How to Fit Golf Grips

Your golf grip is your one and only connection to the club, the literal steering wheel for every shot you hit. Yet, most golfers play with stock grips that are a one-size-fits-all solution, which rarely fits anyone perfectly. Getting the right grip size for your hands is one of the easiest and most impactful changes you can make to your equipment, directly influencing your comfort, control, and even your ball flight. In this guide, we'll walk through exactly how to determine your perfect grip size and take the guesswork out of building a better connection to your clubs.

So, Why Does Grip Size ACTUALLY Matter?

Think about trying to write with a pen that’s way too thin or way too thick. You’d have to squeeze it awkwardly, your hand would get tired, and your handwriting would suffer. The same principle applies to your golf grips. The ideal grip allows you to hold the club with light, confident pressure, feeling secure without creating tension.

Here’s how the wrong size can mess things up:

• Grips That Are Too Small: If a grip doesn't fill your hands properly, your fingers will wrap around too much. This encourages your hands to become overly active during the swing, often leading to a quick hand rotation through impact. For a right-handed golfer, this usually means a nasty hook or a pull to the left. It also causes you to subconsciously squeeze tighter to feel secure, which creates tension in your forearms and kills your clubhead speed.
• Grips That Are Too Large: A grip that’s too thick can do the opposite. It restricts your hands and wrists from releasing naturally through the ball. This often prevents the clubface from squaring up at impact, leaving it open and causing a push, a fade, or a dreaded slice. You might also struggle to feel the clubhead, making delicate chips and putts feel clumsy and disconnected.

The goal is to find that "Goldilocks" fit - just right. A correctly sized grip promotes the right amount of hand action, enabling you to release the club powerfully and consistently while maintaining a soft, tension-free hold.

The Classic Test: A Quick Way to Check Your Fit

There's a simple, time-tested method you can use right now to get a general idea of your current grip fit. It costs nothing and only takes a few seconds. Here's how you do it:

1. Pick up a golf club (a mid-iron works well) and take your normal grip with your lead hand (your left hand if you're a right-handed golfer).
2. Hold the club with light pressure, as if you were about to make a practice swing.
3. Now, look down at your lead hand. Specifically, look at your middle and ring fingers.

You’re looking for where the tips of those two fingers are in relation to the pad of your thumb. There are three possible outcomes:

• The fingers dig into your palm: If the tips of your middle and ring fingers are jammed tightly into your thumb pad, your grips are likely too large. You don't have enough room for your fingers to sit comfortably.
• There’s a space between your fingers and palm: If you can see a noticeable gap between your fingertips and your thumb pad, your grips are likely too small.
• The fingers are just barely touching your palm: This is the ideal fit. When the tips of those two fingers are just lightly grazing the thumb pad, it indicates the grip is filling your hand correctly.

This "feel" test is a great starting point and will immediately tell you if you're in the wrong ballpark with your current setup.

For a More Precise Fit: Let's Measure your Hand

While the classic test is helpful, a more data-driven approach involves two simple measurements. This is what most professional club fitters will do, and you can easily do it at home with a ruler or tape measure.

Measurement #1: Wrist-to-Fingertip Length

This is the primary measurement for determining your base grip size.

1. Open your lead hand (left for righties) and keep it flat.
2. Measure from the dominant crease in your wrist to the very tip of your middle finger.

Once you have that number, you can use a standard sizing chart to find your match. While every brand can be slightly different, this is a generally accepted industry standard:

• Less than 7 inches: Undersize (or Junior)
• 7 to 8.75 inches: Standard
• 8.25 to 9.25 inches: Midsize
• 9 inches and above: Jumbo (or Oversize)

You'll notice some overlap in those ranges (e.g., between standard and midsize). That's because personal preference and finger length play a role, which brings us to the second measurement.

Measurement #2: Middle Finger Length

This measurement helps you fine-tune your fit, especially if you fall into one of those overlapping zones.

