What Are the Different Sizes of Golf Grips?

Your grip is the only connection you have with the golf club, and its size can have a profound impact on every single shot you hit. Getting it right can promote a square clubface at impact, while getting it wrong can force compensations that lead to frustrating hooks and slices. This guide will walk you through the different standard grip sizes, show you why finding your fit is so important, and give you a simple, do-it-yourself method to find your perfect size.

Why Grip Size is One of the Most Overlooked Parts of Your Equipment

Golfers will happily spend hours being fitted for a driver or debating the bounce on their wedges, but often, the grips on their clubs are a complete afterthought. They use whatever came off the shelf. But here’s the thing: an ill-fitting grip forces your hands to work in ways they shouldn't have to, creating a chain reaction of negative effects throughout your swing.

Think of it like trying to write with a pen that’s the wrong size. If it’s as thin as a toothpick, you’ll have to squeeze it tight, and your hand will get tense and shaky. If it’s as thick as a jumbo marker, you’ll struggle to control it with any precision. The same principle applies to your golf grip. The right size allows your hands to rest on the club neutrally and securely, freeing them up to do their job correctly.

What Happens When a Grip is Too Small?

If your grips are too small for your hands, your fingers will wrap too far around the club. This encourages your hands to become overly active during the swing. You'll have a tendency to clench the club a little tighter and activate the smaller muscles in your hands and wrists far too much. This increased hand action often leads to an early release of the club, or "casting," which saps power. It can also promote a "strong" grip, where your hands rotate too far over, which is a classic recipe for a snap hook or a hard pull to the left (for right-handed golfers).

What Happens When a Grip is Too Large?

On the flip side, a grip that is too big for your hands makes it difficult for your wrists to hinge properly during the backswing and release fully through impact. When your fingers can't wrap around the club securely, you lose that subtle bit of feel and control. This restriction often prevents the clubface from rotating back to a square position. The most common miss for a player with grips that are too large is a block out to the right or a weak slice, all because the hands simply couldn't square the face in time. You’ll also notice a general loss of distance because the wrists aren’t able to contribute their natural speed to the swing.

Understanding the Standard Grip Sizes

Golf grip manufacturers make things fairly straightforward by offering a few standard sizes. While these are the most common off-the-rack options, remember that feel is personal, and these are just starting points. We can fine-tune things later with tape, but first, let's get familiar with the main categories.

• Undersize (or Ladies): As the name suggests, this is the smallest standard size available. It's designed for golfers with smaller hands, which often includes many female golfers and juniors. However, it’s not gender-exclusive - any golfer with smaller palms and shorter fingers may find this size to be the most comfortable fit. An Undersize grip is typically 1/64" smaller in diameter than a Standard grip.
• Standard: This is the default grip size you’ll find on most clubs sold in golf shops. It's designed to fit the widest range of golfers who fall into the "average" hand-size category. If you wear a Medium or Large men's golf glove, Standard is likely your starting point.
• Midsize: This size offers a slightly larger diameter for golfers whose hands are a bit bigger than average. It's often a great fit for players who wear Large or a tight-fitting XL glove. Midsize grips have also become popular with players who have arthritis in their hands, as the larger diameter can reduce pressure on the joints and encourage a lighter grip pressure. They are typically 1/16" larger than Standard.
• Jumbo (or Oversize): The largest available size, Jumbo is for players with very large hands (think XL or XXL gloves). Beyond just hand size, some golfers use Jumbo grips for a specific strategic reason: to quiet their hands. The extremely large diameter makes it much harder to use your wrists actively, forcing you to use the bigger muscles in your body to control the swing. This is a common tactic for players who struggle with the "yips" in their putting or chipping. Jumbo grips are usually at least 1/8" larger than Standard.

The At-Home Test: How to Measure Your Hand for the Right Grip Size

You don't need a high-tech launch monitor to get a very good idea of your proper grip size. Here are two simple methods you can use right now with one of your current clubs.

Method 1: The Finger Test (The Classic Method)

This is the quickest and most common way to check your fit. It's simple and remarkably effective.

1. Grip one of your irons with only your top hand (the left hand for a right-handed golfer) as you normally would.
2. Now, look closely at that hand. Pay attention to see where the tips of your middle and ring fingers are resting.
3. The Verdict an>
   • Looks Good: The tips of your middle and ring fingers should be just barely touching the pad at the base of your thumb. A gentle touch is what we are looking for.
   • Too Small: If your fingertips are diggingressions into your palm, pressing firmly or overlapping, the grip is most likely too small for you.
   • Too Large: If you see a gap between your fingertips and the base of your thumb pad, the grip is likely too big.
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This simple checkpoint tells you a lot. If you find your fingers are digging in, you'll want to move up a size (e.g., from Standard to Midsize). If there's a gap, you'll want to move down.

Method 2: The Ruler Measurement (The Fitter's Method)

If you want a more data-driven approach, this method gives you a Pclear recommendation based on two simple measurements. This is similar to what a club fitter would do.

1. Take a ruler and measure the total length of your hand, from the dominant crease at your wrist to the tip of your longest finger (usually the middle finger).

1. Next, measure just the length of that longest finger, from its base to the tip.

1. Use these two measurements and compare them to a sizing chart. While charts from different manufacturers can vary slightly, here is a widely accepted guide:

Universal Grip Sizing Chart

Longest Finger Length Hand Length (Wrist to Fingertip) Recommended Size Less than 2.75" Less than 6.9" Undersize 3-3.0" – 4.0' 7.0-–.0" – 8.75" Standard 4.75" – 5-3.25" 8.25-–-3.25" Midsize Over 45.425" Over e"9.2" Jumbo / Oversize

Again, treat this as a solid starting point. These measurements will get you in the right ballpark, but how the club actually feels in your hands is the final test.

Fine-Tuning Your Fit: The Role of Grip Tape

What if you find yourself somewhere between sizes? This is extremely common, and it’s where a professional club fitter’s secret weapon comes in: build-up tape.

Beneath every grip is a layer of double-sided adhesive tape. By adding extra layers of this build-up tape before installing the grip, a fitter can make tiny, precise adjustments to the final diameter. The general rule of thumb is that one extra wrap of tape increases the grip’s diameter by 1/64 of an inch.

So, a Standard grip with four extra wraps of tape will have the exact same size as a Midsize grip (since +4/64" = +1/16").

This allows for incredible customization. If a Standard grip feels just a hair too thin, but a Midsize feels too chunky, having one or two extra wraps put on a Standard grip might be your perfect solution. It’s a great way to bridge the gap between official sizes and dial in a feel that’s absolutely perfect for you.

Final Thoughts

Finding the right grip size isa straightforward but powerful change that can improve your consistency, control your ball flight, and make the game feel more comfortable. By using a simple measurement test and understanding how size affects your hands, you can take a massive step toward better and more confident golf.

Once your equipment feels right in your hands, you can start focusing on the next area for improvement: strategy and on-course decisions. I know that having a little bit of expert advice in your pocket removes doubt, especially on a tough shot or unfamiliar hole. With a tool like , you can get that instant coaching to help you understand your options and play with confidence, knowing you’re making the smartest choice on every swing.