Change your golf claws for better golf
Putting new grips on your golf clubs can be an inexpensive and effective solution to quickly give you more consistency in your game.
Most amateur golfers never change their club’s grip. They play for years with a set of clubs without ever changing their claws!
They do this so that their clubs feel exactly the same. Chances are they don’t need them to re-cling so often, but in today’s competitions there is so much money at stake that they don’t want to leave anything to chance.
How many times should you re-hold your clubs?
A good general rule is:
Of course, if you practice a lot during the break, you should consider changing your claws even more often. You could easily hit 30 shots with your driver in one range session. In a round of golf you cannot use your driver more than 10 times. Thus, an interval session per week reaching 30 drives, would be equivalent to 3 rounds per week, implying reloading 3 times a year.
You will also find that you have certain clubs that are used a lot more often than others, especially if you only play your course from home most of the time. That’s because you play the course in a certain way – same clubs for the same shots, mostly governed by the duration of the course. Then, after a few months, adhesions in certain clubs become more worn than others.
What happens when a grip is used?
Grips are fundamentally just pieces of rubber to allow us to hold the golf club safely. The adhesions have several types of textured surface to provide more security and a sense of adhesion. As an adhesion is used on and on the surface the rubber starts to use. The natural oils in our hands also start to affect the claws. You will notice this as it will start to look shiny.
Shiny grips are a problem. You have to hold the cue tighter when the grip is shiny so that it doesn’t slip and turn in your hands while you take a swing. You may not even be aware that you are doing this! The problem with holding the club is that it negatively affects the way you hit the ball. Your hands are simply not relaxed, and therefore, because the muscles in your hands and forearms are tense, they will slow down. On the golf swing, relaxed hands are fast hands. You need quick hands to get a good distance.
It is worth checking your golf clubs at least once a month. Compare adhesions across the entire set. If any are starting to use, consider renewing them.
New grips are good. They can almost feel “sticky” compared to the old, worn claws. This can give you a real sense of confidence.
Trust builds success.