Marking up your grip

[LIG]

Is there any reason why you can't mark little circles on the butt end of your grip?

Question arose on the second tee as we waited with the group in front while some idiot up ahead took ages..... and many, many shots ..... to get out of trouble.

One guy in the group if front had put a series of rubber bands around the butt of each iron and his mate said "You can't do that! It's against the rules."

I think he had done this to mark off a specific length from the butt of his clubs but I didn't believe he was altering the "plain" shape of the grip itself - he was gripping just below this rubber band.

Anyway, I wasn't sure what the correct "ruling" should have been so suggested they use a rule book while we waited. They didn't have one and to my surprise my copy had been "borrowed" last week so no immediate answer!

Didn't see them in the bar afterwards, so thought I'd ask on here for the rules experts to enlighten us (mainly me! ).

 

[Colin L]

There would be no problem if he simply painted a white mark or similar on his grips to help him place his hands but to my mind by putting rubber bands on the grip he is making it non-conforming. He has changed the plain and straight form of the grip. That he is not actually gripping on top of the rubber band doesn't change the fact that he has altered the "grip" which is defined as the portion of the shaft designed to be held by the player, not just the bit that an individual player happens to be holding.

All the player in question needs to do is to take the rubber bands off and get the white paint out to mark the place on his grip.

Duncan is more au fait with this aspect of the rules, but I think he will concur.

 

[duncan mackie]

I concur - assuming all these markings are made prior to playing of course.

 

[LIG]

CL & DM - Thanks for that.

I'd thought it was quite a nifty way of measuring off where to hold the club, especially as I've got standard length clubs but would probably find the centre of the face more often if I lopped off an inch or so!

So Tipp-Ex it is then!

 

[duncan mackie]

CL & DM - Thanks for that.

I'd thought it was quite a nifty way of measuring off where to hold the club, especially as I've got standard length clubs but would probably find the centre of the face more often if I lopped off an inch or so!

So Tipp-Ex it is then!

you could also consider a turn of coloured insulating tape, which would also be easier to remove at some point in the future. The point being it shouldn't change the physical form of the grip at all - you can get some nice colours!