Alright, let’s talk about something I tinkered with recently – changing my golf grips. Specifically, I moved over to the Golf Pride midsize ones.
Why the Change?
So, my old grips were basically done. They were getting slick, worn down in spots. Felt like I was losing my hold on the club sometimes, especially if my hands got a little sweaty. Plus, I’ve always felt my hands were maybe a bit large for the standard grips. Felt like I had to really clamp down, you know? My knuckles would turn white. Heard some guys talking about midsize grips helping with that, letting you ease up on the death grip. Figured it was worth a shot.
Choosing and Getting the Grips
I looked around a bit. Lots of options out there. But Golf Pride seems to be everywhere, and lots of folks swear by them. They have a solid reputation, felt like a safe bet. Decided to go for their midsize option. Didn’t overthink the specific model too much, just wanted that slightly thicker feel. Ordered a full set online, they showed up at my door a few days later. Simple enough.
The Re-gripping Part
Now, the fun part. I thought about just taking them to the shop, but where’s the adventure in that? Decided to do it myself. Bought a basic re-gripping kit online – came with the tape, solvent, and a rubber clamp thing to hold the shaft in a vise. Here’s roughly how it went:
- First, getting the old grips off. Used a hook blade, took some careful cutting and peeling. Made a bit of a mess with rubber bits everywhere.
- Then, scraping off all the old, crusty tape residue from the shafts. That took some real elbow grease on a couple of them.
- Applied the new double-sided tape strips carefully down each shaft. Tried to get it nice and smooth.
- Poured a good splash of the solvent into the new Golf Pride grip, plugged the little hole at the end with my finger, and shook it up to coat the inside. Poured the extra over the taped shaft.
- This next bit has to be quick: slid the grip over the end of the shaft. Had to give it a good, firm push to get it all the way down before the solvent evaporated and it got stuck. Tried my best to line up the logo straight.
- Repeated this whole process for all my irons and woods. It definitely took a good chunk of my afternoon.
Once they were all on, I stood them upside down against a wall and left them to dry properly overnight. Didn’t want them slipping around on my first swing.
First Impressions and Playing
Next day, I picked up the clubs. They definitely felt different. Noticeably thicker in my hands. Felt like my hands could wrap around them more naturally, without having to squeeze so tight. It felt… comfortable. Secure, even.
Took them out to the driving range first chance I got. The first few swings felt a little unfamiliar, just adjusting to the new sensation. But after maybe a dozen balls, it started to feel really good. I could consciously feel myself relaxing my grip pressure. Less tension in my hands and forearms, for sure.
Did it magically fix my slice or add 20 yards? Probably not overnight! But the comfort factor was huge. I felt like I had better control simply because I wasn’t strangling the club anymore. Maybe the shots were a little more consistent? Hard to say for sure, could just be feeling good about the change. But the main thing was the comfort and feeling less tense during the swing.
Final Thoughts
So, yeah. Made the switch to Golf Pride midsize grips. Doing it myself was a satisfying little project, even if it was a bit fiddly. The main takeaway is they just feel way better for my hand size. Much more comfortable, and it genuinely seems to help me keep my grip pressure lighter. I’m happy I made the change. Think I’ll be sticking with these midsize grips for the foreseeable future. Worth considering if you feel like standard grips are just a bit too small.
