Best Golf Grips

The importance of a proper golf grip cannot be overstated. It's the foundation upon which your entire swing is built. A well-fitted grip allows for better control of the clubface, leading to more consistent and accurate shots.

Golf grips impact swing mechanics in several ways:

Pressure distribution: The right grip ensures even pressure distribution across your hands, promoting a smoother swing.

Clubface control: A proper grip gives you better control over the clubface at impact, influencing the ball's trajectory and spin.

Swing speed: The grip affects how efficiently you can transfer energy from your body to the club and ultimately to the ball.

Grip size plays a crucial role in hand placement and shot accuracy. A grip that's too small can cause your hands to overwork during the swing, leading to inconsistent shots. Conversely, a grip that's too large can restrict wrist action, potentially reducing power and control.

Different grip materials also influence feel and performance:

Rubber: Offers a balance of comfort and durability, suitable for most players.

Corded: Provides extra traction, especially beneficial in wet conditions.

Leather: Delivers a premium feel but is less common due to higher costs and maintenance requirements.

Understanding these factors will help you appreciate why choosing the right grip is essential for optimizing your golf game.

Golf grips come in various materials, each with its own set of characteristics and benefits. Let's explore the main types:

The Golf Pride CPX (Comfort Performance Extreme) grip is one of the latest innovations from Golf Pride, a leading manufacturer of golf grips. Introduced in 2022, the CPX grip is designed to be Golf Pride's softest performance grip ever produced, aiming to provide maximum comfort without sacrificing control.

The CPX grip features several key technologies that set it apart from other grips on the market. One of the most notable is the EXO Diamond-Quilted pattern, which is a raised texture inspired by BMX bike grips. This pattern is designed to maximize contact with the golfer's hands, providing enhanced traction and feel.

Another important feature is the Control Core technology, located at the top of the grip where the most swing pressure is applied. This technology aims to balance the extreme softness of the grip with the need for stability and control during the swing.

The grip also incorporates Golf Pride's Plus4 technology, which simulates four extra wraps of tape under the lower hand. This feature promotes a lighter grip pressure and can potentially increase swing speed and distance.

The CPX grip is available in four sizes: undersize, standard, midsize, and jumbo, catering to a wide range of hand sizes and preferences. It's designed to be reversible, allowing golfers to install it with the logo up or down based on their preference.

One of the unique aspects of the CPX grip is its tackiness and ability to wick away moisture, making it perform well in various weather conditions. This feature has made it popular among golfers who play in diverse climates.

The grip has received positive reviews for its comfort, particularly from golfers with hand sensitivities or those who prefer a softer feel. However, some players who prefer firmer grips may find the CPX too soft for their liking.

Overall, the Golf Pride CPX grip represents a significant innovation in grip technology, aiming to provide a unique combination of comfort and performance for golfers of all skill levels.

The Golf Pride MCC (MultiCompound) grip is one of the most popular and innovative golf grips on the market. Introduced in the early 2000s, it revolutionized grip technology by combining two distinct materials to create a hybrid design that offers the best of both worlds.

The upper portion of the grip features Golf Pride's exclusive Brushed Cotton Cord technology. This corded section provides excellent traction and moisture management, making it ideal for all-weather performance. The cord material helps wick away moisture from the hands, ensuring a secure grip even in wet or humid conditions.

The lower portion of the grip is made from a softer rubber compound. This section offers enhanced feel and responsiveness, allowing golfers to have better control and touch, especially during the short game. The combination of these two materials creates a unique feel that many golfers find superior to traditional all-rubber or all-cord grips.

The MCC grip is available in various sizes, including standard, midsize, and the popular Plus4 version. The Plus4 variant features an enlarged lower hand section, simulating four extra wraps of tape. This design promotes a lighter grip pressure and can potentially increase swing speed and distance.

Over the years, Golf Pride has expanded the MCC line to include various color options and special editions. The grip has gained significant popularity among professional golfers, with many top players on major tours using MCC grips.

One of the key features of the MCC grip is its durability. The hybrid design tends to wear more evenly than single-material grips, often lasting longer under regular use. This longevity, combined with its performance benefits, has made the MCC a favorite among both amateur and professional golfers.

The success of the MCC grip has led to the development of variations like the MCC Align, which features a raised ridge to help with consistent hand placement. This innovation further cements the MCC's position as a leader in grip technology and performance.

