What Do Fat Grips Help with in Golf?

If you feel your hands getting overly involved in your golf swing, leading to inconsistent contact and a nagging hook, a simple equipment change might make a big impact. We're talking about oversized or fat grips. This article is going to cover exactly what fat grips do, the specific types of players they help most, and how you can figure out if they’re a fit for your game.

So, What Exactly Are "Fat" Golf Grips?

Before we go any further, let's clear up the terminology. When golfers and coaches talk about "fat grips," they’re usually referring to anything larger than the standard size that comes a new set of clubs. You'll typically see them categorized into two main groups:

• Midsize Grips: These are the first step up from standard. They are slightly thicker, noticeable to the touch but not radically different. A common measurement is +1/16" larger than standard.
• Jumbo (or Oversized) Grips: This is the next level up and offers the most significant increase in diameter. These grips are noticeably thicker and can be +1/8" or even larger compared to a standard grip.

The core idea is simple: a thicker grip takes up more space in your hands. This seemingly minor change can have a surprising ripple effect on your entire swing, influencing everything from the pressure you apply to the way you release the club.

Benefit #1: Dialing Down the "Death Grip" for a Smoother Swing

One of the most common issues I see with amateur golfers is excessive tension. You can see it in their knuckles turning white at address and in the rigid, jerky takeaway that follows. This "death grip" is a swing-killer. It tightens the muscles in your forearms, shoulders, and chest, preventing the fluid, rotational motion we want in a good golf swing.

This is where an oversized grip can immediately help. Because a fatter grip naturally fills up more of your hand, you don’t feel the subconscious need to squeeze it so hard to feel secure. It feels more substantial, more connected to your palms and fingers without you needing to apply brute force.

Try a quick test: Make a fist as if you were holding a very thin stick, like a pencil. Feel the tension shoot up your forearm. Now, open your hand and imagine you’re holding a thick a soda can. To hold it securely, you don’t have to squeeze nearly as hard, you just wrap your hand around it. That’s the sensation a fat grip promotes.

When you release that pressure, good things happen:

• Smoother Takeaway: Less tension in the hands and arms allows for a one-piece takeaway where your arms, shoulders, and chest start the swing together.
• Better Tempo: A lighter grip pressure makes it much easier to feel the weight of the clubhead, which is a big part of achieving a smooth, unhurried rhythm.
• Improved Body Rotation: When your arms are relaxed, they can follow the lead of your turning torso. When they're tense, they tend to work independently, leading to all sorts of timing problems.

By simply encouraging a lighter grip, fat grips help you get out of your own way and allow your bigger muscles - the real engine of the swing - to do their job.

Benefit #2: Quieting Overactive Hands to Tame the Hook

For many golfers who fight a persistent hook (a ball that curves sharply from right-to-left for a right-handed player), the culprit is often overactive hands. Through impact, the hands flip or roll over too quickly, shutting the clubface and sending the ball left of the target.

Fat grips act as a physical governor on this excessive hand and wrist action. The larger diameter makes it physically more difficult for your wrists to roll over aggressively. It forces your hands to play a more passive role in the swing, encouraging them to stay 'quieter' through the hitting zone.

When you quiet the hands, you have to find power from a better source: body rotation.

Instead of relying on a last-second flip of the hands to generate speed, a player with fat grips learns to get speed by unwinding their hips and torso. This creates a much more stable and repeatable impact position. The clubface is far less likely to shut down because the hands are just "going along for the ride," held in a stable position by the body's rotation.

If you're a player who hits a lot of low, snapping hooks, switching to midsize or jumbo grips can feel like a revelation. The ball flight will often straighten out immediately, sometimes even turning the hook into a much more neutral flight or a gentle fade. You trade that unreliable, handsy flick for a powerful, body-driven release.

