2012 Buyer's Guide Grips

Your hands only touch one thing on the club. Make sure your grips are right for you.

By The Editors

CLAP YOUR HANDS
By Zachary Allen, PGA

One of my favorite drills for perfecting the impact position is to do what I call the "clap your hands" drill. What this drill does is help you get a sense of what it means to stack your left side at impact and make solid contact into the golf ball.

To get started, address the ball as you normally would, only don't use a club this time. From here, go ahead and simulate a big backswing, but when you do it, keep your left arm in the same position from start to finish, which ought to be pointing at the golf ball.

Finish the simulated backswing, then on the forwardswing, let your right arm come down and through and actually clap your left hand. When this happens, your body should be situ-ated just as mine is in the photo, with your left arm stacked over your left leg, the hips open and the shoulders square to the target.

If you practice this drill often enough, you'll not only ingrain the proper impact sensation, but also prevent your shoulders from spinning out of position and taking your eyes off the strike with the ball.

What's the most overlooked component of your clubs? Easy: the grips. It shouldn't be, since the grip is the only connection you make with the club, so making sure you have the right grips for your clubs is even more important. This year, pay attention to not only the new colors and styles, but also the types of grips, textures, compounds and thicknesses available.

(Prices for grips vary. See your local golf shop for pricing information.)

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Black Widow Signature II Key Feature: The BW Signature II uses Web Traction Technology that delivers exceptional gripping power, not to mention it's one of the coolest-looking grips you can buy, in our opinion at least. Who It's For: Golfers who want an aggressive pattern than wicks away water and perspiration. Material: Proprietary compound Design: Round, ribbed Size: Standard bwgrips.com	Black Widow Widow Maker Key Feature: The dual-compound Widow Maker is two grips in one. The lower half is like the Tour Silk Grip (not shown), and the upper half is corded for more gripping traction in the upper hand. Who It's For: Players who want added traction in the gloved hand (where it's most important), but also want a softer feeling in the ungloved hand. Material: Dual-compound Design: Semi-corded Size: Standard bwgrips.com	Feeltec Feeltec Key Feature: The new Feeltec grip has a multilayer, seemless design that promises a comfortable feel, added durability and weather resistance. Who It's For: Folks who want to try a new grip that we thought was incredibly tacky and great for absorbing shock on off-center hits. Material: Proprietary multilayer compounds Design: Seamless Size: Standard feeltecgrips.com