# Switching to midsize grips



## sawtooth (Jun 6, 2013)

I was recommended midsize grips by a Callaway rep yesterday. To me this is a quantum leap going from std grips with 1-2 wraps of tape. 

Before I take the plunge on new irons with all midsize grips I'll feel better if I experiment with my existing irons for a couple of rounds at least.

I do occasionally pull/hook ball left which can be attributed to playing with grips that are too thin for my hands, and my fingers do appear to dig in. That said its got me to where I am now playing that way and its what I'm used to. 

Should I expect a painful learning curve or an overnight improvement when moving to midsize? Have you gone up a grip sizes and how has it worked out for you?

I assume if it works out for the irons that I have to go through the whole bag as well - Driver, fairway woods, putter , etc.


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## BTatHome (Jun 6, 2013)

Not sure it'll be a quantum leap between standard with 2 wraps and mid size (its probably only a difference of one wrap).

Regarding the rest of the bag, it also depends on butt size as to what is required. Not all shafts are equal.


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## sawtooth (Jun 6, 2013)

BTatHome said:



			Not sure it'll be a quantum leap between standard with 2 wraps and mid size (its probably only a difference of one wrap).

Regarding the rest of the bag, it also depends on butt size as to what is required. Not all shafts are equal.
		
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The rep told me that a midsize would be like 8 wraps of tape under a std grip


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## One Planer (Jun 6, 2013)

Tricky one.

Do you have a spare club you could re-grip with a midsize and see how it plays at the course/range?

I know when I went from a standard 0.60 grip to a 0.58 with 2 layers I noticed a difference. Not so much in a shot shape sense but defiatley more comfortable to hold and helped with grip pressure.


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## BTatHome (Jun 6, 2013)

Wow, never heard of anyone saying 8 wraps.

Anyway there are many variables to take into account, putting .580 grips onto .60 butt will make the grip thinner, adding more wraps will also make the gripper thinner too. Many people like moving to mid size as they prefer the grip and the feel, rather than thinning a normal grip. Gamola has a good sizing chart for some of this.


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## sawtooth (Jun 6, 2013)

Gareth said:



			Tricky one.

Do you have a spare club you could re-grip with a midsize and see how it plays at the course/range?

I know when I went from a standard 0.60 grip to a 0.58 with 2 layers I noticed a difference. Not so much in a shot shape sense but defiatley more comfortable to hold and helped with grip pressure.
		
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I'm going to put a midsize grip on a couple of my existing irons, maybe the 6I and PW and see how that works out. Also just ordered a midsize putter grip.

And to BTatHome's point I may just put a couple extra wraps under the grip for the Driver as the butt diameter is bigger on that to start with. Assuming I can fit the grip on top of 3-4 layers of tape!


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## BTatHome (Jun 6, 2013)

Just wondered if you had considered the thickness of the tape your using 

Making tape/grip tape/build up tape, can all be quick different on both thickness and feel when building up.


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## sawtooth (Jun 6, 2013)

BTatHome said:



			Wow, never heard of anyone saying 8 wraps.

Anyway there are many variables to take into account, putting .580 grips onto .60 butt will make the grip thinner, adding more wraps will also make the gripper thinner too. Many people like moving to mid size as they prefer the grip and the feel, rather than thinning a normal grip. Gamola has a good sizing chart for some of this.
		
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Cheers, I ordered the grips from Gamola.

When you say makes the grips thinner, I assume you mean that it makes the actual grip material thinner (like stretching it) but the overall diameter of the butt end of the club will be larger with the extra layers?

I'm hoping that the irons will be a straightforward switch to midsize with 1 layer of tape. And the woods will be a case of trial and error....adding layers of tape until they are comfortable and match the irons.


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## peterlav (Jun 6, 2013)

I'm not technically minded (butt size, tape thickness etc), but I played for over 20 years with standard grips, was custom fitted for irons 18 months ago and recommended mid-size grips, and saw an immediate improvement in feel and ball striking, just wish I had changed sooner


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## SGC001 (Jun 6, 2013)

sawtooth said:



			Cheers, I ordered the grips from Gamola.

When you say makes the grips thinner, I assume you mean that it makes the actual grip material thinner (like stretching it) but the overall diameter of the butt end of the club will be larger with the extra layers?

I'm hoping that the irons will be a straightforward switch to midsize with 1 layer of tape. And the woods will be a case of trial and error....adding layers of tape until they are comfortable and match the irons.
		
