Why are golf clubs gripped the way they are, and not with a tape like in tennis, hockey, cycling etc?

[sjw]

Question in title

 

[Doon frae Troon]

They used to be up until the 1960's.
I have rolled on many a leather or Whitcombe grip in my youth.
God I'm old.

 

[Anoetic]

My first club had a tape grip….
an old 5 iron chosen out of an old elephants foot umbrella stand outside a antique shop…..

 

[IanM]

Read Harvey Pennick's words about the advent of rubber grips. Absolute delight that it made the job of changing them, much easier. (And cheaper)

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Read Harvey Pennick's words about the advent of rubber grips. Absolute delight that it made the job of changing them, much easier. (And cheaper)

The Whitcombe grip was a wound rubber grip.
I would imagine they were a thing pre WW2

Bamford......finally remembered the top leather grip in the 50/60's.

 

[IanM]

Will have to dig out the book to see when HP was talking about, must have been pre War.

 

[Voyager EMH]

OK this is 50 minutes so set aside some time tomorrow, maybe.

Everything you might ever want to know about leather golf grips.

 

[jim8flog]

Primarily most grips have different textures and surface patterns which are designed to work with a given part of the hand and this cannot be achieved with a wind on grip.

Watch how many times pros rewrap tennis racket grips and you will get a good idea of how much they move and loosen.

Leather grips are probably good for climates that do not get much rain but would become slippery in the wet.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Sweat most likely. Much more in the other sports and so need a different grip.

 

[Crow]

Here are some very attractive 1930s wound leather grips.




And this 1960s set have some of the best condition original wound leather grips I've seen.

 

[JSims]

Primarily most grips have different textures and surface patterns which are designed to work with a given part of the hand and this cannot be achieved with a wind on grip.

Watch how many times pros rewrap tennis racket grips and you will get a good idea of how much they move and loosen.

Leather grips are probably good for climates that do not get much rain but would become slippery in the wet.

Most of the logic in this post is simply wrong! It's simply been case of using the best material available at the time!
Golf clubs and cricket bats were wrapped with leather strips originally, as that was the only material available then - just as balls were originally leather and filled with feathers! Once rubber became available, it all changed and there have been further changes since. Tennis grips are still wrapped, sometimes with leather but more commonly these days with synthetic material. Many folk then use Tourna Grip as an over-wrap as it both absorbs sweat and provides a better grip. I can remember using towelling grips decades ago too. I can't remember seeing a Pro rewrap a racket during a match in any tournament I've watched - they simply use a different one of the half dozen they have, as the string tension has probably changed too!
Rubber replaced leather for Cricket grips decades ago too.

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Sweat most likely. Much more in the other sports and so need a different grip.

Leather grips you would clean with meths then rub in castor oil. Brought them up a treat.
Do not rub in margerine.....as I did once to a rival's grip before a 'friendly' game.
Also do not put half a brick into the bottom of his carry bag.
Ahhh those were the days.

 

[Voyager EMH]

Ah, I need to know more.
How do you apply the meths. Is it wiping with meths-soaked cotton wool balls?
And how is the castor oil applied?

 

[IanM]

Leather grips you would clean with meths then rub in castor oil. Brought them up a treat.
Do not rub in margerine.....as I did once to a rival's grip before a 'friendly' game.
Also do not put half a brick into the bottom of his carry bag.
Ahhh those were the days.

Slightly OT, but I remember on guy who always left his carry bag (against regulations) in the lounge of the dormy House at Burnham & Berrow.

The following morning, half way down the first fairway, he noticed his bag was heavy.

He then removed an old dial phone and two telephone directories!!

 

[Doon frae Troon]

Ah, I need to know more.
How do you apply the meths. Is it wiping with meths-soaked cotton wool balls?
And how is the castor oil applied?

1] Take a swig of meths then blow it on the grips/ or apply with a cotton cloth.
2] Allow to dry [10 mins]
3] Put a smallish bead of castor oil in the palm of your hand, smear it on the grip and then with both hands firmly rub into grip/ add more oil if you think it is needed.
4] Allow to dry for about a couple of hours.