different sizes - largely for the low hand on the grip.  Hence @North Butte 's reference to checking the diameter at multiple places on the grip.

 

[leftymatt]

@mvhoffman in response to your original post, I've developed a similar issue so it's actually reassuring to see someone post about this 😄 I kept things consistent for a long time with the same midsize grip with no tape variation, but early last year I tried something new and it's like it set off this curiosity in me. It sent me way down a rabbit hole where I've been thinking I'll find that perfect feel/size for me - how firm/soft, how much taper I want, extra wraps/no extra wraps, etc. Though I've learned a lot about what I like, I went too far and it's just been a distraction I think. 

 

What I was going to suggest is to do a hard reset and just pick a single grip, throw it on the whole set and commit for a while. This is what I did a few months ago and while I might make a change, it's forced me to stop tinkering which has had a lot of benefits.  It sounds like you're back onto something with the 360s, which is great!

[mvhoffman]

1 hour ago, leftymatt said:

@mvhoffman in response to your original post, I've developed a similar issue so it's actually reassuring to see someone post about this 😄 I kept things consistent for a long time with the same midsize grip with no tape variation, but early last year I tried something new and it's like it set off this curiosity in me. It sent me way down a rabbit hole where I've been thinking I'll find that perfect feel/size for me - how firm/soft, how much taper I want, extra wraps/no extra wraps, etc. Though I've learned a lot about what I like, I went too far and it's just been a distraction I think. 

 

What I was going to suggest is to do a hard reset and just pick a single grip, throw it on the whole set and commit for a while. This is what I did a few months ago and while I might make a change, it's forced me to stop tinkering which has had a lot of benefits.  It sounds like you're back onto something with the 360s, which is great!

Thanks for the reply Matt. I think over the past few years I have tried everything possible to see what I like and lost my way a bit. My best golf I ever played was with a Winn on my clubs but realize now that may just have been better timing than anything lol. I figured with the 360 grip it is almost universal. Almost anything you pick up in stores/shops/courses has a velvet something on. The 360 is my version of a classic hard reset.