Are Callaway grips generally a bit thin?

[Jay Gee]

Hi all. I'm just getting back into golf and bought some new Callaway Diablo Edge irons. The grips feel a bit on the thin side for my hands and my coach agreed and said that Callaway irons tend to come with slightly thinner grips. Has anyone else heard this?

As it happens, American Golf have their Tour Bus visiting locally and I've booked a session partly to look at the grip fit. Assuming I do need a thicker grip, would I be better off getting another layer of tape under my existing grips, which are as new or get some new grips fitted? The Tour Bus will fit any grips I buy FOC or the store I bought the clubs from will add a layer of tape for a small fee so there wouldn't be much difference in cost.

If the recommendation is for new grips, as a beginner would it be worth paying extra for something like Golf Pride VDR grips over Tour Velvet grips? I only mention these in particular because they seem to be popular. I'll be looking at playing/practising once or twice a week at most, if that makes any difference.

I've read some info on grip sizing and the effect it has on ball flight, but my shots aren't consistent enough yet for this to be a clear indicator although my well struck shots do tend to have a bit of draw on them. I don't have massive hands either, but I do use large gloves.

I would appreciate any advice. Thanks, John

 

[palindromicbob]

I certainly find them to be marginally thinner than grips I have on other clubs. personally wear an ML glove. Not sure about the reminder ridge on them either but I do like the design on them for grip setup. Planning on getting the same grips across the bag as soon as I can afford it espeacially now some my wedge grips are becoming damaged at the bottom. Looking at possibly GP Multicompunds.

 

[thecraw]

I think in general all manufacturers "off the shelf" bats are a bit thin as they tend to only use one roll of tape for speed and cost purposes. The grips on my Adams hybrids were horrendously thin.

 

[StrangelyBrown]

I've just got my JPX800 hybrid back from the menders after the shaft snapped. The standard M-31 grip is much skinnier than any of the other grips that I have. So much so that I think I'm going to have to get the pro to blow the grip off and put a couple of layers of tape under it.

 

[Doh]

I'd wait until you get your grip size measured before making a decision whether you need more tape or different grips. It can make a big difference so you want to get it right first time.

 

[Jay Gee]

Thanks for the replies. So it's more about how the grips are fitted than the grip size itself? Having measured my hands, I'm bordering on a midsize grip. My wrist to fingertip is 8.25" and finger 3.75" - I'll see what they say at the fitting.

Assuming I only need a standard grip with extra tape, are the standard Callaway grips just as good as Golf Pride Tour Velvets?

 

[Imurg]

I've used a range of grips down the years and to be honest I've never felt that Callaway's are any thinner than anything else.
They tend to use Golf Pride Velvets or a branded version of them which are pretty standard across most ranges. I would guess practically all "stock" clubs - as Craw says - will come with one layer of tape as that's "stock"!

 

[Ethan]

To identify the right grip size, put on a glove if you wear one and hold a club at the butt end as you would do for a shot. The fingers of your hand should barely touch the heel of your thumb. If they are pressing rather than barely touching, you need a larger grip.

Part 2 is best done with a pro. If you tend to hook because you get handsy, a thicker grip may reduce this, even if the grip you have is right based on static testing.

There is a recent trend to add extra wraps to the right hand, i.e further down the grip, to even up grip thickness between the hands. Likewise, this may help slow hand action.

Finally, don't forget the choice between round and ribbed (reminder) grips. Some clubs come with reminder grips as standard, most Mizunos, many Callaways and others. Some people like them (I do), some don't. Your choice, but just be aware of the option.

 

[Jay Gee]

I guess this highlights the benefits of clubfitting in general, but I didn't want to get my clubs checked until I'd had a couple of lessons and some range time.

When I was trying clubs out I hit a strike board a few times with some tape on the bottom of the club and the result was different every time. There's probably an argument for not buying clubs until you learn how to swing a club, but I figured I couldn't go wrong with an entry level set of SGI irons.

Looking forward to my 1st round on Sunday week. It's probably been 20 - 25 years since I played 18.

 

[Jay Gee]

Thanks for the input everyone. Yes Ethan, I noticed that my standard grips are a reminder type, but only after I'd started looking into grips, if I'm honest. I also read about some people putting extra tape under the right hand and this might help me out as I found that my finger joints in my right hand can get a bit sore. Not sure if this is due to the whole grip being too thin though.

 

[JPH]

Only had a couple of Callaway woods , now given to a friend but yeah I thought the grips were a little on the thin side

 

[GreiginFife]

Got to agree with thecraw, off the shelf tend to be thin. Mizuno use the M-21 (now M-31) in most cases and these are horribly thin IMO.
This is why I tend to use GP Multi Compounds as they are a bit more substantial.

 

[Jay Gee]

Got to agree with thecraw, off the shelf tend to be thin. Mizuno use the M-21 (now M-31) in most cases and these are horribly thin IMO.
This is why I tend to use GP Multi Compounds as they are a bit more substantial.

Interestingly, my driver comes with a callaway branded GP New Decade Multi Compound grip, but that's exactly the same thickness as the grips were on my irons. Anyway, went to the American Golf Tour Bus on Thursday and they advised thickening my old grips rather than fitting new midsize grips. I'm not sure this was the best option for me as they still feel a little thin, but I'll see how I get on with them.

I appreciate they were trying to save me money and they said it would be shame for the old grips to go to waste if we went for midsize grips instead. I must say I found it refreshing that they went for the cheaper (free) option. Great customer service from AG.

I also found that the A-Flex shaft in my driver is too soft for me and that I need to work on my swing a lot more before I even think about putting a driver in my hands

Lastly, I hit some balls with a Nike Covert iron and was hugely impressed. Though I don't need to change from my Diablo Edges at this stage, I would certainly consider the Covert irons down the line once my game improves. The Covert irons really added distance and accuracy. That was with a 6 iron, which I normally struggle to hit well. I'm fine up to a 7 iron, but after that I don't tend to gain much distance and my control drops significantly. I know it's just my swing and I am taking lessons, but all things being equal as the are, the Covert outperformed my Diablos.