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No shaft butts have different sizes .60 and .58. .58 grips (usually coded on inside bottom of grip) are designed to go onto a .58 butt to make a standard size, similarly a .60 grip is designed to go onto .60 butt to make the same standard size. This would mean that the 0.58 marked grip is thicker than a 0.60 marked grip as it is going onto a smaller butt end to make the same size. I think BTatHome may have this the wrong way around.

You can play around with what grip you put on what shaft (your shaft is kind of set) and layers to get different sizes. To go thinner you'd need to stretch the grip on, or if you happened to have a 0.58 shaft butt size you could put a 0.60 grip on it (need to make sure it's securely fitted).

Edit: a link to a page with a chart
http://www.funkdgolf.com/fitting-golf-grips-php/golf-grips-size/


I shoved a midsiize grip on my old driver, it raises total weight and made it about 2 swing weight points lighter, it didn't bother me so I didn't bother with adjusting the swingweight back.


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## BTatHome (Jun 6, 2013)

sawtooth said:



			When you say makes the grips thinner, I assume you mean that it makes the actual grip material thinner (like stretching it) but the overall diameter of the butt end of the club will be larger with the extra layers?
		
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exactly. They will be stretched and hence won't have the same feel as if installed without any wraps, hence why some like to move to mid size instead of adding 3/4 wraps to standard size grips.

Edit. As above stated, I was merely talking about thinner grips in terms of the feel.


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## One Planer (Jun 6, 2013)

BTatHome said:



			Wow, never heard of anyone saying 8 wraps.

Anyway there are many variables to take into account, putting .580 grips onto .60 butt will make the grip thinner, adding more wraps will also make the gripper thinner too. Many people like moving to mid size as they prefer the grip and the feel, rather than thinning a normal grip. Gamola has a good sizing chart for some of this.
		
Click to expand...


Like BT says, make sure you take into account the butt diameter when selecting your grip, however I've  always been under the impression 0.58 grips have more material in their make up than a 0.60 grip.

If the butt diameter of your shaft is 0.600 and you buy a 0.60 grip you will need to add the number of build up layers you require and 1 layer of grip tape (With the grip and one layer being standard).

If you buy 0.58 grips to fit on a 0.600 shaft this has the effect of adding the equivilent of a layer of tape.

Using myself as an example. My irons have 0.600 butt shafts. When I regrip, I  always choose are 0.58 as it requires less faffing with tape (1 extra layer 13 times). 

I need 3 layers of build up tape + 1 layer of grip tape (4 layers total) under a standard 0.60 grip. With me prefering 0.58 grips, I only needed to add 2 layers of tape + my grip tape (3 layers total) as the extra material in the 0.58 grip makes up the difference.


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## SGC001 (Jun 6, 2013)

BTatHome said:



			exactly. They will be stretched and hence won't have the same feel as if installed without any wraps, hence why some like to move to mid size instead of adding 3/4 wraps to standard size grips.

Edit. As above stated, I was merely talking about thinner grips in terms of the feel.
		
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I see what you meant now, originally you're weren't talking about the total size the golfer feels, but the grip itself. Kind of like when an elastic band is stretched over something it (the elastic band) is thinner in itself.


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## sawtooth (Jun 6, 2013)

The current set up on my irons is .580 grip on a .600 shaft

I've ordered a couple of sample golf pride midsize grips - only 1 size option on Gamola .600  

A tad confusing.


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## pbrown7582 (Jun 6, 2013)

ive regripped this year and was borderline on golfpride fitting chart between midsize and standard with +3 went with the+3 option and have found a noticable different, and didnt have any problem getting the grips on over the tape, just use plenty of white spirit


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## sawtooth (Jun 6, 2013)

pbrown7582 said:



			ive regripped this year and was borderline on golfpride fitting chart between midsize and standard with +3 went with the+3 option and have found a noticable different, and didnt have any problem getting the grips on over the tape, just use plenty of white spirit 

Click to expand...

Did you do all the clubs in the bag? Same amount of wraps for the driver?


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## chrisd (Jun 6, 2013)

I've recently had all my grips renewed to mid size and have got used to them pretty quick. The only drawback on the first round or two was the lack of sensation that I felt over the ball of the club head. I soon got used to it and it does seem to keep my hands out of the swing more.


