Grip size question

[kc8kir]

So... I have been having a lot of trouble with my swing. Taking lessons right now, and I just can't get my tempo nailed down. Backswing keeps getting too quick, and my body seems to jerk at the ball.

I think a major problem is the size of the grips on my clubs. They are all slim standards. I think it might be causing me to grip the club too tightly. I have been having wrist and shoulder pain recently, and my hands are very sore. I also keep hitting fat shots and having the club feel really loose in my hands at the end of the swing.

Anyways. How can I tell what grip size and number of wraps are right for me? I tried the "judge by your glove size" method, and that says standard. My problem is that my left hand middle two fingers (I have rather long fingers) dig into my thumb pad. The club is not supported under the heel pad no matter what I do. I have wear marks on all my gloves on the thumb and heel pad areas. I have slowly gone to a really strong grip just to keep control of the club. I really hate this grip position because it makes my right hand way too active.

I'll post a picture tonight with my current grips and hand position. I recently had my driver grip upgraded to midsize, so I am trying that out. I think I should take the 6 iron and try a midsize grip on it as well.

I don't want to blame all my problems on grip size, but this hand pain is rediculous and can't be helping my swing at all. Hitting so many fat shots down here in Texas is downright painful and unforgiving. Swing looks great in slow motion, but the results at impact on a full swing say otherwise. The club keeps bottoming out behind the ball despite my best efforts (and the instruction of my pro) to stop it. My instructor commented the grips looked small, but didn't dwell on it.

Ideas? Anyone experience anything similar?

Brand new clubs, and I am going to rip the grips off. Yay...

[JackieTreehorn]

Go to Ping.com and look for the online club fitting. They tell you your grip based on two measurements: distance from wrist crease to tip of middle finger and length of middle finger. I also saw that for a good grip size, your middle and ring fingers should just graze your thumb pad.

[Mr.Wedge]

Be real careful about changing your grips. This could easily be a problem with the "gripper". One thing you can do is choke down on your grips because they are tapered and thinner further down the shaft. You may be too much in the palms. A good grip is in the fingertips. So experiment with the thinner part of the grip getting it in your fingertips, then the fatter part doing the same, and have your pro look closer at it before regripping the clubs. Also, am curious about what the pro recommended about the fats.

[bigoak]

grip size depends on hand size and whether you grip in your hand or with your fingers. I like to draw the ball so I use smaller grips but larger ones on wedges so as not to get handsy.

[kc8kir]

Be real careful about changing your grips. This could easily be a problem with the "gripper". One thing you can do is choke down on your grips because they are tapered and thinner further down the shaft. You may be too much in the palms. A good grip is in the fingertips. So experiment with the thinner part of the grip getting it in your fingertips, then the fatter part doing the same, and have your pro look closer at it before regripping the clubs. Also, am curious about what the pro recommended about the fats.

Hmmm... considering the problem I am having is with the grip already being too thin, I don't think gripping down to even thinner is going to be the solution (tried it).

In regards to the palm versus fingers, I usually grip my left hand just like Ben Hogan's five lessons shows, with the club supported by the left index and the heel pad. I also have toyed with gripping completely in the fingers, but the problem still exists. In regards to the fat shots, the pro said I am not letting the club drop enough in time with my turn through the shot. He is of the opinion it is more of a tempo issue. I would agree with him, although the fact that my grip is so insecure right now means I am gripping and regripping with varying pressure throughout the swing (a sure way to loose control of the club and either throw it or drop it too fast - really messes up your timing). I'll get some pic's up tonight. Last night played nine holes. Tee shots with long irons were fantastic, but I couldn't hit anything off the fairways to save my life.

