Professional Grip Sizing MATTERS!
Professional Grip Sizing MATTERS!
(A Personal Case Study)
Of course grip size matters for golfers. I want to share with you a personal experience I had related first to finding great grip to help me with some hand arthritis issues I have been having – and how “just putting on a grip” may not always be the best option to help you play your best golf.
In my last blog post, I noted that I recently had trigger finger surgery on my left middle finger. The surgery was successful, but I am also having some arthritis issues with that finger and my left middle finger. I reached out to some of my professional fitting friends and found a number of options for grips to help me be able to relieve the stress from the arthritis. My friend Keith Chatham from PrecisionFit Golf in Kerrville, Texas suggested an amazing grip option that has worked for many of his golfers – the new Winn Dri Tac LT grip.
I purchased a few of these grips – midsize versions – and put them on my driver and a few of my irons. And they feel amazing, and I can grip the golf club without feeling stress in the fingers of my left hand.
BUT – before we get to the end, let me explain just a little about grip sizing…
A large majority of golf shafts have a butt diameter of 0.600 inches. Most “standard” size grips have what is called a specification of a “0.600” core size. They are designed so that a 600 core grip installed on a 600 diameter shaft will size out as a “standard” size grip. If however the butt end of a shaft has a diameter more than 600, then the size of the installed grip will be greater than “standard.”
Now back to the grips on my golf clubs… Before I started having arthritis issues, I had played with standard size grips with 1 or 2 wraps of buildup tape under them – so they were a little over “standard” size. I wanted to try the midsize grips and see if they offered some additional relief for my arthritis. However…
- With the irons I regripped the midsize LT grips were just a little too large for me to hold properly. They felt great, but too large.
- However, my KRANK driver was another story. That driver has a “counterbalanced” driver shaft – meaning more weight in the shaft is in the butt end of the shaft. I wrote a 2018 blog about counterbalanced shafts that you can read. The design of most counterbalanced shafts I have seen – and this is true of mine – have a butt diameter a LOT larger than 0.600 inches. Mine has a butt diameter of 0.630 inches. So when I put a midsize grip on that shaft it is WAY too large for me.
So – What To Do? Actually a pretty simple fix….
- Since the midsize LT grips are just a little too large for most of my clubs – I am using standard size grips with 2 wraps of buildup tape under the grip. Perfect size and feel!
- For my driver – a standard size grip with no buildup tape under the grip. Not quite as perfect (still a little large), but WAY better than the midsize grip for this club.
Grip sizing is IMPORTANT to get your clubs to consistently feel the same throughout your bag. Sizing sure is mattering for ME!
(And those calipers in the picture above – one of the tools I cannot live without to help golfers play their best!).
I Create EXCEPTIONAL GOLF CLUBS
You Shoot LOWER SCORES!
Tony – Stay SAFE!