The Winn Dri-Tac grip is one of the most popular and innovative golf grips on the market. Introduced by Winn Grips, a company known for pioneering polymer grip technology in golf, the Dri-Tac series represents a significant advancement in grip design and performance.

Winn Grips was founded in 1973 by Dr. Ben Huang, a former aerospace engineer who applied his knowledge of materials science to golf equipment. The company's breakthrough came with the development of polymer grips, which offered superior comfort and performance compared to traditional rubber grips.

The Dri-Tac grip, first introduced in the early 2000s, quickly became Winn's flagship product. Its name comes from its key feature: the ability to maintain tackiness and grip in both dry and wet conditions. This is achieved through Winn's proprietary WinnDry polymer material, which combines a soft, comfortable feel with exceptional non-slip performance.

The Dri-Tac's design focuses on three main aspects: comfort, control, and all-weather performance. The grip's soft texture reduces hand fatigue during long rounds or practice sessions. Its tacky surface provides excellent traction, allowing golfers to maintain a lighter grip pressure, which can lead to improved swing mechanics and reduced tension.

One of the Dri-Tac's most notable features is its shock-absorption properties. The polymer material is designed to dampen vibrations, making it particularly popular among golfers with hand or joint issues, such as arthritis.

Over the years, Winn has continued to refine the Dri-Tac series. The latest iteration, Dri-Tac 2.0, boasts improved durability while maintaining the grip's signature feel and performance characteristics. This evolution has helped the Dri-Tac maintain its position as one of the most popular aftermarket grips in golf, appealing to players of all skill levels, from beginners to tour professionals.

The SuperStroke S-Tech Grip represents SuperStroke's successful expansion into the full-swing golf grip market. Known primarily for their innovative putter grips, SuperStroke launched the S-Tech line to bring their expertise to club grips for irons and woods.

The S-Tech grip is designed with a focus on comfort and performance. It features a premium engineered rubber compound that strikes a balance between softness and tackiness, providing golfers with a comfortable feel while ensuring a secure hold on the club. This material choice aims to enhance feedback and control throughout the swing.

A standout feature of the S-Tech grip is its CROSS-TRACTION™ surface texture. This unique pattern is engineered to provide excellent grip in various weather conditions, addressing a common concern among golfers who play in diverse environments. The non-slip surface aims to maintain consistent performance whether the conditions are dry, humid, or even slightly wet.

SuperStroke offers the S-Tech grip in multiple color options, including black, red, grey, and blue, allowing golfers to customize their club aesthetics. The grip is available in standard and midsize options to accommodate different hand sizes and preferences.

The S-Tech grip has gained traction on the professional tour, with notable players like Jordan Spieth, Sergio Garcia, and Jason Dufner adopting it for their clubs. This professional endorsement has helped boost its credibility and popularity among amateur golfers as well.

Durability is another key aspect of the S-Tech grip. While maintaining a soft feel, the grip is designed to withstand regular use, making it a practical choice for frequent players who want to maintain consistent grip performance over time without frequent replacements.

Overall, the SuperStroke S-Tech Grip represents a significant entry into the club grip market, combining comfort, performance, and durability in a package that appeals to a wide range of golfers.

The Lamkin Sonar+ Tour Calibrate Grip is an innovative golf grip that combines several of Lamkin's proprietary technologies to enhance performance and consistency for golfers. Introduced as an evolution of the original Sonar Tour grip, this model incorporates Lamkin's Calibrate Technology, which adds a pronounced reminder ridge along the underside of the grip.

The Calibrate feature is designed to promote consistent hand placement and improve clubface awareness throughout the swing. This can be particularly beneficial for golfers looking to develop a more repeatable grip and enhance their overall control of the club.

The grip utilizes Lamkin's Genesis Material, a hybrid compound that offers a balance of tackiness, durability, and all-weather performance. This material is formulated to provide excellent traction without being overly sticky, allowing for a secure hold in various playing conditions.

Another key technology in the Sonar+ Tour Calibrate is Lamkin's Fingerprint Technology. This involves a highly detailed micro-texture pattern distributed across the grip's surface, which enhances traction and feel. The texture is designed to encourage a lighter grip pressure, potentially leading to increased swing speed and distance.

Targeted primarily at golfers with higher swing speeds, the Sonar+ Tour Calibrate offers a slightly firmer feel compared to some of Lamkin's softer options. This firmness provides enhanced feedback and control, which can be beneficial for more skilled players or those looking to improve their shot-making abilities.

