The Grip Size Mistake you’re probably making

As someone whose first job was helping re-grip clubs at a local driving range, I have seen unspeakable things when it comes to how long people are keeping grips on their clubs. I’m talkin’ Ping Eye 2’s with the same grips they came with back in 1982. Please, and I say this emphatically, don’t be that guy.

The grip is your main connection to the golf club, and it is a seriously underrated aspect of your gear setup. I think one of the most important things you can do as a moderately serious golfer is changing your grips at least once a year. In a game littered with uncontrollable variables, you need to control the few we can. Making sure you have a grip that isn’t as slick as a set of F1 tires is the least you can do for yourself.

When talking with a customer at our store about changing their grips, they will always ask me, in some variation, “what kind of grip should I play”?

As is the answer to most questions in the world of golf equipment: it depends.

There are two main variables when looking at grips, the first being texture. Texture preference is extremely personal. What I like in a grip may be what another golfer despises. I have always preferred grips with a lot of cord in them. As someone whose hands sweat and likes to play a lot of shots without a glove, I need to have that material to maintain my connection with the club. If you are someone who experiences this and haven’t experimented with a corded grip, give it a shot.

The second, and most important variable, is size. There are 4 “common” sizes of grips. Undersize, standard, midsize, and Jumbo. On a whole, most golfers aren’t playing the correct grip size for them, and they are usually playing one that is too small for them. There is an easy way to figure this out. Take your club and grip it with your top hand. If you find your fingers wrapping underneath the pad of your palm, your grips are most likely too small.

Credit: GolfWRX

Why Does Grip Size Matter?

When playing a grip that is too small for you, you are unable to get a consistent grip each time. As I said before, in this game, we need to control all the variables we can. Making sure you can comfortably grip the club the same every time is #1 on that list. If you aren’t gripping the club the same, you aren’t going to be able to swing the same, and in golf, we are looking to try and do the same thing over and over again. This is why you see Scottie Scheffler warming up with his grip trainer every round. The foundation of a good swing starts with a good grip. This is impossible without the correct size.

Can Grips Be Too Big?

Yes and no. Bryson is the main example of this. He uses JumboMax Tour Series XL, a grip that someone like Rajon Rondo should be using (dude’s got MASSIVE hands). When going off a basic size chart, this is far too big, however Bryson feels this size of grip gives him more control over the clubface. Bigger grips like this can help reduce rotation in the hands at and through impact. For a golfer like Bryson who has a right to left shot shape, this is crucial for him to be able to control that flight and not over draw it.

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Now, that doesn’t mean this is the solution for every golfer looking to get more control over their clubface. It might be an answer, but it is not the answer. An example of this is a golfer like me. I play midsize grips with an additional 3 wraps of tape underneath. I was interested in trying out a “super” oversized grip like what Bryson uses and was able to give one a shot. What I found is, while it did help with reducing rotation, I “lost” a bit of the feel I was used to when looking to shape shots. So yes, grips can be too big, but it all depends on what you are looking for.

In the end, you have to do a bit of trial and error to find the absolute best grip size for yourself. My tip is to always start off with 1 grip and usually throw it on a club you are comfortable swinging. This way, you can experiment with how a different size grip feels, and if it’s not for you, you aren’t out an entire set of grips.

Credit: Golf Pride

At the end of the day, golf is a game of doing the same thing over and over again without losing your mind. And if your grips are too small, too worn, or are old enough to have watched the movie “High School Musical” when it dropped on Disney Channel (I’m aging myself here), you're adding chaos to an already chaotic game.

So next time you are in your local golf shop, give a bigger grip a shot. Your hands, and your scorecard, will thank you.

RELATED: It's Time To Get A Grip! Is your golf game slipping as the season goes on? It might be time for some fresh grips.