[hamletsdead]

Why don't you skip all the online grip size fitting formulae, and go down to your local golf store and try out some different sized grips to see how they feel? My hands are big, and the online sizing genie said I should have 2 wraps and my grips should be +1/8. So that's what the grips were on my first clubs, and it sort of felt like swinging a baseball bat. Then I tried a friend's clubs with regular grips, and they felt much better, and I was much more accurate with them. After a bit of trial and error, I finally settled on +1/32 tour wrapped grips for my irons, which feel the best to me, but I usually have my wedge grips regular size (58), and I sometimes just leave the original grip on the driver and woods, which feels okay to me. It's really all about feel, rather than any magic formula.

Try re-gripping your 7-iron with the grip you like the best and go hit it a couple days at the range and see how it feels. If you don't like it, re-grip it with something else. If you do like it, re-grip all your clubs with it.

[Trogdor]

I agree with the above poster, go to a local shop, and try some out. The online guides said one thing, but I went with a midsize with one wrap, and it feels perfect.

[chrt396]

I agree with the above poster, go to a local shop, and try some out. The online guides said one thing, but I went with a midsize with one wrap, and it feels perfect.

Why don't you skip all the online grip size fitting formulae, and go down to your local golf store and try out some different sized grips to see how they feel? My hands are big, and the online sizing genie said I should have 2 wraps and my grips should be +1/8. So that's what the grips were on my first clubs, and it sort of felt like swinging a baseball bat. Then I tried a friend's clubs with regular grips, and they felt much better, and I was much more accurate with them. After a bit of trial and error, I finally settled on +1/32 tour wrapped grips for my irons, which feel the best to me, but I usually have my wedge grips regular size (58), and I sometimes just leave the original grip on the driver and woods, which feels okay to me. It's really all about feel, rather than any magic formula.

I agree!! I had the same hand pains. I was going to attribute it to me just getting older...but...it was that the grips were too small. As the above poster said...the grip size can affect your ball flight pattern because of changes in the grip, but I know one thing...the pain that I and apparently you are experiencing was enough for me to change the grips to a midsized Golf Pride velvet and I am extremely happy with the comfort and performance. Your grip will be lighter because you won't have to put the death grip on it to swing the club...therefore..should be better shot. Like previously mentioned..if you want to take a couple clubs and re-grip them and try them out..do so and you'll be glad you did. I just went ahead and re-gripped them and I'm thrilled with the change.

[donkba]

i have the same issue. i have been playing regular sized grips on my clubs, but was told on the titleist fitting day in august that i needed midsize grips. he told me to grip the club, took one look and said midsize, with no measurements or anything. i hit my clubs fine, but at times the club also feels loose during the swing and will switch when i buy my next set of clubs. btw i wear XL glove

[JackieTreehorn]

A question for people playing wrong size grips.

When you hold the club in your left hand in what feels neutral (you be the judge: tension free and back of hand mimicking clubface), does your thumb fall on the right, left, or directly on top of your grip?

I think it is supposed to be slightly right of center for a neutral grip but mine only gets to a tiny bit left of center. I am thinking my grips are too big...or else I need to re-examine my grip.

[rockin johny]

I just purchased new irons and replaced the grips immediately with a mid-size grip. I usually played with standard grips, but upon the advice of the sales associate at eht store, who looked at my grip on a couple of different samples, I put the midsize grips on. Went out and hit today and noticed that all my balls seemed to drift right or play to the right. I usually hit straight or a slight fade, but all the balls were playing right.

Could this be a problem related to the grip being to big? The grip just didn't feel comfortable but that may be because it is such a change from what I was used to. I am thinking of changing back to regular and eating the cost of the two re-grips in a week.

[MikeLowry5]

I have two sets of irons that i have been playing with (Adams A3 and the A4) which have different shafts (A3 has the Adams Lite shaft and the A4 are a heavier, stiffer shaft).

The A3's feel way too light and I hook them alot. The size of the shaft is really thin and I have a hard time not gripping down on them too hard and swinging too hard. The A4's are heavier and have a much thicker shaft which allows me not to grip too hard. The problem with the A4's is I push everything with those. From reading a thicker grip will cause you to fade the ball. Is this the grip (New Decade Golf Prides) or the size of the shaft?