GRIP WEIGHT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
GRIP WEIGHT: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The grip is the most overlooked aspect of the golf club. Many golfers assume they can use any grip as long as it’s tacky, but the latest golf science shows they’re missing out on an easy opportunity to improve their game. That’s good news for golfers looking to gain an advantage.
Before we talk about grip weight, let’s take one step back. The first thing to consider about a new grip is the size, because choosing the right size is going to give you the most immediate improvements in distance and accuracy. Getting the right grip weight is the next step, and it’s where golfers really take consistency to the next level.
If you don’t know your JumboMax® grip size, you can find it using our Online Grip Fitting Tool.
Contrary to what you may have heard about grip weight, a lighter grip will not necessarily help you swing faster. A heavier grip will not necessarily make you swing slower, either. Golfers have to match the weight of the grip with their individual needs and tendencies, and when they do, it’s a match made in grip heaven.
Like club fitting in general, finding the ideal grip may take a little experimenting, but the payoff is well worth it. There are some guidelines to follow that will help you choose the best grip for your game.
CHOOSE A HEAVIER GRIP IF…
NO. 1: YOU TEND TO PUSH OR BLOCK YOUR SHOTS
Golfers who push or block their shots tend to have too much lag in their golf swing or struggle to keep the club "in front of them" in the downswing. The heavier weight of our Tour Series and Comfort Wrap swing grips is a game changer for golfers in this group. The "counterbalanced" design of these grips -- they're roughly twice the weight of our lightweight grips -- helps golfers release the club with less effort since heavier grips are easy to stop or "snap" at impact. This creates more left bias. We'll stop short of talking about breaking forces in the downswing. We think you get the idea.
NO. 2: YOU STRUGGLE WITH YOUR TRANSITION
Heavier grips can help golfers smooth out their swing thanks to the added weight under your hands. With a counterbalanced grip, you'll feel as though there's less work to do in the swing since the club naturally wants to stay in front of you and release with less effort than with lighter grips.
NO. 3: YOU WANT MAXIMUM STABILITY IN THE ROUGH
Counterbalanced grips like Tour Series and Comfort Wrap add to the overall stability of your clubs. So when you encounter a nasty lie in the rough, the added weight of the grip is going to resist twisting more than a lighter grip can. Don't you love physics?
CHOOSE A LIGHTWEiGHT GRIP IF…
NO. 1: YOU MUST FEEL THE CLUBHEAD
Traditonal "swingers" place a high importance on feeling the clubhead throughout the swing. For that reason, our JMX UltraLite and JMX Zen Lite grips are designed to maintain a traditional swing weight range so golfers can take advantage of all the benefits of larger grips without changing the balance of their clubs.
NO. 2: YOU TEND TO MISS LEFT
Lightweight grips like JMX UltraLite and JMX Zen Lite can help golfers increase the lag in their swing as the handle wants to keep continue forward more in the downswing compared to counterbalanced grips. This helps golfers that struggle with an early release increase their lag and reduce their left miss tendency.
NO. 3: YOU WANT MAXIMUM SPEED
Lightweight grips like JMX UltraLite and JMX Zen Lite create the possibility for more speed as they reduce the overall weight of the club. Not every golfer swings lighter clubs faster -- for example, many of our long drivers use Tour Series -- but reducing the overall weight does help many golfers swing faster. We also strongly recommend JMX UltraLite and JMX Zen Lite for golfers that are playing lightweight clubs like those made by XXIO, etc.
