Best Golf Grips for No Gloves

We may earn commissions for purchases made through links on our site. Learn more on our about us page.

When it comes to the golf club, there are going to be certain aspects the player needs to think of on every swing to ensure a clean impact and desirable results.

To assure peace of mind, along with an addition to the comfort and confidence levels of the player, especially in knowing the club is secure within one’s own grip, golfers rely on a good pair of gloves.

For those that go without wearing gloves, this same confidence can be found in a quality grip, which will be what we cover in this article.

Are Rubber Grips a Good Option?

More styles and types of golf club grips are on the market than ever before. As the industry grows and smaller specialized companies begin to innovate and change the game, we find solutions to every stroke problem’s golfer’s face when out on the course.

With that context in place, the Golf Pride z-grips has been touted as one of the best grips on the market for those pulling a Fred Couples.

These will be made with a rubber compound from the manufacturers at Hireko Golf company, and it was designed to provide a nice stiff hold but with a tacky, not slippery texture to help keep the fingers and hand in place on every stroke.

 

Which Other Grips Can You Use?

There will be many different kinds of techniques that can be used to ensure a firm grip on the golf club. Wearing a glove or having a custom grip are two of the more popular ways to make this a reality.

The next will be to listen to creativity and ingenuity. Even the legendary Fred Couples was said to have used Super Glue on his fingers in order to keep playing with gloves.

One out-of-the-box suggestion would be to take a page out of the Hockey book, and they use a grip tap which is similar to electrical tape but with a rough and sticky surface.

 

How Do You Avoid Blisters?

The many purposes of wearing a glove are to protect the fingers and palm from blistering and other injuries.

However, as we are talking about playing without gloves, it will be important to be aware of the friction’s effect on your hands, possibly using finesse strokes and play will help keep the abrasion levels down.

Otherwise, the key will be to use grip tapes or rubber shaft grips that eliminate the higher friction levels and therefore help a player avoid blistering. The most commonly given piece of advice will be to not grip the club so tight.

The pressure from over-gripping will more likely lead to blistering than with a firm but comfortable grip.

 

Tips and Tricks for a Better Grip Without Gloves

As mentioned before, getting a grip takes creativity and ingenuity from the player, including the super glue idea used by Fred Couples.

To start, consider regripping your clubs to a more glove-free friendly compound. Rubber is the most popular, but keep in mind there are new products coming out with innovative new polymers and grip types to fill a need.

There are also solutions like grip tape. As mentioned above, there are certain athletic grip tapes that will provide a golfer with the benefits of reduced slippage and a sense of control, even without the use of a glove.

 

Common Mistakes You Need to Avoid:

 

• Overswinging – This will cause friction from powerful and aggressive movements but also increases the risk of sending the golf club flying.
• Gripping the club too tightly – Similar to overswinging, gripping the club too tightly will add pressure to an already heated friction motion, which can only lead to the creation of a blister.
• Shying away from tape – This may be more regulated in tournament play, but when playing a casual round on an off day, consider using tape to provide additional grip on the club.
• Rushing your play – The bane to every golf grip is a sweaty palm, which can lead to slippage to the point of the club coming free from the hand. Slow down, reducing the burden on the body, and prevent as much sweating as possible by taking it easy and staying cool.

 

Final Thoughts on Best Golf Grips for No Gloves

Playing golf without gloves will ultimately lead to the need for gripping solutions. If you are just starting out, consider wearing at least one glove on the offhand. This will be the most effective way of preventing any blistering or other injury to a player’s hands.

Otherwise, as the market evolves and new products find their way onto the shelves, continue to look at what solutions the manufacturers are coming up with. There might be something out there better than the current rubber grips being touted as the best on the market.

Leave a comment