Submitted by:
Greg Miller
Pomperaug Golf Club
Southbury, CT

Q:   When changing grips many of the aftermarket grips are much heavier then the original manufacturer's grips. Since every four ounces equals a swing weight change, when I have a player who needs an oversize grip that may change the swing weight 4 points, what is the best/easiest method to add the weight back to the club head without adding lead tape to the club head and adding too much weight to the overall weight of the club? And lastly, if the difference in grips is only 3-4 grams is it worth looking at the swing weight at all.

A:   Each 4 grams of weight at the butt end of the club will decrease the swing weight 1 point. However, since weight of the grip is distributed along its entire length and not concentrated at the very butt end, it takes between 5 & 6 grams of change to decrease the swing weight 1 point. Adding weight back to the club head to regain the original swing weight is not recommended. As you point out, that will change the overall weight. In most cases, higher total weights are not desirable.

What really matters here is how will the club feel when the grip change is made. Aside from the change in size/surface/texture and how that will affect what is transmitted to the golfers hands through the grip, there usually isn't much change. Regardless of the grip weight, there is still a certain mass of club head on the end of a certain length shaft. In most cases, it is not necessary or recommended to "fool" the swing weight scale by adding weight to the club head when installing heavier grips. Certain extreme cases may change the feel, but those cases would also require the greatest amount of weight to be added to the club head to achieve the original swing weight. Again, not desirable. Another point to consider is that grip weight changes don't change shaft flexibility, but head weight changes do. Certainly, shaft flexibility changes would affect feel.

It really doesn't matter how the oversize grip is created, build-up tape or heavier, bigger grips, the key is that the golfer has the grip that "feels" the best to them and fits them correctly. The benefits of a properly fit grip selection by the golfer will far outweigh any slight changes in swing weight.

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