The grip features a distinctive appearance, with Lamkin's signature neon green color accents contrasting against a black background. This design not only makes the grip visually striking but also helps highlight the Calibrate ridge and other key features.

Available primarily in standard size, the Sonar+ Tour Calibrate represents Lamkin's commitment to innovation in grip technology. It aims to provide golfers with a high-performance option that combines comfort, control, and consistency, potentially leading to improved play from tee to green.

The Lamkin Crossline grip is one of the most iconic and enduring golf grips in the industry. Introduced over 20 years ago, it has remained a popular choice among both professional and amateur golfers due to its exceptional performance and durability.

The Crossline features a distinctive pattern of crossing lines on its surface, which gives the grip its name. This unique texture provides excellent traction and a secure hold, even in adverse weather conditions. The grip is made from a highly durable rubber compound that maintains its tackiness and performance characteristics over extended periods of use.

One of the key attributes of the Crossline grip is its firmness. The grip offers a solid, responsive feel that many players prefer, especially those with higher swing speeds. This firmness contributes to enhanced shot feedback and control, allowing golfers to better sense the clubhead position throughout their swing.

The Crossline is available in various sizes, including standard, midsize, oversize, and undersize, catering to different hand sizes and preferences. It also comes in both ribbed and round versions, giving players options for their preferred grip style.

While some modern grips focus on shock absorption and comfort, the Crossline prioritizes performance and consistency. Its popularity on professional tours attests to its effectiveness at the highest levels of the game.

Over the years, Lamkin has introduced variations of the Crossline, including cord versions for enhanced traction in wet conditions and the Genesis Crossline, which incorporates softer materials for improved comfort while maintaining the classic Crossline pattern.

The Crossline's longevity in the market speaks to its effectiveness and reliability. Many golfers who try the Crossline find themselves returning to it repeatedly, appreciating its consistent performance and familiar feel year after year.

The Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align Grip is an innovative addition to Golf Pride's popular Tour Velvet line, which has long been the most widely used grip model on professional tours worldwide. This grip combines the classic Tour Velvet design with Golf Pride's patented ALIGN Technology, offering golfers enhanced hand alignment and improved clubface awareness.

The Tour Velvet Align features a raised ridge that runs along the back of the grip. When installed, this ridge is positioned on the underside of the shaft, providing a tactile guide for hand placement. This design aims to help golfers achieve more consistent hand positioning and better clubface control throughout the swing.

The grip's core is constructed using Golf Pride's proprietary rubber compound, which offers a balance of comfort, durability, and performance. The surface features the Tour Velvet's signature non-slip pattern with a scientifically designed texture of plus signs. This pattern is engineered to channel moisture away from the surface, maintaining a consistent level of traction in various weather conditions.

Available in standard and midsize options, the Tour Velvet Align caters to a wide range of hand sizes and preferences. The standard size weighs 52 grams, while the midsize version is slightly heavier at 63.5 grams. Both sizes use a 60 core, which is compatible with most modern golf clubs.

Golf Pride introduced this grip to provide golfers with the familiar feel of the Tour Velvet while adding a subtle alignment aid. The ALIGN Technology is designed to be noticeable enough to provide feedback without being overly intrusive or changing the fundamental characteristics of the classic Tour Velvet grip.

Professional and amateur golfers alike have praised the Tour Velvet Align for its ability to promote more consistent hand placement, potentially leading to improved accuracy and overall performance. While some players find the alignment feature particularly helpful, others appreciate it as a subtle reminder rather than a dramatic change to their grip routine.

The SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Grip is a cutting-edge putter grip designed to enhance a golfer's putting performance and consistency. As part of SuperStroke's new Zenergy line, this grip incorporates several innovative features to improve feel, feedback, and control on the greens.

One of the key technologies in the Zenergy Pistol Grip is the enhanced Spyne Technology. This feature consists of an improved, embossed ridge along the underside of the grip. The Spyne is engineered to help golfers square the putter face more easily at impact, promoting more accurate putts and improved consistency.

The grip also features new multi-zone texturing, strategically placed in high-sensory areas of the grip. This texturing is designed to optimize feedback and comfort, working in conjunction with the soft polyurethane outer layer to provide an excellent feel during the putting stroke.

