The Importance of Good Golf Club Grips

Why should you take a few minutes to read about something as “ordinary” as golf club grips? Many of us don’t think of our grips as being all that important. The only time we think of them at all is when it starts raining and they get wet and hard to hang onto. But not thinking enough about your grips can have terrible consequences for your game.

So, here’s a little information to get you thinking. Among other things, you’ll learn how your grips can influence your game.

A lot of golfers don’t realize it, but your grips are some of the most important pieces of golf equipment you own. In reality, your grips are every bit as important as your golf balls or clubs.

Think about it. Your grips are the only part of your clubs that your hands actually touch. That means they have a significant effect on your control over your clubs.

Grips that are in good condition and fit your hands properly allow you to grasp your clubs firmly but lightly – the way you need to in order to swing properly. Your hands need traction to maintain control of your clubs, and that’s what your grips provide. If your golf club grips are past their prime, you’ll hold your clubs too tightly and your swings will be inhibited. You’ll lose power and control because your arms and wrists will be far too tense from grasping the clubs so tightly.

Unfortunately, golf club grips degrade over time and with exposure to the elements. Everything your grips encounter – sweat, grime and oils from your hands, dirt, dust and sand from the course, and sunlight, ozone, rain, cold and heat, all cause them to age and wear out. And as your grips start degrading, so will your game ...

... Until you replace them, that is.

Replacing worn-out golf club grips is quick, easy and fairly cheap. New grips can improve your game noticeably. You might even feel like you’re playing brand-new clubs. But how often should you replace your grips? How soon can problems caused by worn-out grips start developing?

Most experts suggest re-gripping your golf clubs once a year or every 40 rounds, whichever comes first. Depending on which grips you choose and who does the re-gripping (you can do it yourself or have it done for you at your pro shop or a golf equipment store), it will cost $75 to $150 or so to replace all of your old grips. I play four or five rounds every week, but I play a lot of those rounds with clubs I’m testing for review purposes. Even so, I make sure I re-grip my own clubs at least twice every year.

Don’t make the mistake of putting off re-gripping until your grips have already become hard and slick. Or even worse, they’ve started crumbling in your hands. Grip wear is sneaky. It happens slowly, over time. You don’t realize your grips are becoming worn, but once it starts happening, your game will suffer until they’ve been replaced. So, replace your golf club grips regularly, whether you think they need it or not. A lot of golfers do it every spring, just before the beginning of their golf season.

Different brands and models of golf club grips provide varying amounts of traction and different “feels.” Some are very soft and tacky, while others feel much firmer. No one type of grip is (or could be) right for everyone, so you need to investigate your options and see what feels best to you when you’re looking for replacement golf club grips.

“Cord” grips tend to wick away moisture, so they might be best if your hands perspire heavily or you often play in rain or heavy mist. So-called “lightweight” grips are designed to be used with today’s ultra-light shafts, drivers and woods. Other grips are intended to provide a great deal of tackiness, and still others are designed to absorb shock and vibrations, which can be helpful for golfers who have joint pain or arthritis in their hands.

In addition to these different types, golf club grips also come in different sizes: junior, ladies, standard, mid- or medium-size, and jumbo. It’s essential to get the size of your grips right, because playing with oversized or undersized grips can definitely affect your swing.

Are you beginning to understand how your golf club grips can impact the quality of your game? Aren’t you glad you read this page after all?

I haven’t even mentioned golf putter grips, but they’re every bit as important as the grips on your other clubs. So much so, that we devote an entire page to discussing golf club grips for putters specifically. We invite you to read that page as well.