Oversize Golf Grips: Are They Right for You?

Almost all golf clubs come with the same standard size golf grips, but we humans all come with all different sized hands, so this seems a bit counter-intuitive.

So let’s discuss a few other options…

Oversize golf grips can offer an alternative to golfers with large hands or shaky grips.  The industry standard for larger golf grips range between 1/16 to 1/8 inch larger than standard grips, which doesn’t seem like much, but when placed in your hands it can feel like the difference between a pen and a broomstick handle.   In today’s market, you can increase your grip on any club very conveniently and cost effectively.

With that said, oversized golf grips won’t work for every golfer, but here are three ways in which a larger grip may help you on the tee boxes, fairways or putting greens:

Removing Discomfort

If you suffer from weak hand gripping, arthritis of any kind, or an aching joint pain, you will have a difficult time gripping the club the proper way. A larger golf club grip will offer a better feel for the club and help to remove your hands from the equation.  Larger golf grips are also known to absorb shock much better, helping to prevent mishits from stinging your fingers, hands, or wrists.

Nerves also fall under the category of discomfort in our opinion.  If you experience what we call “shaky wrists” when putting, chances are its a direct result of nervous tension carried in your arms, wrists, and hands.   A smaller grip will allow that wobble to travel all the way down to the putter head causing you to mishit your putt.  The larger grips can remove the shakiness and keep you focused on a steadier putting stroke.

2013 PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner is perhaps the well known example of a someone who has dramatically improved his putting game by making the switch to an oversize golf grip.  Jason famously switched to a SuperStroke jumbo golf grip and has since netted himself over $5 million in PGA TOUR earnings.

More Ball Control

A larger golf grip can offer more club control.  Think about it, when we have a skinnier grip, sometimes we’ll grab and squeeze the life out of the club which almost always forces a mishit. A tight grip shifts the accuracy and will ultimately alter the swing path of the club.  If you have a more comfortable, looser grip, then the odds of hitting the ball more square at impact will increase dramatically. Some say that an improved grip will even add power and distance on your shot and will allow you to swing more naturally, allowing the club head to do the work.

Holding a better fitting grip in your hands will lessen your tendency to increase grip pressure (in an attempt to make sure you’re holding the club securely).  For those of you out there with larger hands, an increased grip size can help give you the feedback and feel needed to gain more control with less pressure.

Flight Path

Believe it or not the, the flight path of the golf ball is affected by a player’s ability to grip the golf club the right way.  A tight grip, like we mentioned above, will not only alter the control of the club, but as a result will also change the path that the ball travels.   Squeezing a shaft will tighten your forearms, causing you to swing like you’re trying to hit a homerun over the left field wall.  This type of tense swing can result in a change of trajectory, causing screaming line drives, a nasty hook or slice, or a pop-up straight up in the air.  Similar to ball control, a thicker grip will allow you to swing like a golfer, not a baseball player.

The nice thing is that although most golf equipment can be expensive, switching golf grips won’t break the bank.  Most oversize golf grips are priced between $5 and $30 dollars, depending on the brand and the club you’re re-gripping.  Either way it’s still always smart to try before you buy, so stop by your local golf store and hit and putt some clubs with larger grips and see if your swing path, ball control, and comfort level improve.  Most importantly, go with what feels good in your hands because that will ultimately lead to the confidence you need to really improve your game.