SuperStroke's patented No Taper Technology is another crucial element of the Zenergy Pistol Grip. This design maintains a consistent width along the length of the grip, which helps minimize grip pressure and allows golfers to quiet their hands during the stroke. The parallel shape is intended to promote a more pendulum-like motion, leading to improved consistency and accuracy.

The Zenergy Pistol Grip also features a Tech-Port at the top, allowing golfers to add game-improvement accessories such as the CounterCore weight system or performance tracking sensors. This adaptability makes the grip suitable for a wide range of players and preferences.

Available in various sizes, the Zenergy Pistol Grip caters to different hand sizes and putting styles. Its lightweight design (69g for the Tour model) ensures that it doesn't significantly alter the balance of the putter, while still providing ample feel and control.

The Flat Cat Putter Grip is an innovative golf accessory designed to improve putting accuracy and consistency. Developed with a unique approach to grip design, the Flat Cat grip features a distinctive flat shape that sets it apart from traditional round putter grips.

The key principle behind the Flat Cat grip is its FLAT1™ DESIGN, which aligns the grip's sides parallel to the putter face. This design aims to put the feeling of "square" into the golfer's hands, ensuring that the putter face is consistently square to the intended target line. By promoting proper hand placement and alignment, the grip helps golfers maintain a more stable and repeatable putting stroke.

Constructed from a lightweight polyurethane compound, the Flat Cat grip offers a comfortable feel while maintaining tactile feedback. The grip's surface features a carefully designed texture pattern that provides an optimal balance between traction and feel, allowing golfers to maintain control without excessive grip pressure.

Flat Cat grips are available in various sizes to accommodate different hand sizes and preferences. Options range from the Slim (44g) for those who prefer a more delicate touch, to the Big Boy (103g) for golfers who favor a larger, more substantial grip. This variety ensures that golfers can find a size that suits their individual putting style and hand size.

An additional feature of the Flat Cat grip is the Easy-Glide™ cone at the top of the grip. This design element allows for smooth removal of the putter from the golf bag, addressing a common inconvenience faced by many golfers.

The Flat Cat Putter Grip has gained popularity among golfers seeking to improve their putting performance. Its innovative design philosophy challenges traditional grip concepts, offering a unique solution to common putting alignment and consistency issues.

The Golf Pride Reverse Taper Putter Grip represents a significant innovation in putter grip design, introduced by Golf Pride in early 2024. This new grip concept aims to address a common issue among golfers: an overactive lower hand during the putting stroke.

The key feature of the Reverse Taper grip is its unique shape. Unlike traditional putter grips that taper from thick at the top to thin at the bottom, or maintain a consistent thickness throughout, the Reverse Taper grip has a slimmer upper section and a gradually wider lower section. This design is intended to stabilize both hands during the putting stroke, promoting a squarer putter face at impact regardless of the golfer's gripping style.

Golf Pride developed this technology through extensive research and testing. Using advanced putting analysis tools, they examined over 21,000 variables across hundreds of putts. Their findings showed that the Reverse Taper technology resulted in a 15% squarer putter face at impact compared to standard parallel putter grips.

The grip is available in three distinct shapes to cater to different preferences: Round, Pistol, and Flat. Each shape comes in two sizes, medium and large, to accommodate various hand sizes and putting styles. The grips are made from a specially developed synthetic material that enhances feel, comfort, and control.

Golf Pride's philosophy behind the Reverse Taper grip is that better putting begins in the hands. Rather than trying to eliminate hand action from the stroke, they aim to help golfers use their hands correctly. The grip's design is meant to reduce tension in the lower hand while providing stability in the upper hand, potentially leading to more consistent and accurate putts.

This innovative approach to putter grip design has generated significant interest in the golfing community, with many players and professionals eager to test its effectiveness on the greens.

Choosing the right golf grip is a personal decision that can have a significant impact on your game. By considering factors such as comfort, control, and durability, you can find grips that enhance your performance and enjoyment on the course.

Remember that what works for one golfer may not work for another. Don't be afraid to experiment with different types, sizes, and materials until you find the perfect match for your playing style. Whether you opt for the classic feel of a rubber grip, the all-weather performance of a corded option, or the cutting-edge technology of a polymer grip, the right choice will help you play your best golf.

Regularly inspecting and replacing your grips will ensure that you always have optimal control and feel. With the knowledge gained from this guide, you're now equipped to make informed decisions about your golf grips, potentially taking your game to the next level.