Benefit #3: A Major Relief for Golfers with Arthritis or Hand Pain

For many, golf is a lifelong pursuit, but conditions like arthritis, tendonitis, or general joint pain in the hands and wrists can make it a painful one. Holding a standard-size grip can require a pinching strength that puts immense strain on these sensitive joints.

This is arguably the most straightforward benefit of fat grips. The larger surface area allows you to hold the club securely with far less clamping force. Instead of a tight finger-and-thumb pinch, the pressure is distributed more evenly across your entire palm and fingers.

Think about carrying a grocery bag with a thin, plastic handle versus one with a thick, comfortable handle. The one with the wider handle doesn’t dig into your hands and is much easier to carry for a long period. Grips work the same way. Thicker grips are simply more ergonomic.

The effect is twofold:

1. Less Pain During the Round: The reduced pressure can dramatically decrease the discomfort felt with every single shot.
2. Reduced End-of-Day Soreness: Because you’ve spent 4 hours putting less strain on your joints, you'll likely feel much better after the round and recover more quickly for the next one.

For many golfers suffering from hand ailments, switching to jumbo grips is the difference between being able to play once a month with pain or playing multiple times a week in comfort.

Are There Any Downsides? A Quick Reality Check

While fat grips are fantastic for many players, they aren't a a fix-all for everyone. It’s important to understand the potential trade-offs.

The very thing that helps a hooker - quieting the hands - can be a problem for a slicer. If you tend to hit a slice (a left-to-right ball flight), it often means your hands aren't releasing or rotating enough through impact. Using a fat grip can make this problem even worse, as it further inhibits that hand rotation, potentially turning a slice into a bigger slice.

Some players also feel they lose a bit of the fine-tuned "feel" necessary for delicate shots around the green. With chipping and putting, where feel is paramount, some golfers prefer a standard grip that offers more sensitive feedback from the clubhead. However, many companies now offer dedicated oversized putting grips, which have become incredibly popular even among TOUR pros.

Who Should Seriously Consider Fat Grips?

So, how do you know if you should give them a try? You're a prime candidate if one or more of these sounds like you:

• You Have Large Hands: This is the most obvious reason. If you wear a large, XL, or XXL glove, a standard grip is almost certainly too small for you, forcing a 'fingertips-only' hold and promoting too much hand action.
• Your Big Miss is a Hook: If you're tired of seeing the ball snap left, fat grips could be the simplest way to calm your hands down and force a more body-oriented swing.
• You Experience Hand or Joint Pain: If gripping the club causes discomfort from arthritis or other conditions, jumbo grips can provide instant ergonomic relief.
• You Feel Consistently Tense: If you know you have a death grip and your forearm muscles are always tight, the passive assistance of a larger grip can help you learn to relax and swing with more fluidity.

Getting the Fit Right

If you've decided to test them out, don't just grab the biggest grip you can find. "Oversized" isn't a one-size-fits-all solution. Start with midsize grips, especially if you have average-sized hands but are trying to quiet your release. A trip to a good club-fitter is your best bet, but a good rule of thumb is the "finger test."

Take your normal grip on the club with your top hand (left hand for a right-handed player). When a grip is properly sized, the fingertips of your third and fourth finger should just barely touch the pad of your thumb. If your fingertips are digging deep into your palm, the grip is too small. If there a large gap between your fingertips and thumb pad, the grip is likely too big.

Final Thoughts

For the right player, moving to an oversized golf grip can dramatically improve their game. It helps reduce harmful tension, encourages a more powerful body-driven swing by quieting the hands, and provides wonderful relief for golfers with hand pain, making the sport more enjoyable and accessible.

Figuring out if your hook is caused by overactive hands or another issue like alignment is the first step toward finding a real solution. If you aren't certain about the root cause of your swing troubles, I created Caddie AI to act as your personal golf expert. You can ask any question, get an instant swing analysis, or even snap a photo of a tricky lie on the course to get immediate advice. Our goal is to take the guesswork out of your game so you can work on the right things and enjoy golf more often.