Do you have the correct grip size on your irons?

“Iron grip size is the most important element

related to grips and it is a significant component

of a properly fit set of clubs”. Graig Zimmerman

said that a few years ago. Graig is the GM of

the RedTail Golf Center in Beaverton, Oregon,

as well as a regular pick on Golf Digest’s list of

America’s Best Club Fitters. Graig also said,

“Grip size is often overlooked or an afterthought

of the fitting process and the wrong grip size

can have a substantial impact on how clubs

perform”. Zimmermen’s “team” at RedTail also

developed a chart they call,”Total Hand Size”.

Their chart measures the distance from the first

crease of the wrist to the tip of a golfer’s longest

finger and the length of a player’s longest finger

as a static starting point.

There are a few things about the size of grips

we should be using that are “almost” universally

accepted by the best club fitters in the U.S. and

we shouldn’t ignore them.

For example:

* Most of the time, larger grips (midsize

or larger) can help players who are struggling

with a hook.

* Smaller grips can help a player who is

fighting a slice to help the hands to release more

efficiently to square the club face at impact.

* A player with a large hand size may have

less face awareness with a grip that is too small

which causes a player to have excessive grip

pressure. Conversely, increasing the grip size

should be recommended to offset over-rotating

the face.

* Larger grip sizes are used for someone

who closes the face too much....such as Bryson

DeChambeau, Tony Finau and Bubba Watson

who play jumbo or larger grips to prevent their

hands from over-rotating.

* Playing with softer grips will probably help

golfers with hand injuries or arthritis or even

those who don’t want to wear a glove.

* Softer grips are usually not recommend for

better players because it is not beneficial for

consistency under pressure.

* Most average golfers should pay more

attention to playing with the correct grip size

because they can be very important to develop

a foundation of consistency.

John Hutzler of “Swingfit” in Virginia,

another one of America’s Best Clubfitters says,

“If I were a betting man, I might go as far as

to say that grip fittings will become the next

hottest trend. It’s just that important and when

compared to buying a brand-new golf club,

it’s not a bad way to breathe new life into your

clubs at a very small cost”.

What do golf grip manufactures have to say

about how new grips affect the distance you hit

a golf ball?

According to Golf Pride, the largest grip

manufacturer in the world, their research

team discovered that...ball speed increases

1.3 MPH resulting in a 2.3 yard increase in

distance. That certainly may not be far enough

to feel confident you can carry a water hazard

180 yards away, however it does instill a little

excitement in your thought process to become

more confident. Golf Pride‘s research also

determined that only 20% of golfers re-grip

their clubs the recommended once annually.

With regard to players with a handicap of 5 or

below, 82% reported that new grips felt “secure

to very secure” in their hands. When using

warn grips, only 24% said they had the same

sensation.

How often should we be re-griping our golf clubs?

Golf Pride’s Graig Watson recommends that

regulars who play at least once a week, should

replace their grips at the start of every golf

season.

* I totally disagree with this one. If someone

played 2-3 times every week and washed their

grips with soap and water once a month, there

is no reason why their grips should not last a

minimum of 2-2.5 seasons.

What are the best grips on the market?

* Golf Monthly independently took a look at

some of the best golf grips currently available .

#1. Golf Pride CPX

#2. Golf Pride MCC GRIP

#3. BRD X1

#4. Winn Dri-Track Grip

#5. Superstroke S-Tech Grip

#6. Carver Golf Grips (all weather conditions)

#7. Larkin Sonar+ Tour Calibrate Grip

Perry Noun is the former executive director of the Northeastern NY PGA as well as a competitive amateur golfer and winner of the New York State Super Senior Amateur Championship. Perry Noun can be heard on “Tee Time With The Pro-noun” on... News Radio 570 WSYR and 106.9FM.