Should You Have the Same Grips on All Your Golf Clubs? Size Matters!

Over the decades I’ve played golf I’ve talked endlessly with other golfers about everything except grips — drivers, shafts, wedges, putters, spin rates — and then one day I looked down my bag and realised I’d accidentally built a “grip Frankenstein”.

Different models, different textures, and even different grip sizes depending on when I’d bought each club over the years.

Given the grip is the only part of the club we actually touch that doesn’t make a lot of sense and make me look closely at the question of whether you should have the same grips on all every club.

And while there’s no evidence that having the same grips on all golf clubs gives an advantage to golfers the majority of players use one grip model to give a consistent feel. But other good golfers, including Tour pros, prefer varying combinations of grips across different clubs.

What is non-negotiable though is this; grip size is the priority.

If the size is wrong, it can encourage too much hand action or restrict it – and either way that can lead to poor shots and dropped strokes.

Most amateurs build their golf sets over time and before they know it will likely end up with a mixture of different club brands and types making up their 14 club set.

By the time that has happened however a lot of them will not have even thought about whether their mixed set contains lots of different types of grips.

So in this guide we break down what ‘same grips’ really means, focus hard on whether they should all be the same – or just the same size – and give you a practical way to decide what’s best for your set makeup!

Golfing Focused Takeaways For Time Pressed Golfers

• Grip size matters most. Get the right size first (hand/glove as a starting point), then fine-tune with tape wraps if needed.
• Same grips everywhere isn’t a rule. Most golfers benefit from one consistent model, but mixing can work when it’s intentional.
• Cord vs non-cord is a feel/conditions decision. Cord adds traction in sweat/rain; non-cord often gives better comfort and greenside feel.
• Pros show “consistency with customisation.” Tour players largely stick with proven grip families (Golf Pride dominates), but some so vary texture and models across different clubs.
• Don’t let your set drift by accident. If your bag has a random mix of grips that’s a cue to confirm that it’s by design rather than by accident.
• Change grips before they cost you shots. If they’re shiny, slick, cracking, or twisting, regrip—grips are one of the cheapest performance fixes.

What Does “Same Grips” Actually Mean?

When golfers start things about whether they should have the same grips on all clubs it helps to clarify what ‘same’ means.

One of the common misconceptions about grips is that there is not that much to them and that is why they don’t deserve that much attention.

But advances in golf tech in recent decades have not escaped the golf grip and here are the specs that we now need to take account of when determining if they are ‘the same’:

• Size – 4 basic sizes are undersize / standard / midsize / jumbo) — and remember you can fine-tune size with build-up tape between the shaft and grip, so two “standard” grips may not actually be the same in-hand.
• Texture/material – ‘smooth’ rubber vs ‘coarse’ half-cord vs full cord — mainly a traction/comfort choice, especially in heat/rain.
• Firmness – softer/tackier vs firmer — provide different options according to how hard different players like to squeeze the club to feel confident.
• Shape/Alignment – round vs ribbed vs reminder ridge like ALIGN — which can help repeat hand placement on every swing.
• Taper profile (e.g. “reduced taper” styles) — some grips are designed to change how the lower hand feels on the club.
• Weight — heavier/lighter grips can subtly change swingweight and feel, especially if you only change a couple of clubs.

Lamkin, one of the main golf grip manufacturers, estimates that an incorrectly chosen grip can cost a player 3-4 strokes every round.

Now while we’re always healthily sceptical of golf companies citing stats that relate directly to the product they are selling it surely makes sense that as we don’t all have the same size of hands, or apply exactly the same pressure when gripping the club, different grips may work better for different golfers.

Choosing the right grip matters and grip size matters most of all.

So if you’re going to “match” anything when it comes to grips, match what affects your control most.

“It’s amazing how many mechanical problems stem from a player using a golf grip that’s either too small or too large”

Stephen Hutton,PGA Professional

Grip Size Is the Variable That Matters the Most

If you “standardise” only one thing across your grips, make it grip size.

Grip size changes how your hands work, how consistent you deliver the face and therefore affect the shape and consistency of your shots.

• Too small and many golfers get over-active hands/wrists as they strain to hold onto the club with tense forearms leading to more pulls and hooks as a result of releasing the club head too early.
• Too big and the opposite is more likely to happen. With your hands/wrists slowing down as you struggle to square the face through impact you can lose club head speed and distance as well as pushing or slicing the ball.

Bigger grips though can also be about comfort and not just ball flight.

Golfers dealing with arthritis or hand pain often find bigger grips easier as it allows them to reduce how tightly they need to squeeze the club. Larger grips also make more sense for players with bigger hands.

Luckily you don’t need a PhD in biomechanics to get started. The easiest first check is to look at your glove size (or hand measurement) to determine which size of grip will likely fit you best.

It’s important to note too that these are starting point recommendations not hard and fast rules.

If you’re between sizes adding extra layers of tape under the grip on the shaft is often the simplest tweak. So you don’t have to jump straight from standard → midsize for example.

