Over 80% of players do not regrip their clubs every year. So, should we be changing our golf grips more often and would new grips give us a boost in performance?
What causes golf grips to wear out?
We all know using our grips will wear them out over time, but heat, cold, sweat, and dirt can all make this happen much quicker than we expect. Another massive thing that affects wear is UV and sunlight. The more your grips are out in the sun, the quicker they will start to wear away.
What type of grip you use will also affect how quickly it wears. Corded grips do tend to last slightly longer than rubber or synthetic alternatives. If you are old school and prefer a leather grip, these are likely to wear out the quickest.
How much do worn golf grips affect performance?
Golf Pride wanted to know just how much using worn grips affected golfers’ performance. To find out, they got a test group of golfers, aged 24-40, with handicaps below five to take part in a study.
All participants used an identical set of three standard-length (37”) Titleist-fitted irons with Project X shafts and a singular MB-fitted iron head. Each shaft had a different Golf Pride Tour Velvet standard-size grip fitted – one new grip, and two exposed to ultraviolet (UVA/B) light.
The two UVA/B exposed grips (UV1 and UV2) were placed in a QLab QUV Accelerated Weather Tester chamber for eight hours and 24 hours, respectively. Tests were conducted in the Fitting Studio at Golf Pride headquarters in Pinehurst, USA. Participants hit ten shots with each grip into a simulator on an artificial turf surface, and a TrackMan 4 launch monitor was used to collect the performance data.
So what were the results?