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## JustOne (Jun 8, 2013)

Let us know how you get on with the new grips Sean :thup:


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## Slicer30 (Jun 8, 2013)

A few months ago I went from Standard grips - with 2 wraps to Midsize grips with 1 wrap.

I had used the Lamkin fitting tool originally and it was recommending standard +++, I went to a local pro and he had a few clubs in the shop which had different grips.  Being able to hold a thicker gripped club and compare to mine was very handy.  I too had my fingers digging into my palm, even with the recommended Standard +++.

I went from Golf Pride - Lamkin Crosslines, so if I was to do it again I would go for the same grips.  Its taken longer than I hoped to get use to them and I am still fiddling with my grip at times.


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## SocketRocket (Jun 8, 2013)

I find a simple test with grip size is to see if your ring and middle fingers of your left hand (right hander) just touch the thumb pad.   If they dont reach the grip is too big, if short they are too small.

Another consideration is for people with arthritic finger joints, a larger grip size will relive the pressure on the finger joints.

Larger grips than your hands need tend to hold off the wrist hinge and can create pushes and slices, smaller tend to release too much creating pulls and hooks.


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## Imurg (Jun 8, 2013)

When I got my new irons and driver a few months back I went from standard size to standard +3 wraps.
Other clubs - wedges, fairways etc are still standard.
If I'm brutally honest, I can't really feel any difference.......


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## sawtooth (Jun 9, 2013)

JustOne said:



			Let us know how you get on with the new grips Sean :thup:
		
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Yes will do James.

They came through the post Saturday and I will put on a couple of irons today.  Visiting a customer and playing somewhere in Hull tomorrow late afternoon so will get to test then. I'm playing well at the moment so it will be interesting to see the impact of the midsize grip albeit only on 2 irons and the putter to start with!!

Thanks for the input everybody.


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## virtuocity (Jun 22, 2013)

Sawtooth- any update?


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## Blue in Munich (Jun 23, 2013)

sawtooth said:



			The current set up on my irons is .580 grip on a .600 shaft

I've ordered a couple of sample golf pride midsize grips - only 1 size option on Gamola .600  

A tad confusing.

Click to expand...

If that's your current set up, your grips will be slightly oversize but not a full midsize, so it won't be a huge leap.

8 layers?  I think it's more like five, as, IIRC, Mizuno offer a maximum of 4 layers under grip in their custom programme.

Let us know how you get on, as I'm waiting for my selection to arrive to try.


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## One Planer (Jun 23, 2013)

Blue in Munich said:



*If that's your current set up, your grips will be slightly oversize but not a full midsize*, so it won't be a huge leap.

8 layers?  I think it's more like five, as, IIRC, Mizuno offer a maximum of 4 layers under grip in their custom programme.

Let us know how you get on, as I'm waiting for my selection to arrive to try.
		
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Correct. About 1/16th or 1/32 oversize depending on the grip IIRC.


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## Ethan (Jun 23, 2013)

You know what they say about a man who needs midsize grips ...


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## One Planer (Jun 23, 2013)

Ethan said:



			You know what they say about a man who needs midsize grips ...
		
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He should consider cricket?


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## sawtooth (Jun 23, 2013)

Ethan said:



			You know what they say about a man who needs midsize grips ...
		
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Yeah I was considering Jumbo at first :lol:

Joking aside the experiment with the midsize on just a couple of irons went well so I'll be re-gripping the whole set this week. There is no way I will get a golf pride tour velvet midsize grip on my TM woods so I might have to settle for just adding 2-3 more wraps to the standard TM grip for these.


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## Piece (Jun 24, 2013)

I have slightly non-tapered grips on my bats, meaning there's 1/2 extra layers under the right hand. Prefer it this way, as before the grip felt too thin in my right hand fingers.


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## One Planer (Jun 24, 2013)

Piece said:



			I have slightly non-tapered grips on my bats, meaning there's 1/2 extra layers under the right hand. Prefer it this way, as before the grip felt too thin in my right hand fingers.
		
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Sounds like a Lamkin 3gen kind of grip(?).

I used to have them on my MP32's and the reduced taper was nice :thup:


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## Mozza73 (Jul 1, 2013)

I tried midsize grips for a while  ( Ping website recommends Standard +2 wraps for my hand size) but they didn't seem to benefit me, plus its an absolute pain in the arse having to re-grip everything.


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