2013 Buyer’s Guide Grips

THERE'S ONLY ONE GOOD GOLF GRIP By Dan Martin, PGA

The Fault: Many people believe that there's only one way to grip a golf club, and that the process of gripping the club is unnatural. While it's definitely true that your golf grip will influence your long-term success, there are several styles that are effective in gripping the club–the overlap, the interlock and the baseball grips.

The Fix: Try this natural grip exercise. Simply get yourself into an athletic position and allow your arms to hang in front of you with zero tension. Notice how your palms face inward. Your golf grip is based off this position. From there, move your hands closer to one another so they hold the club naturally. The natural position works with any grip style, be it interlocking, overlapping or baseball. The key, no matter what particular style you use, is for the grip to rest mostly in the fingers with a comfortable grip pressure. Stick with what comes naturally first, then make adjustments if needed.

Grips are officially cool. Once a category that didn't get the credit it deserved, now it seems more golfers are finally paying attention to how important new grips are to their golf games. Again, this year has a slew of new offerings, including a variety of new styles, colors, shapes and materials to choose from.

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

Black Widow Hybrid

Key Feature: The upper portion of the grip features a pebble-like pattern for extra traction, whereas the lower portion of the grip has a wrap-style texture for added feel. Who It's For: Players who want a firm-feeling grip in the upper hand and the softer feeling of a wrap grip in the lower-hand portion.