LAB DF3 Grip Change

[boomboomfred]

Posting because I debated making a grip change for weeks and couldn’t find any info on others making a similar change.

 

i took off the white lab press pistol grip and replaced with a pingman blackout. Result for me is that the putter swings much easier and more freely. Feel is a bit softer and strike seems more consistently middle for me.

 

here’s my rationale for the change:

 

fat grips help quiet the hands, engage the “big muscles” and swing the putter by rocking the shoulders. Xander is a good example of this kind of stroke. His hands are fairly rigid to control the torque of the putter.

 

with a LAB putter, we don’t need to quiet the hands to control the torque because the balancing has already accomplished that. Instead, we need to free up the stroke to let the putter head swing. For example, we do the thumbs off drill to help loosen the rigidity of our hands and free the putter head. Fat grips work against us with a lab putter.

 

A lab putter in the hands of someone that strokes it like Xander probably isn’t as beneficial as for someone who strokes it like Cam Smith. A free flowing stroke like Cam is more prone to face rotation/squareness issues - something a LAB putter can greatly improve.

 

visually, the straight on ping grip is cleaner to my eye than the press grip and the black out grip looks sweet overall.

[cocolamb22]

Were you able to pull it off or cut it? I’d like to pull mine, but it seems pretty difficult to do

[StoutKing]

Doesn't a standard grip feel funny with the shaft press?  I also putt better with slim grips.

[boomboomfred]

Was not able to pull the grip and it had to be cut.

 

i actually find the blackout easier to look at than the press grip because it’s straight on the shaft. I didn’t find that the face felt like it was floating in front or anything. Basically anything you think would be weird about it, I didn’t find weird at all. Played a full 18 with it today and found it much more comfortable and I putted great with it.

[Wonderboy]

It is likely out of balance due to the weight difference of the two grips.  The putters are balanced with the grip in place before they leave the shop. 

[Grape]

How is the lack of forward press playing out?  At setup does the putter default to "right" position, or do you have to mess with it a bit?  

[boomboomfred]

Putter is not out of balance. Still torque free. Grip was the same weight as the Press grip and I checked with LAB before making the switch. Said it likely wouldn’t be an issue and it isn’t.

 

no issues with setup. I still setup the same as with the Press grip, so the shaft lean/press is there. 
 

biggest change is that I find the head swings easier and more naturally with the thin grip. Also find my strike is more consistent but marginally so.

 

I love it and miss nothing from the Press grip.

[Underdog1924]

I think you have convinced me to change.  I have never liked the fat grips and use the same Ping blackout on other putters.

[wattage]

I replaced the press grip with the small Rosemark on my DF2.1 and B2. I also preferred the smaller grip but did have to use a bit of forward press at setup. I've kept the Pistol Press on my DF3 for now but do have a Rosemark and extra Pistol Press in case I get frisky again. With the LAB putters I putt better using my hands/arms as I normally do, as opposed to using a shoulder only stroke.

Edited Tuesday at 01:52 AM by wattage

[5yddraw]

This is interesting to me.  I sold my DF 2.1 and DF3 because I could net get comfortable with the press grips.  

[Phebus]

I’ve been playing my DF3 left hand low and I’m putting much better vs a conventional grip.