It is worth knowing though that the The United States Golf Association (USGA) limits grip size to 1.75 inches in diameter (so there are boundaries to how chunky things can get).

For most amateurs: yes, start consistent—same size across driver, woods, irons and wedges reduces variables and helps your swing feel “the same” club-to-club.

But there are two most common exceptions (test-driven, not automatic):

• Different lower-hand build (reduced taper / “Plus4” style feel): some golfers prefer a thicker lower hand to calm face rotation.
• Wedges/short clubs slightly thicker: some players like a fraction more thickness in wedges for control and to reduce hand action.

The key is that these are fitting tweaks, not random mismatches from buying clubs over time.

In Golfing Focus’ survey of well over 100 golfers, we found an exact 50/50 split between those who played the same grips on all their grips and those who had at least one different (excluding putter).

The point isn’t “copy the majority”—it’s to make sure any variation is intentional and tested, not accidental.

Bottom line: if your grips aren’t consistent in size right now, that’s the first thing to fix (or at least test). It’s the simplest, cheapest “equipment variable” that can genuinely change your ball flight and consistency if you’ve got an obvious mismatch.

Don’t Choose the Wrong Grip for the Wrong Reasons

While size is the priority there are clearly other considerations to bear in mind when it comes to choosing your grips.

If you play in hot/humid conditions or your hands perspire a lot for example, corded or hybrid grips can be a real help for traction and control.

There is a downside to these textures of grip though: many golfers find cord (even half-cord) too abrasive for their hands, especially if they practise a lot.

But in that case, a non-cord grip with a heavy pattern pattern and surface texture – Golf Pride’s Tour Velvet or Lamkin’s Crossline grips – are an option instead.

Someone who plays without a glove may also have different requirements to those that do.

Personal preference for a specific type or model of grip also of course plays a role. For me I just like the ‘feel’ of wrap grips on my hands and I find they give me more confidence especially with my irons.

And it such personal preferences that can lead some players down the route of ‘mixing grip types’.

Some golfers for example like maximum traction on full-swing clubs but want more feel on touch clubs. That’s why, even on Tour, you see players who use cord on most clubs but switch to a plain rubber grip on a lob wedge to protect feel around the greens.

PGA Tour pro Byeong Hun An is one of them and for a simple reason:

“I don’t know when I switched to that corded grip. I liked it better because it’s a little stickier, but I didn’t want to lose the feel around the greens. So, I kept the same type of grip in my 60 degree (wedge) because it’s not going to be slipping from like a 30-yard shot. So, I kept a rubbery grip.”

A lot of “mixed grip setups” however happen because golfers build sets over time and just accept stock grips.

If that’s you don’t simply work out what grips are the most common across your current set and then change them to match.

Instead, next practice session: pay attention. If one club consistently feels better — or one club is your “odd miss” (hooking one club when the rest don’t, for example) — test that club with a different grip and see what changes.

A full regrip is one of the cheaper equipment upgrades in golf — roughly $70–$130 (£50–£95) for many standard setups — and it can make a noticeable difference if your current grips don’t suit you or are worn.

And if you want to go further, there are even ‘smart’ grips like Arccos which exist today for automatic shot tracking that give PGA Tour level data insights into your game.

But you don’t need anything fancy to get the big win: just the right size, and a texture/feel you trust.

[Note – If you are interested in Arccos – Golf’s first artificial intelligence shot tracking platform – and getting an exact idea of how far you hit the ball so you choose the right club every time click here to get 15% off when you use our discount code – GOLFINGFOCUS15. Recognised by Golf Digest Editor’s awards 5 years running Arccos’ members improve by an average of 5 strokes in their first year of membership!]

Do the Pros Use the Same Grips on All Their Clubs?

Golfing Focus looks closely at the most popular grips on the PGA Tour every year and most pros do aim for consistency – but their grip set ups are often far from simplistic.

Our deep dive analysis shows that close to 9 out of 10 of the top PGA Tour pros use Golf Pride grips with the ‘default’ choices centering on the following models:

• Tour Velvet
• MCC (MultiCompund)
• Tour Velvet Cord.

So yes, pros cluster around a few proven grips — but even inside Golf Pride there are loads of different models in play.

Across the top 100 PGA Tour pros Golfing Focus’ research also found:

• 42% non-cord grips
• 22% hybrid / half-cord, and
• 29% full cord.

But what was fascinating to see was the remaining 7% who had a mix of cord and non-cord grips within the bag.

Ryder Cup star Robert Macintyre for example opts for Golf Pride’s Z-Grip cord grips on his woods before not only switching to non-cord grips for his irons but also an entirely different manufacturer with his choice of Grip Master’s Roo grips.

Ryan Gerard meanwhile goes for the opposite approach of using Z-Grip align cord grips on his irons preferring the smooth rubber of the Tour Velvet model on everything else.

And we’ve already noted Byeong Hun An’s use of only one non-cord rubber grip on his 60 degree lob wedge because he doesn’t want to “… lose feel around the greens.”

So some of the very best golfers in the world don’t have the same grips on every club but the key lesson is this – they do this for very specific reasons and not because their bag has evolved randomly.

