Grip Dilemma

[Sir-Shanks-A-Lot]

Need some guidance from the experts, please.

 

I need to regrip my whole bag (minus putter, which already got a new grip earlier in the season). They all have the standard size original grips from when they were purchased 10+ years ago, and I am considering moving up to mediums as I find I am gripping the club harder than I probably should. I've done some of the online fitting wizards and it's more or less a 50/50 split between regular or mid, based on my hand size and the preferences I select. To complicate matters even further, some of the research I've done suggests that larger grips make it harder to close the face at impact, promoting a right miss (I'm right-handed) and my natural miss is right to begin with. And then there is the question of how much larger grips impact swing weight. It seems like I've tumbled down a rabbit-hole of contradictions ... See why I'm lost?

 

For reference, I am a high handicap, 56 years young, and have no mobility issues to speak of where swinging a club is concerned. On a good day I can get my driver out 240ish and 7i goes about 150. I know those numbers can be a lot better and I am working on refining my technique. I am just worried that larger grips will wreak havoc on the progress I have made so far ... hence my dilemma!

 

For now I think I may just try mediums on my driver and 7i and see how it goes before committing the whole bag to the larger size. 

 

Appreciate any thoughts or advice. 

 

Cheers ...

 

[Socrates]

I don't wear a glove so that changes things a little.  Without a glove, I fit (according to those that should know) into a standard size grip with +1 wrap.  I played with that for years (decades).  My hands were usually sore after a range session or lots of golf.  I began to tinker with bigger grips and settled on the MCC Midsize Align after some trial and error.  Now I can hit balls forever and my hands always feel good and never sore afterwards.  With my hands more relaxed I never have to worry about my hands during the swing.  

 

Try different stuff and don't be afraid to go bigger.  As long as it is comfortable, it likely isn't wrong.  Too small is just as bad as too big.

[Greenie]

There is a recent thread on here about grip size and does it matter. You might want to take a look at that thread.

The experts say it doesn't make a difference.

I am one that when the grip is too large I leave it out to the right and when it is too small my hands roll over. I believe someone said the data doesn't support what I experience.

 

I too use the MCC midsize align grips. I love them. I tried the MCC plus4 where the lower part is larger and after four rounds of leaving everything out to the right I put my MCC aligns back on and the problem was gone.

 

 

[snuzzo29]

I switched to midsize from standard and won't go back. It's more comfortable and didn't make my right miss worse. Give it a try in a 7i then driver to see if you like it. 

[Pepperturbo]

I have large hands and large glove but chose standard MCC Align grips +3.   Four tap wraps plus double-sided equals midsize.  What I know from experience, having four wraps + tape under standard doesn't feel right.  Having tried Midsize, didn't like how they felt either.  Fortunately, the osteoarthritis in my wrists hasn't reached a debilitating state.

 

Some people, including me, believe larger grips or many wraps can impede the rolling of your wrists.  The pro friend also believes, so uses an ungodly number of wraps to slow his hands from rolling too quickly though impact.  Whether that has the same effect on others, who knows.

 

FYI, I wouldn't test on clubs you're using during play, may cost ya.  Best use a test iron.   

 

 

[golfortennis]

If you have an air compressor you can mess around with several different types of grips, and get a bit of money back selling the ones you don't end up using.  

[st1800e]

1 hour ago, Sir-Shanks-A-Lot said:

For now I think I may just try mediums on my driver and 7i and see how it goes before committing the whole bag to the larger size. 

Good plan.  

[darkhelmet]

Don't worry about the effect on swingweight.

 

If you're not changing anything to do with the shaft or the clubheads, you're not going to affect how the clubs perform.  The only difference is going to be from a feel perspective - clubs may feel slightly lighter.

 

I use midsize grips on all my clubs -- have longer hands/fingers, and the standard grips that came on my first set of irons always felt like they were swimming in my hands, especially in the bottom hand.  Midsize grips keep my hands more relaxed.

 

And when I had some old fw's reshafted a few years back, the guy was telling me he could only get it to about D0 static weight with my grips.  I convinced myself I had to mess around with lead tape to get them feeling right, but then I kept on hitting nasty thin shots that went all over the place.  Took the lead tape off, and they went back to making good contact.  Came on here and asked around, and was basically told what I just told you -- changing static swingweight by changing the grip is really only about feel.  Once I had myself convinced that the club was performing properly, I was able to stop worrying about the feel of the swingweight.