1. Hold your lead hand flat again.
2. Measure the length of just your middle finger, from the base where it meets your palm to the tip.

Again, you can use a chart for comparison:

• Less than 2.75 inches: Undersize
• 2.75 to 3.5 inches: Standard
• 3.35 to 4 inches: Midsize
• 3.75 inches and above: Jumbo

If your wrist-to-fingertip measurement put you on the fence between Standard and Midsize, but you have long fingers (e.g., 3.6 inches), you should probably lean towards the Midsize option.

An Overview of Grip Sizes

Armed with your measurements and the classic feel test, you’re ready to understand the different sizes you’ll see on the shelf.

• Undersize (or Junior/Ladies): The smallest diameter, perfect for golfers with smaller hands, many female golfers, or junior players.
• Standard: This is what comes on most off-the-rack men's clubs. It’s what the majority of golfers use, but surprisingly, it’s not the ideal fit for a great many of them.
• Midsize: Slightly larger in diameter than Standard, it's a popular choice for golfers with average-to-larger hands or for those who simply prefer a fuller feel. Many golfers find that moving from Standard to Midsize helps quiet their hands and reduce grip tension.
• Jumbo (Oversize): The largest option available. These are ideal for golfers with very large hands or for players who suffer from arthritis, as the larger diameter requires less closing strength and pressure to hold securely.

How to Fully Customize Your Fit with Tape

Here’s where you can become your own master club-fitter. Most golfers don’t know that you can fine-tune your grip size with tape. This is an old tour pro trick that allows for incredible precision.

When a new grip is installed, it goes over a layer of double-sided tape. The standard is one layer. However, by adding extra layers of masking tape (or "build-up tape") underneath that grip tape, you can incrementally increase the grip's final diameter.

• Each extra layer of tape adds approximately 1/64" to the diameter.

This becomes your customization tool. Let's say you feel that a "Midsize" grip is just a little too thick, but "Standard" is definitely too small. The perfect solution might be a Standard grip with two extra wraps of tape (referred to as "+2").

Four extra wraps of tape (+4) under a Standard grip will create a finished size that’s basically equivalent to a stock Midsize grip. Here’s a quick conversion:

• Standard +1 wrap
• Standard +2 wraps
• Standard +3 wraps
• Standard +4 wraps = Midsize

You can ask any proficient club-builder to do this for you. Knowing this level of detail allows you to find your perfect fit, not just a close one.

Don't Forget About Material and Texture

While size is the most important factor, the material and feel of the grip are highly personal choices that affect comfort and performance, especially in different weather conditions.

• Rubber Grips: These are the softest and most common type, offering a comfortable, tacky feel. They're great for most conditions but can become slippery when wet.
• Cord Grips: These grips have cotton cord fibers woven into the rubber. They offer a much firmer feel and provide excellent traction in wet or humid conditions, wicking moisture away from your hands.
• Hybrid/Multi-Compound Grips: These are the best of both worlds. They typically feature cord in the upper hand area for firm traction and a softer rubber material in the lower hand for enhanced feel.
• Polymer Grips: These synthetic grips are known for being extremely durable and offering unique textures and shock-absorption properties.

The best way to figure out what you like is to go to a golf shop and feel them for yourself. Hold them, squeeze a little, and see which material feels best in your hands.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right golf grip isn’t complicated, but it is one of the most important equipment tweaks you can make. By taking a few simple measurements and testing what feels right, you can eliminate grip-induced compensations and build a more consistent swing founded on a confident, tension-free connection to the club.

This kind of smart equipment customization gives you a solid foundation for every swing. Once your gear is dialed in, you can focus on the game itself - making smarter choices on the course. While grips connect you to the club, our technology at Caddie AI connects you to a smarter strategy for every shot. If you’re ever unsure about club selection or how to play a tricky lie, you can ask for expert guidance right on the spot. We help take the guesswork out of course management so you can swing with confidence, knowing you have a clear plan.