PLAYER	GRIPS	COMMENTS
Rory McIlroy	Golf Pride MCC	+1 Wrap
Tommy Fleetwood	Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord / IOMIC X-Grip 2.3 (wedges only)
Jordan Speith	SuperStroke S-Tech
Scottie Scheffler	Golf Pride Tour Velvet	+6 Wraps
Rickie Fowler	Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Jason Day	Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Justin Thomas	Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Justin Rose	Lamkin REL ACE 3GEN
Hideki Matsuyama	Iomic X-Grip 2.3
Viktor Hovland	Golf Pride MCC	+1 Wrap
Bryson DeChambeau	JumboMax	Grip weight of 125 grams is compensated by the shafts on the clubs
Tony Finau	Lamkin UTX Midsize Full Cord	+13 Wraps under the right hand and 12 under the left
Collin Morikawa	Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord

The biggest insight we found from our PGA Tour grip analysis however was how obsessively some pros dial in grip thickness and feel using tape wraps.

While some like Rory McIlroy and Corey Conners opt for a straight forward +1 wrap of build-up tape and 1 wrap of double-sided tape applied underneath Harris English feels an additional strip of black tape on top of that helps him.

MacKenzie Hughes opts for for +3 wraps under the right hand and +2 under his left hand. World no.1 Scottie Scheffler by comparison uses 6 wraps of tape under his standard 58 Ribbed Golf Pride Tour Velvet grips.

Tony Finau meanwhile opts for a near unbelievable 13 wraps under the right hand and 12 under the left hand of his Lamkin UTX Midsize Full Cord grips.

That suggests Finau is gripping the branch of a small tree rather than a golf club but his reasoning for doing this is to try and produce a near uniform thickness from grip to shaft compared to the standard taper in the lower hand.

And of course Bryson DeChambeau goes for something different again. He currently uses the largest grips which can be found in the golf industry – JumboMax Golf Grips which add 125 grams of extra weight to his clubs.

And his reason for doing this is that it is his belief that if he is using less energy to grip the club due to the larger grips he can put more of his energy into swinging the club.

What it means for us amateurs?

Don’t just copy the grip a pro uses – copy the process:

• choose a grip style you like (texture/material/firmness/alignment etc.)
• get the size right
• then fine-tune with wraps if needed.

While the majority of the top pros are consistent with their grip choice across every club they are by intent, not be accident!

How Often Should You Change Your Golf Club Grips?

A study by Golf Pride, the most played golf grip brand on the PGA Tour, found that well worn, two-year-old grips can cost you up to 3 or 4 strokes per round.

While it’s clearly in Golf Pride’s business interests to cite such stats anyone who has played golf for any length of time can testify to the fact that golf grips do wear, break down and lose their stickiness over time.

Many factors contribute to this including the oil and sweat from your hands, uv light, heat, dirt, how hard you grip the club in addition to simple volume of use.

On average the majority of professional golfers change their grips every 6 weeks to two months but unless you are playing as often as a pro it’s worth checking out the condition of your grips at least once a year, particularly if you are playing regularly.

Checking your grips is also easy to do and simply casting your eye over them is a good place to start.

Do they look worn with shiny spots in particular areas? Can you spot any cracks in the rubber? If you have cord grips is the cord starting to fray?

Or do they feel slippery to the touch or indeed are now starting to twist in your hand during your golf swing, particularly in wet weather.

“When a grip feels slippery that’s when you should look to change it.”

If they are it’s probably time to look at re-gripping them as they will undoubtedly by this point be costing you shots as you lose more control of the club throughout your swing.

The amount you use your clubs and therefore grips is clearly the biggest determining factor of how long they will last but so does how well you look after them.

If you have just played in wet weather or on a particularly hot day don’t just leave them after the round. Get a towel and dry them off.

Regular cleaning of your grips can also help prolong their shelf life.

A simple scrub with a cloth or soft pad in dishwashing detergent is good but again make sure you dry them off thoroughly afterwards with a towel once you’ve rinsed all the detergent residue away with warm water.

And one final thing to beware of is where you store your clubs. Rubber doesn’t like too much heat so watch out you don’t leave your grips regularly exposed to overly hot or dry conditions.

Before You Go …

In this post we’ve examined whether one small element of your clubs should be same – your grips. But what about your whole set of clubs?

Should All Your Golf Clubs be the Same Brand?

More great articles related to this topic:

• Should Your Driver Match Your Woods? Don’t Waste Your Money!
• Should Your Wedges Match Your Irons? Consistency is Key
• Should All Your Wedges be the Same? Focus on Gaps & Variety
• Are My Golf Clubs Too Old? It’s Performance Not Age That Matters
• Are My Golf Clubs Too Heavy? Trust Your Feelings
• What Hybrids Should You Carry? It’s All About Ego
• Should I Play Blades or Cavity Back Irons? Use Your Head
• How Much Does a Golf Club Fitting Cost? Is it Worth it?
• Can You Get Your Existing Golf Clubs Custom Fitted? Complexity = Cost