[goje22]

I play my grips standard size with 4 wraps under the bottom hand (like many of the +4 grip models) because I feel the rubber/cord products feel firmer in that configuration. 
 

With increasing your grip size (ie more rubber) you will gradually find grips to be softer. Midsize grips will also weight a little more in most cases than achieving the same diameter via build up tape

 

This is worth noting because your favorite standard size grip with additional tape may feel a bit firmer. 

[schaperb90]

I have never found grip size to effect shot dispersion or create a bias towards one side or the other. Its all about comfort imo. I like firm grips that fill my hands. So I play z cord midsize with low hand built up. When I made the switch it felt awkward at first but a couple range sessions later all was well again.

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

Grips are fairly cheap.  Especially when you learn how to DIY.  Try one club, a 6-8-iron first, see how you like it.

 

Tape thicknesses vary.  X wraps may or may not get you where you want.  Plus, IME, a standard with enough wraps to get it to midsized feels different than just putting a midsized on to begin with.  Grips can feel harder, less give with the former.  You might like that, though.

 

(And that's with the right interior diameter grip on to start. That little "58" or "60" inside the grip mouth often means something.)

 

Unfortunately, this may require a bit of trial and error.  Another reason for learning to do this yourself.  Ideally with the air compressor method.

Edited December 7, 2023 by Jayjay_theweim_guy

[Bigarch]

A good in between move is, if you have .600 butt sized shafts (most common among modern clubs) is to put a 580 grip on it.  It will come out halfway between a standard and a midsize... slightly bigger and an easy way to ease into a slightly larger grip.

[Sir-Shanks-A-Lot]

Hey guys! Thanks for all the insights, I feel much better about the whole thing now. I knew I could count on y'all to set me straight! 

 

@Jayjay_theweim_guy and @golfortennis : the idea of going the DIY route is very appealing and I am sure I can figure out how to swap grips with an air compressor without too much trouble. I'm just not sure if I want to turn my dining room into a club workshop ... #ApartmentDwellerProblems lol... At the end of the day a two club trial is fairly low risk/low cost.

 

Think I will just go ahead and do driver and 7i, as I said my OP. Figure it shouldn't take more than a range session or two to know whether it's a go/no go for mids. I'll revive this thread in a couple of weeks after I'm done testing.

 

Cheers!

 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Sir-Shanks-A-Lot

[Jayjay_theweim_guy]

1 hour ago, Sir-Shanks-A-Lot said:

Hey guys! Thanks for all the insights, I feel much better about the whole thing now. I knew I could count on y'all to set me straight! 

 

@Jayjay_theweim_guy and @golfortennis : the idea of going the DIY route is very appealing and I am sure I can figure out how to swap grips with an air compressor without too much trouble. I'm just not sure if I want to turn my dining room into a club workshop ... #AppartmentDwellerProblems lol... At the end of the day a two club trial is fairly low risk/low cost.

 

Think I will just go ahead and do driver and 7i, as I said my OP. Figure it shouldn't take more than a range session or two to know whether it's a go/no go for mids. I'll revive this thread in a couple of weeks after I'm done testing.

 

Cheers!

 

I get that.  I don't have an air compressor either.  Nor the room.  And results are mixed with this coat hanger-esque grip removal tool. 

 

But putting them on/removing them yourself beats all kinds of having to shell out $25+ these days to regrip a set.  Just the labor, and I'm probably conservative.

 

Looking forward to hearing about the results.

[Sir-Shanks-A-Lot]

Thanks Jay ... should be an interesting experiment!

 

 

[Greenie]

1 hour ago, Sir-Shanks-A-Lot said:

Hey guys! Thanks for all the insights, I feel much better about the whole thing now. I knew I could count on y'all to set me straight! 

 

@Jayjay_theweim_guy and @golfortennis : the idea of going the DIY route is very appealing and I am sure I can figure out how to swap grips with an air compressor without too much trouble. I'm just not sure if I want to turn my dining room into a club workshop ... #ApartmentDwellerProblems lol... At the end of the day a two club trial is fairly low risk/low cost.

