If you've ever felt that standard golf grips seem too thin in your lower hand or noticed yourself squeezing the club like you're trying to get juice out of it, the Golf Pride Plus 4 might just be what your game is missing. This isn't just about making a grip feel bigger, it’s a specific technology designed to fix one of the most common swing flaws that robs golfers of power and consistency. This article will break down exactly what the Golf Pride Plus 4 technology is, explain the coaching philosophy behind its design, and help you understand if it’s the right choice for your game.
At its core, the Golf Pride Plus 4 is a grip designed with a reduced taper. A traditional golf grip gets progressively thinner from the top (the butt end) to the bottom (where it meets the shaft). Think of it like a very long, skinny cone. Your top hand holds the thickest part, and your bottom hand holds the thinnest part.
The Plus 4 design changes this. Golf Pride's engineers found that many tour players and discerning amateurs build up their lower hand by adding extra layers of tape under the grip during installation. The most common "build-up" was four full new wraps of tape for the bottom hand. So, Golf Pride decided to build that feature directly into the grip.
The "Plus 4" literally means the lower hand section has the equivalent thickness of four extra layers of grip tape. This creates a much less tapered profile, making the grip feel more uniform and cylindrical from top to bottom. It's a simple change, but the biomechanical effects on the golf swing can be profound.
As a coach, one of the first things I check is a student's grip pressure. Excessive tension is a swing killer, and it almost always starts in the hands. When a grip feels too thin in your lower hand (typically your dominant, "feel" hand), your brain subconsciously tells your fingers to squeeze harder to secure it. You might not even realize you're doing it.
This subtle squeeze initiates a destructive chain reaction:
The result? A clunky, disconnected swing that lacks speed and feel. You lose power, and your ability to control the clubface through impact becomes erratic.
The Plus 4 grip addresses this problem at its source. By filling out the lower-hand section, the grip sits more fully and comfortably in your fingers without needing that extra squeeze. You don't have to "strangle" it to feel in control. This encourages a lighter, more relaxed grip pressure throughout the entire swing, freeing up your arms and wrists to move as they should - acting as fast-moving levers, not stiff boards.
So, a softer grip pressure is great, but what does that actually do for your scores? When a golfer switches to Plus 4 grips, they often see a few key improvements in their ball striking and consistency.
This is the most direct benefit. Think about trying to throw a baseball. You wouldn't tense up every muscle in your arm and shoulder before you throw, right? You'd keep it relaxed and "whippy" to generate speed. The golf swing is no different. A relaxed grip allows your wrists and arms to move faster. By eliminating the source of tension, the Plus 4 lets you tap into clubhead speed you already possess but were holding back with a death grip.
For many right-handed golfers, the right hand tends to become overactive, especially at impact. This hand tries to control the clubface and rotate it through impact. This excessive "flipping" motion can cause shots to hook sharply left or push straight to the right.
By increasing the thickness of the lower hand part of the grip, the Plus 4 technology "quiets" this overactive bottom hand. It makes the sense of control less reliant on squeezing with your fingers and more on the rotation of the bigger, more powerful body parts. This helps the hands work better in concert, allowing the left hand (for a right-hander) to lead the rotation and transfer power from your shoulders and core instead of from your overactive hands. This leads to a more stable release pattern and, consequently, straighter ball flights.
Comfort should not be overlooked. An uncomfortable grip makes you not want to practice or play. Golfers with larger hand sizes often find standard grips feel like they're holding a toothpick. The Plus 4 provides a much more substantial and comfortable connection to the club. Additionally, golfers suffering from arthritis or joint pain in their hands often find that a larger, softer grip substantially reduces the strain and vibration felt at impact. Requiring less force to hold the club makes a huge difference over the course of 18 holes.
While any golfer can try them, the Plus 4 design tends to be a game-changer for a few specific types of players:
Golf Pride has integrated this popular design into several of their flagship models, so you can likely find it in a feel and texture you already love.
Like any equipment change, there can be an adjustment. Initially, the Plus 4 can feel quite "fat" or "baseball bat-like" if you're coming from a very thin, tapered grip. It usually takes a bucket of balls or a round to get fully accustomed to the new feel.
More importantly, golfers who fight a slice should proceed with a bit of caution. A slice is often caused by an underactive release of the club - an inability to get the clubface squared at impact. Because a thicker lower-hand grip is designed to quiet hand action, it could potentially make it even harder for a slicer to release the club, possibly making the slice worse. It's not a guarantee, but it’s something to be aware of. For slicers, a standard-taper grip might still be a better choice to encourage that necessary hand and forearm rotation.
The Golf Pride Plus 4 isn't just about a different size, it’s a design rooted in a powerful coaching concept. By reducing taper, it encourages lighter grip pressure, quiets the overactive hands, and promotes a more unified, body-driven golf swing that produces greater speed and far more consistency.
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