How We Researched Golf Grips

Our team is committed to bringing you objective, trustworthy, and fact-based reviews coming  from firsthand experience. Our team of golfers makes every attempt at physically using golf equipment to ensure that our content is drafted from actual experiences.

Our standards for acceptable customer experiences are high because we collectively want to make sure that you have a better chance at having a positive experience. If we find one experience over another to be meaningfully different then we owe it to our readers to share that information and those experiences.

No two golfers are the same. What may work or feel right for one golfer can vary widely based on skill level, abilities, interest, and all of the subjective characteristics of a life playing golf. Please know that we aim to do our best and are also always open to your feedback, questions, or comments about our golf reviews.

For this particular review, I was in need of golf grips for my Titleist T100S irons being fitted at Lenny's Golf Shop in Aurora, Colorado. I previously used golf grips such as Winn grips, Golf Pride, Lamkin, and others on previous sets of irons and the irons available at the fitting had a variety of options as well as options available in the storefront.

While being fit for those irons, I tested out many different grip options including various sizes, grip materials, grip styles, and textures. It was particularly important for me to have durable grip materials, high tackiness, and optimal feel from a reputable brand. There are many important factors and features to consider when buying your golf grip. Let's walk through some of those together.

Important Features to

Consider When Buying Golf Grips

Golf grips are a crucial part of playing golf because every single time you take a golf shot you are placing your hands on it. To use a comparison, the golf grip reminds me of selecting a mattress for your bedroom. A mattress is something you use every night, and so you want it to be very suitable and comfortable for your needs. Golf grips are similar in that you use them every single shot so you should really love them, and they should feel comfortable in your hands.

Golf Grips: Various Types & Materials

• Rubber: Mainly made from synthetic rubber, rubber grips are very common. They are often soft, comfortable, and slightly tacky. Although, you will find a variety of firmness in rubber grips, too. There are a variety of examples of rubber golf grips by brands such as Golf Pride and Lamkin.
• Corded: Corded grips offer a unique feel that some golfers absolutely love combining synthetic rubber and tightly woven cord or cotton threaded. The roughness you feel when gripping a corded grip creates a lot of traction and an enhanced grip feel. We all try to avoid rainy or wet scenarios when playing golf, but these can be a very good option during inclement weather. If you're looking for a firmer feel, corded grips are great options that offer a different feel than rubber.
• Hybrid: Rubber, corded material, synthetic patching, and other materials can be combined to create a hybrid grip. The aim of hybrid golf grips is to combine the best components of rubber and corded materials to produce the maximum quality feel in the hands. For this particular review, the Lamkin Sonar grip combines a variety of materials making it a hybrid golf grip and our selection for the best overall option on the market for irons, woods,  hybrids, and wedges.

How to Choose the Right Golf Grip for You

Any selection of golf equipment comes with an extraordinary amount of subjectivity built into the process and we always encourage our readers to prioritize comfort. In the case of selecting our favorite golf grip, we think a few factors rose to the top:

• Versatility: You want your golf grip to perform in a variety of different environmental conditions. Grips should be reliable on a hot, sunny day as well as a rainy one. We strongly encourage you to select a golf grip that will deliver in any scenario and can be ultra reactive  to wherever you are on the golf course.
• Feel: It has to feel comfortable in your hands. It's important to decide which materials you prefer, feel those materials and let your intuition really take over. Only you know what feels best for your game. Trust the moment you think, "Ya, that's it."
• Firmness: Especially with rubber and hybrid grips, the firmness of the grip can vary pretty widely. Some people like a little padding in their grip so that it feels like they are grasping onto something with softness. Others may prefer a firmer grip that allows more connection with the club face.
• Size: The grip sizes available include Junior, Undersize, Standard, Midsize, and Jumbo. Do yourself a favor and grasp onto a standard sized grip to start and adjust from there. You could also measure from the tip of your middle finger to the crease of your hand or use your golf glove size to determine which golf grip size is best for you. 

Best Golf Grip of the Year

Lamkin Sonar

The Lamkin Sonar grip, for me, is easily the best grip available on the market. I was particularly drawn to the combination of materials, high tackiness, durability, and the overall feel of the grip.

As I swung my way through various sets of irons, a variety of golf grips found their way into my hands: Lamkin, Winn, Golf Pride, and others. The Lamkin Sonar grip stood out as my favorite option. In fact, I noticed better shot consistency with the Lamkin Sonars. Into a golf simulator and later on the golf course, I swung with a higher degree of confidence.

I highly encourage you to take your time and feel several different options like I did because you really start to learn more about your golf grip preferences and the various options available to you.

Among any of the golf grips I personally tried on my journey to find the best options for my very own golf clubs, the Lamkin Sonar golf grip is our Editor's Pick. Let's dive more into why we absolutely loved these.

Diving Into the Sonar Grip and its Unique Features

The Lamkin Sonar combines a set of unique features to offer an experience that seems ever-evolving with Lamkin as a brand. Over the years, I have found that Lamkin technology, such as the Fingerprint and Calibrate technologies, have evolved to the point of creating supremely high feel experiences. The current structures and grip materials of the Lamkin Sonar golf grip creates the sensation that you're gripping with your entire hand onto something hyper-texturized . Personally, I love the textures compared to a standard rubber grip because it offers my golf game a higher feel factor.

Let's explore some of the key features of the grip:

Features of the Lamkin Sonar Grip

• Fingerprint Technology: One of the standout features for me, the Fingerprint Technology, enables golfers to completely feel the club in their hand using texturized surfaces that are meant to rest in your hand comfortably. They deliver! This grip technology uses Lamkin's proprietary blends of ACE and Genesis materials combined with a hyper texturized surface to deliver a feel in the hand that is absolutely incredible. You must feel and see the Fingerprint Technology in person to truly appreciate it as a feature.
• Calibrate® Technology: Lamkin grips come equipped with on-grip reminders of the best ways to place your hands on it. This technology ensures a consistent grip in the hands which also helps to produce a more consistent outcome in your game. You gotta love that!
• Reduced Taper: One of my favorite features of these grips is the reduced taper, meaning that the grip maintains its size for a larger portion of its length. I will hit shots choked down on the golf club during a round, and it's important that the size of the grip I am holding stays consistent. This allows my swing to be executed without needing to consider a different grip position on the club. I like the consistent grip experience this feature offers.
• Micro Texture Surface: Another standout feature for the Planet Divot team is the micro texture surface. Their durable, all-weather tack is unmatched.

I wanted a higher level of durability than my experience with Winn grips, and the Lamkin Sonar grips are the ideal synergy of feel and durability that I found available on the market. 



This photo shows the surface of the grip