 

Think I will just go ahead and do driver and 7i, as I said my OP. Figure it shouldn't take more than a range session or two to know whether it's a go/no go for mids. I'll revive this thread in a couple of weeks after I'm done testing.

 

Cheers!

 

 

I use a tire compressor. I have a work shop but I have showed up at the course, plugged in my 12v compressor and changed a few friends grips right in the parking lot. You will need someone to hold the shaft. Getting the old grips off can be a problem if they were put on with tape an solvent. Cut them off, clean the shaft and put masking tape on the shaft and blow them on. They are easy to change out afterwards. 

Edited December 7, 2023 by Greenie

[golfortennis]

16 hours ago, Sir-Shanks-A-Lot said:

Hey guys! Thanks for all the insights, I feel much better about the whole thing now. I knew I could count on y'all to set me straight! 

 

@Jayjay_theweim_guy and @golfortennis : the idea of going the DIY route is very appealing and I am sure I can figure out how to swap grips with an air compressor without too much trouble. I'm just not sure if I want to turn my dining room into a club workshop ... #ApartmentDwellerProblems lol... At the end of the day a two club trial is fairly low risk/low cost.

 

Think I will just go ahead and do driver and 7i, as I said my OP. Figure it shouldn't take more than a range session or two to know whether it's a go/no go for mids. I'll revive this thread in a couple of weeks after I'm done testing.

 

Cheers!

 

 

If you don't have the space, then, no it won't be an easy thing to do.  but as Jay said, paying those prices now, and factoring in bringing the clubs to and from, you'll kick yourself once you see how easy it is to do.  Just make sure to watch a video or two, and if you like Winn or SuperStroke grips, then you may need to reconsider.  Also, take a pin or something and poke tiny holes in the lower part of the grip,  This is allow just enough air to escape that it should prevent the bubbling that can happen(particularly with NDMC).  

[mvhoffman]

On 12/6/2023 at 4:44 PM, Sir-Shanks-A-Lot said:

Need some guidance from the experts, please.

 

I need to regrip my whole bag (minus putter, which already got a new grip earlier in the season). They all have the standard size original grips from when they were purchased 10+ years ago, and I am considering moving up to mediums as I find I am gripping the club harder than I probably should. I've done some of the online fitting wizards and it's more or less a 50/50 split between regular or mid, based on my hand size and the preferences I select. To complicate matters even further, some of the research I've done suggests that larger grips make it harder to close the face at impact, promoting a right miss (I'm right-handed) and my natural miss is right to begin with. And then there is the question of how much larger grips impact swing weight. It seems like I've tumbled down a rabbit-hole of contradictions ... See why I'm lost?

 

For reference, I am a high handicap, 56 years young, and have no mobility issues to speak of where swinging a club is concerned. On a good day I can get my driver out 240ish and 7i goes about 150. I know those numbers can be a lot better and I am working on refining my technique. I am just worried that larger grips will wreak havoc on the progress I have made so far ... hence my dilemma!

 

For now I think I may just try mediums on my driver and 7i and see how it goes before committing the whole bag to the larger size. 

 

Appreciate any thoughts or advice. 

 

Cheers ...

 

Just tossing it out there... Driver and 7 are a good idea, however I would not look past a wedge.  Whatever your most used wedge is toss one on there too.  You use your wedge more than your driver and/or 7.  

[Sir-Shanks-A-Lot]

Hey everyone! As promised, I'm reviving this thread now that I've gotten my grips done. In the end I took a leap of faith and had my whole bag done with bog standard Golf Pride Tour Velvets in mid size. Here in Canada, GolfTown is having its annual re-gripping "event," so at 40% off I figured it was worth the risk. 

 

Took the driver, hybrid and couple of irons out for a spin today (indoor range 5 mins from my front door - good times!) and I have to say the results exceeded my expectations! I definitely felt that I had better control despite gripping the clubs more lightly. Of course I hit a few proper stinkers we won't talk about, but by and large I was hitting everything at or above the standard I expect of myself. Obviously the real test will come when the snow is gone and I can get out on a course and use the whole bag for real. For now just got to keep practicing!

 

Thanks again to everyone who took the time to chime in with ideas and suggestions. This is truly an awesome community!

 

Cheers guys!

 

Edited February 17 by Sir-Shanks-A-Lot