Friday, September 13, 2013

If you want to make your clubs feel like new, change your grips!

The caddie master at the Sainte Maxime golf club recently changed the grips on my clubs.I have to say he did a fantastic job and my clubs feel like new! 

The grip is one of the most important components in golf and the only part of the club that you actually touch.
Grips are made of materials that age and wear as a function of time and use. Ozone, heat, dirt and oils from your hands all age your grips and cause the natural degradation of the grip. The traction that a fresh grip provides lets you hold the club lightly without the subconscious fear of losing the club during your swing. This relaxed state promotes proper swing mechanics and wrist action. While a worn grip causes you to grasp the club tighter, causing arm and wrist tension that inhibits proper swing mechanics and leads to a loss of power and control. A fresh set of grips is an inexpensive and fast way to bring a noticeable change to your game.


As a rule of thumb, you should reg-rip once every year or every 40 rounds. Regardless of how often you play, ozone, heat, dirt and oils are constantly at work breaking down the materials that make up your grips. Granted, frequent play and personal preference may dictate re-gripping sooner, but with normal use there's enough degradation of the material after a year to warrant fresh grips. Keep in mind that grips lose a significant amount of their original feel long before they become hard and slick. Because it happens slowly over time, most golfers fail to notice it. That's important to remember because just a tiny, imperceptible slip at contact will be magnified to many yards by the time the ball reaches its target. Many people find that getting in the routine of re-gripping every Spring as the golf season "officially" begins is the easiest way to remember.

No comments: