Are Oversized Grips Better For Your Game? (Our Expert Instructor's Advice)
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Patrick Corley
- 09/05/2023
The experts here at Tell Me More Golf are excited to walk you through the various grip types and talk about why many players, most notably Bryson DeChambeau, are using oversized grips.
With so many components that go into your golf equipment, do you ever wonder if you have the right grip size?
When you get your clubs regripped, do you grab a few grips from the rack, find one that feels good, and leave your golf clubs with the fitter? Keep reading if either of these sounds familiar because Tell Me More Golf is going to talk about oversized/larger grips vs midsize, and standard grips.
Benefits Over Regular Golf Grips
In my professional opinion, higher handicap golfers do not put enough emphasis on grip selection. It is the only direct connection between the golfer and the club. The right size grip makes the golf club feel so much more natural than the wrong size grip. The perfect grip for you helps you create the ideal grip pressure and gives you greater clubface control.
For a long time, many golfers believed that larger grips could lead to a slice because they thought it affected your wrist action and did not allow for a proper release. Therefore, most people would just choose the standard size grips. Grip technology, especially in the big names like Golf Pride and Lamkin, is now proving that grip size is not just based on hand size or shot shape. Instead, it should be carefully considered in the same way you would look for the right shaft or clubhead.
As golf has grown and technology continues to get better, grip companies are now able to offer more tailored options. It was not long ago that there were really only three options in golf grips; standard, midsize, and jumbo grips (part of the oversize category). There are three main benefits to oversized grips versus regular golf grips that should be noted when determining which grip is best for you.
1) Oversized grips help reduce the hand and wrist action in the golf swing. If you struggle with consistency, and you feel like your hands are very active in the golf swing, oversized grips could help. Because they minimize hand action through the shot, you use more of the larger muscles in your body which creates more stability.
2) Grip pressure is so important. If you hold the club too tight, it is difficult to release the club properly. Oversized grips force you to reduce the pressure in your hands. As so many golfers are slicers, lighter grip pressure that comes with large grips could help you straighten out that banana ball.
3) When I was preparing to go to Q-school a few years back, I broke two fingers at the gym. While I did not make it to Q-school, a valuable lesson was learned. Once my hands healed, I tried a very soft jumbo grip on many of my clubs to limit the pain. So, if you have joint pain, arthritis or the like, larger grips could bring you pain relief.
Different grip sizes are becoming more of a mainstay on the PGA Tour. The right size golf grips help the best players in the world stay more consistent on the golf course. Tour players are typically trying to minimize wrist movement both in their full swings and putting stroke. Jordan Speith made famous the superstroke oversized putter grip as one of the tour’s best putters. Now, you can see dozens of his fellow tour players have followed his lead.
Finding Your Grip Size
There are a few different processes for finding the right grip size including using your golf glove as a guide. Your glove size often correlates to grip size in that those with larger hands would need bigger grips and vice versa. While large hands vs small hands can be effective, there is one method that is more accurate than others. Take your left hand and measure the distance between the top of your middle finger to the base of your palm. Below are the corresponding grip sizes for the different measurements:
- Less than 7 inches – undersize or junior grip
- 7 -8 3/4 inches – standard golf grip
- 8 1/4 – 9 1/4 inches – midsize grip
Greater than 9 1/4 inches – oversized grip
Why Oversize Golf Grips Improve Your Game
Oversize grips can help improve several aspects of your game. Tour players like Bubba Watson use oversized grips to calm overactive hands. In fact, Bubba uses oversized grips with additional layers of tape to make them even larger. With such big grips, he is able to control his golf ball without having to change his swing, and he is able to hit some of the most impressive golf shots on tour.
Large grips can help you hit more fairways. With your driver and fairway woods, a thicker grip can reduce mis-hits and help you catch the sweet spot more often. Hitting the center of the clubface is vital and bigger grips might just provide the control you are looking for.
We all get nervous at times on the golf course. Whether we are playing a $5 Nassau with our buddies or trying to win our club championship flight, oversized grips can help reduce anxiety over a shot in much the same way they reduce grip pressure.
An often overlooked benefit of larger grips is the benefit of the added weight that they bring. This does two things: 1) counterbalances the weight of the clubhead, and 2) makes the club feel lighter. Both of these benefits help produce more consistent golf shots.
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Oversize Golf Grips Pros And Cons
Oversized grips certainly bring a host of benefits, but it is important to know that there are not for every golfer. As we lay out the pros and cons, consider which may positively affect your game.
Pros:
- Reduced grip pressure
- Less wrist action
- Increased launch angle
- Comfort and reduce hand and arm pain
Cons:
- Not good for players with small hands
- Can cause players to push the ball due to lack of proper hand rotation
- Less feel with the club
- Increase the total club weight
Jumbo Max Grips
Some of the best players in the world use JumboMax Golf Grips. Most notably, Bryson DeChambeau burst onto the scene with a unique player profile. All of his irons and wedges are the same length and his grips are quite large (and some even have additional wraps of tape) to suit his feel. While at first this was unusual, the science behind it makes sense.
With one length on his irons and big grips, he is able to control and swing the golf club with the same motion and create a very consistent strike. Now that he has developed a great deal of muscle mass, his clubs are even more of an asset to his game. Many golfers are moving to the larger grips to putt with only and many are starting to experiment with different sized grips. This is all part of the amazing evolution of the game of golf!
Frequently Asked Questions: Holding a Club
Do any pros use oversize grips?
Yes, many pros use oversized grips. Most notably is Bryson DeChambeau. He has a unique swing and set of clubs. With the strength he has added over the past 12-18 months, it only makes sense that he would want to develop a set that allows him to use his bigger muscles for stability.
Other players on tour use bigger grips in their wedges only. I have taken this approach and have seen immediate results. With my wedges, I can now focus more on my shoulder turn instead of trying to keep my hands quiet.
Why do oversize golf grips improve?
The improvement that you will see with oversized golf grips will be individual to you. I recommend experimenting with a club that you may not use quite as much like a hybrid or mid-long iron. With these longer clubs, see how you feel as you move through impact and if you like the feeling of less hand and wrist action.
Who should use oversized golf grips?
Golfers struggling with consistent strikes and wide dispersions should consider moving to oversized golf grips. Try a few clubs that you are struggling with. In addition, anyone with pain that radiates through your hands persistently should consider larger grips. Personally, I am a fan of Lamkin and Jumbo Max Golf Grips. Both provide great options for a large cross section of golfers.
What happens if your golf grips are too big?
If your grips are too big, you will begin to lose feel in your shots. This could cause more mis-hits because you are unable to properly feel the club through the shot. Dispersion could become a problem as a result of regular off center strikes. Especially with a driver, a player can tend to pus the ball due to not enough rotation in the wrists.
Conclusion: Research by TellMeMoreGolf.com
At Tell Me More Golf, we love providing our readers with experience-based advice on all things golf. Your equipment is an extension of you on the golf course and your grips are the direct connection between you and the club.
Oversized grips can provide a new level of control if you find the right size and feel. Take it from me as I have learned first hand the benefits of larger grips and the positive correlation to greater consistency. I recommend starting with larger grips in your wedges and a club like a fairway or hybrid to see how it feels in both the long and short shots.
If you see positive results with these, you are likely to see positive results with the rest of your clubs. Reach out to the team anytime for further guidance. Let our passion and obsession drive your results.
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