I’ve been meaning to get my irons regripped for ages, but l was busy last summer, playing here and there, and needed my clubs. Then when I did have a look at the grips in the golf shop I didn’t really fancy any of them – they just didn’t feel right! The grips that had come with my irons were softer and I decided that I wasn’t going to change until I found something similar.
One of my New Year’s Resolutions was to lower my handicap (I say this every year!) but this year I actually booked a series of lessons with our PGA Professional, Stefan Ackermann, and I’ve been practising in the swing room! (You might not believe that if you’ve seen me play!!!) Under the bright lights of the swing room I realised just how worn some of my grips were – they looked ridiculous!!! Check out my 7 iron in the middle of the picture! The rest weren’t as bad, but they were pretty slick.
A couple of weeks ago I was having another look at the selection in the golf shop when Alastair said, “I can order whatever kind of grip you want.” So, I set off to do some research!
I looked at Golf Pride Multi-compound grips, Lamkin Crossline (which I’ve had before) plus wrap grips. They were OK, but nothing special. Then I came across Winn grips and I recognised the logo – I suddenly remembered that my previous irons had Winn grips and I loved them! I tried a few models and settled on the “Dri-Tac” variety as it felt soft and pretty grippy (is that a word?). I was delighted to find they did a “ladies” version – not because they came in pink but because women’s clubs aren’t as wide as men’s, as the average woman’s handspan is less than the average man’s. Some manufactures produce “undersize” grips – that’s their version of women’s grips.
I followed this up by reading customer reviews and they were very positive, so I popped in and told Alastair to order enough for my irons and driver. Several days later he fitted them onto my clubs and said “It’ll be like playing with new clubs” – and he was right! I love my new grips.
(I opted for grey and blue rather than pink!)
The next time I was in the swing room I noticed that I was getting slightly longer distances than before – but I’d had a lesson a few days earlier, so that probably had more to do with it than new grips! However, after a quick online search I came across an article in Golf Digest, published earlier this week, which substantiates the claim that new grips can add a little distance – just a few yards with a 7 iron. As Tesco says, “Every little helps!”
Anyway, I’d definitely recommend getting new grips and it’s worth taking a little time to choose the one that feels best. What’s best for me probably won’t be best for you – Rory and the big guns don’t play with grips like mine!!!
It’s worth pointing out getting my irons re-gripped at my pro shop cost a lot less than it would have at some of the big golf stores and it was a lot handier!