Golf is a fun outdoor activity that many dabble in before getting bit by the bug, but whether you’ve been playing regularly or for the first time in a year, you may find that your grips serve their purpose, as well as they, used to.
Considering the only part of the golf club you actually touch is the grip, there is arguably no more important piece of equipment. There are many different types of grips, so before you run off to the pro shop it is best that you have an understanding of what they are.
The most common categories for swing grips are rubber grips, corded grips, wrap grips, and of course, there are separate putter grips. Rubber grips are normally a little cheaper to make, typically the type of grip that would come with a new golf club.
While historically these are more for comfort than they are for making it easier to play, an increasing amount of technology is built into these, from proprietary compounds to alignment aids.
Then there are corded grips – these are incredibly popular and are routinely used by professionals, particularly with irons and wedges to maximize control of the club at higher swing speed.
Wrap golf grips are a bit of a throwback, and while they’re less common compared to decades prior, they certainly can bring a lifestyle vibe to an otherwise overlooked part of your club.
Finally, we have putter grips, which are used only for your flat stick. While it can seem trivial to the uninitiated, this can be an incredibly important decision as the putter is a precision tool.
In recent years, the most obvious grip innovation has been in this category, with many brands experimenting with different sizes and shapes – anything to help get the ball in the hole…and remember that most of your strokes on a golf course will be from your putter. Whether you’re a beginner or revisiting your equipment, we’ve compiled a list of the best golf grips on the market.
BEST VALUE
Karma Standard Velvet Golf Grips
EDITORS CHOICE
OUR TOP PICK
BEST VALUE
Karma Standard Velvet Golf Grips
First, on our list, we have a rubber-style grip manufactured by Karma. They are very affordable like most rubber grips and highly comfortable, especially when compared to models like Golf Pride Tour Velvet.
Comfort is an important aspect of your grips as your hands will be taking the brunt of the impact in your swings throughout the day, so if they do not feel comfortable then you won’t have as much fun playing near the end of your round. As well as being affordable, they also can fit any golfer, coming in a range of sizes that are perfect for juniors, midsize, standard, jumbo, and undersize. This allows anyone no matter the size they are to play with these grips. The grips also come in different colors so you are spoiled for choice when determining what color best suits you and your setup when you are playing golf – look good, feel good!
Pros
- Affordable
- Many different sizes
- Lots of different colors to choose from
Cons
- These rubber grips aren’t performance-focused and are mainly used for comfort.
EDITORS CHOICE
Lamkin Crossline Grip
If you are a keen golfer then you already probably know of the manufacturer Lamkin.
They are a staple of the golfing world, and one of the most trusted grips because of the high-quality products that they have produced over the years. The Lamkin Crossline is a premium grip and like most other Lamkin products is also very reliable. It’s also great for both men and women. It is a rubber-style golf grip so you know that you’re going to be very comfortable when playing with this specific grip, a tip though.
Be sure to check to size if you have bigger hands, as they do offer plus-sized options.
Pros
- High-quality materials
- Reliable brand
- Comfortable grip
Cons
- Premium quality comes with a premium price
OUR TOP PICK
Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align
On the more innovative end of swing grips, we have the Golf Pride Tour Velvet Align.
Golf Pride is the leader in golf grips, and many professional golfers use this brand for their own golf clubs, so you know that you are getting a very good and respected product.
The Tour Velvet Align is a rubber grip that has a built-in line down the back of the grip to help keep the consistent placement of your hands relative to the clubface, improving your ability to make your shots’ outcomes more predictable.
This grip comes in both standard and midsize.
Pros
- Premium quality
- Innovative grip design that will help keep the placement of your hands consistent
- Well respected brand
Cons
- Ultra premium, performance pricing
FOR RAIN AND WET CONDITIONS
Winn DriTac Golf Grips
For any golfer who regularly plays in wet conditions, you’ll know grip material makes even more of a difference, making the Winn Dritac golf grip a brilliant option to choose.
This grip is perfect for golfing in some wet conditions, as they provide a lot more stickiness than some of the other golf grips on this list which may be better suited to dryer conditions. Like most rubber grips it is very comfortable to use, and despite the extra tackiness, you’ll find that it won’t cause blisters any more than your regular grips would in dry conditions. As far as durability and dependable golf grips this really is a great choice. You can also choose from two different colors to create match your aesthetic as you see fit.
Pros
- Great in wet conditions
- Very durable product
- Comfortability
Cons
- Unnecessary for golfers in drier climates
RUNNER UP
Lamkin Comfort Plus
With the name Lamkin Comfort Plus, you know you will be getting an incredibly comfortable grip if you select this one.
With a unique rubber compound vs traditional polyurethane, the Comfort Plus grip uses a unique pattern that provides a nice soft texture while still offering plenty of traction for the golfer. You certainly won’t feel like the club is going to slip out of your hands during a particularly awkward swing. It has two color options that are both bold and very professional looking. It has a larger area for your lower hand to promote a lighter grip to help improve your game.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Great traction
- Two different colors to choose from
- Unique performance benefits, encouraging a lighter grip
Cons
- A bit expensive as there’s a lot of proprietary technology built-in
RUNNER UP
Winn DriTac Wrap
This particular grip manufactured by Winn DriTac has been around in the golfing industry for years, this is due to the high quality of the product but also the very high-reliability factor that Winn DriTac products have. It is a very soft grip so if that is something that you are looking for then you should definitely look into making this your grip of choice.
They have a lot less texture on the grip than many rubber or cord grips, but they can hold up in the weather due to the technology.
While wrap grips are typically used by older golfers, that is likely only because they’ve been around for a long time – if retro is your style, these could be for you.
Pros
- Very reliable grip
- Been around for a very long time
- Hold up in wet conditions
Cons
- Wrap grips don’t suit everyone’s aesthetic preferences
RUNNER UP
Golf Pride MCC Plus 4 Align
Again another great grip from Golf Pride, it is quite a unique style grip and is made for people who like to have more tape on the bottom of the grip.
It is designed in a way that feels like it has 4 layers of tape under the bottom part of the grip, while not actually making you use any extra tape. Due to this, it is much easier to improve the speed of your swing which will majorly improve your long game. A good long game is important for anyone who wants to take golf seriously. It is a highly durable grip that is made to withstand any type of weather condition that you may face out on the golf course.
It also comes in a range of different colors that you can choose from to make it feel more personalized and custom to you. It is half rubber and half cord so you know for a fact that it will feel very comfortable when it is in your hands.
Pros
- Good in all weather conditions and is not specific to just being used in dry conditions
- Durable
- Comes in a range of different colors
Cons
- You should note to be careful when you are installing this grip as it has been known to rip with too much pressure.
RUNNER UP
CHAMPKEY Taction-X
Again this is another brilliant golf grip choice. It is made from rubber so you know that it will rest very comfortably in your hands but it likely won’t improve your golf game. It will also feel very light in your hands which is an added bonus. It comes in both standard size and a midrange size so you can choose what fits better for you. As well as coming in different sizes you can also choose what color that you would like to use. It uses 3 different kinds of textures that are used to improve the traction and control of your swing which is incredibly important when golfing as you want to feel very confident with your swing.
Pros
- Comfortable
- Good traction because of the textures used
- Comes in a range of different colors
Cons
- As mentioned earlier as it is a rubber grip it will only feel comfortable and won’t really improve your swing.
Buyers Guide
Comfortability
One of the most important factors to consider when selecting your golf grip is how comfortable the grip is for the user. Comfortability is so important because you have to consider that you will be using your club regularly, and if your hands struggle, so does your swing.
Rubber grips often provide the user with the most comfortable grip on the market so it is definitely worth checking some of those out, especially with improved material technology and game-improvement innovation like grip alignment aids.
Many of the above-listed golf grips are of a rubber material or in some ways crossed with rubber materials to provide the most comfortable grip that you can get.
Although it is important to note that rubber grips won’t drastically improve your swing – the mechanics are still on you – it is a piece of equipment that can actively add strokes to your game if they’re old or not right for wet conditions.
Durability
Durability is again another really important factor that you need to consider as you will want your grip to last you a very long time and still remain in very good condition.
If a grip is not in good condition it can impact the traction of the grip and the comfortability in general. Durability is dependent on the high-quality materials that have been used to make the grip in the first place.
It is highly important to consider this factor before making your decision as it will be quite annoying if you have purchased a golf grip that is only going to be able to last you a couple of months.
Obviously, this is dependent on how much you actually play golf, but considering cheaper grips may last you only one season and cost as much as the installation itself, you will want to ensure that the grip is made from high-quality materials.
Traction
Traction is the most performance-related aspect to consider when it comes to golf grips. You don’t want the golf grip to be slippery, which can even cause hand or wrist injury.
The traction is often determined by what texture the material is and if it is particularly sticky.
The pattern can sometimes be an important factor for traction too as it can create points of grip where it feels much more secure in your hands. Good traction is highly important when considering what a good grip actually is.
When making your final decision it is important to ensure that the traction on the grip is of high quality just like you want to do with the materials that are used when making the grip in the first place.
Weather Conditions
Whether the grip is good in certain weather conditions is again very important, especially if you live in wetter parts of the world where you are often golfing in the rain. This again is due to what material is used and how high quality it is.
Some of the above-listed products work incredibly well in the rain and are the perfect choice if you do in fact golf more in the rain than you do in dry conditions. Make sure you check this before making your final decision on which golf grip is best for you.
Reliable
Reliability is obviously an important factor that kind of encapsulates all of the above-listed things to look for when selecting your golf grip. This can be impacted again by what materials have been used and whether or not that is manufactured at a high level.
You want to make sure that the grip is reliable in all different conditions and also in terms of how durable the material actually is that you are using. Many of the above-listed products are incredibly reliable and are crafted to a very high degree.
Going with reputable brands like Golf Pride, Lamkin, and Wynn is the best way to ensure this, though there are plenty of other options out there.
Weight
Weight is an important issue in regard to fatigue. If you are lugging around a heavy golf club it can really put a damper on your golf game, many of the above-listed grips will all provide a very light-feeling golf club and stop any chance of you feeling fatigued.
It can also help increase the speed of your swing which can often mean that you can hit the ball for a much longer distance. It is highly important to consider how the grip will make the club feel in terms of its weight so ensure you feel comfortable with the weight that your grip has added.
Frequently Asked Questions
The most comfortable style of grip that you will want to use is a grip that is made from rubber, this will ensure the maximum level of comfort when using your golf clubs and can also stop things like blisters from forming from the grip rubbing against your skin which is a very prominent issue for golfers who are just starting out. Most grips these days are a rubber compound of some sort.
Well, it really depends on what part of the world you live in: If you often golf in the rain then it will be a very important issue for you. However, if you are more used to playing in the sun, then it obviously won’t be a major issue for you. For weekend warriors who want to ensure their score won’t get ruined with a little precipitation, it may be worth investigating these (and some rain gloves) to ensure your score doesn’t get washed out as well.
Traction is so important because it can be what determines how good a grip you have on your club which is highly important when you consider the speed at that you will be swinging the club. You will want to ensure the grip has great traction.
This is why we decided to set up our site, Better Golf, to provide high-quality information that’s accessible to everyone. From newbies, to seasoned golfers, this site covers everything you need to know. Through this site, we will be discussing all the important details.
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