When you’re buying golf equipment, there are so many things to think about. But something that is often overlooked is the size of grips, with many golfers simply buying clubs off the rack and hoping for the best.
But as we explain here, it’s so important that you get the sizing right, as your grips make a big difference to the quality of your ball striking.
So, without further ado, let’s take a look at everything you need to know about undersized golf grips and whether they’re a good option for your golf clubs this season.
1. What is an Undersized Golf Grip?
Undersized golf grips are designed specifically for people with small hands, typically with hand measurements of 7 inches or less. Undersized grips are suitable for junior players and some women golfers, particularly those with smaller hands.
The vast majority of grip manufacturers have an undersized grip option within their range, making it easy for you to select a grip that is best suited to the size of your hands.
Choosing the wrong grip can have a big impact on your ball striking, so it’s important to get it right.
Most golf clubs are equipped with mid-sized grips as standard, meaning that if you want an undersized or jumbo grip, you will almost certainly need to get your club re-gripped to suit your requirements.
Now that you know the basics, read on to find out everything you need to know about this type of grips and whether they’re necessary for your game.
2. Do I Need Undersized Grips?
If you’re a junior player or a person with particularly small hands, undersized grips could work well for you. The best way to settle on the ideal golf grip for your hands is actually to measure your hands, which is something that everyone can do at home.
Grab a tape measure and measure from the crease of your wrist to the tip of your middle finger, as explained by Golf Pride, to take the precise measurement for the ideal golf grip for your hands.* If your measurement is 5” – 6.5”, an undersized grip is right for you.
If you don’t have a tape measure to hand, you can also choose your grip based on the size of your golf glove, although this approach is less precise.
If you wear a men’s small or women’s small or medium glove to play golf, you will benefit from playing with an undersized grip.
Remember, undersize merely refers to the size of a grip and isn’t concerned with the various features associated with grips, such as tackiness, for instance. So, once you have decided on the right size for your hands, you will then need to think carefully about what it is that you’re looking for in a golf grip.
3. Who Makes the Best Undersized Grips?
As mentioned, most of the leading brands in golf offer undersized grips as part of their ranges.
Golf Pride is perhaps the standout contender, as their grips are extremely popular with PGA Tour players and amateur golfers alike.
Another good option if you’re looking for undersized golf grips is Lamkin, as their grips are also extremely popular with golfers at different levels of the game.
You could also look to SuperStroke if you’re looking for a high-quality undersized grip, as their grips are also excellent.
When you’re looking for an undersized grip, we advise you to first look for a grip that you want to use.
Consider the brand and feel first and foremost, and once you’ve settled on a grip, you can then look at the different sizes offered by the manufacturer.
This is because many of the grips from the aforementioned manufacturers are available in multiple sizes, from undersized to jumbo, so you don’t need to worry too much about prioritizing your search based on size.
4. Undersize vs. Standard Golf Grips
The only difference between undersized and standard golf grips is the size. For instance, if you buy a Golf Pride Tour Velvet undersized grip and compare it to a standard size of the same grip, there will be no difference other than its size.
This is important to realize, as there’s no difference in the manufacturing process of undersized and standard grips, and they’re both of the same quality.
The problem arises if you use the wrong-sized grips for your hand.
For instance, if you’re best suited to an undersized grip but opt for a standard golf grip, it will be difficult to exert sufficient control over your golf shots, and you will likely struggle to keep the ball in play as often as you might like.**
Equally, if your hands are too big for a grip, you will struggle to generate sufficient power and ball speed, which can affect your distance off the tee.
As such, it’s so important to measure your hands to ensure that you select a grip that is a suitable size for your hands.
5. Do Any PGA Tour Players Use Undersized Grips?
At the time of writing, it’s not clear if any PGA Tour players use undersized grips as it’s not something that players typically disclose.
You can think of it a little like a player’s footwear – you can easily find out which shoes a pro uses, but it’s a little more difficult to find out the size of their feet!
But given the attention to detail that golfers pay to all aspects of their equipment, you can be sure that every player on the PGA Tour plays the most appropriately sized grips for their hands.
There’s no chance that a professional is playing ill-suited grips as far as size is concerned!
It’s likely that players on the LPGA Tour use undersized grips, as women’s hands tend to be smaller than men’s.
But again, the size of a grip isn’t as noteworthy as the make and its features, so it’s much more important to focus your attention on the grip options available to you.
As mentioned previously, you can then select the most appropriate size of grip for your hands without hassle, ensuring that your golf clubs are equipped with the best possible grips for your game.
6. Should Women Golfers Play with An Undersized Golf Grip?
This completely depends on the size of a woman golfer’s hands. You can use the below table to help you decide if an undersized golf grip is well suited to your game:
| Grip size | Hand size | Glove size |
| Undersize | 5.0” – 6.5” | Men’s small / Women’s small or medium |
| Standard | 6.6” – 7.5” | Men’s medium or ML / Women’s large |
| Midsize | 7.6” – 9.0” | Men’s large |
| Jumbo | 9.1” – 10.0” | Men’s XL or 2XL |
As the table indicates, the majority of women are best suited to undersized or standard golf grips, with a combined range of 5.0” through 7.5”.
Therefore, it’s important not to just assume that you can select a grip without considering the measurements of your hands.
The small act of measuring the size of your hands can make a huge difference to your ball striking and will almost certainly help you reduce your handicap this season.
7. How to Tell if a Golf Grip is Too Small?
The easiest way to tell if your golf grips are too small is to measure your hands using the above chart. If you have the wrong size of grip for the size of your hands, you can then make the necessary changes.
Alternatively, you can consider the size of your grip based on feel if you prefer.
To do this, take your normal grip with your upper hand and regard how close your longest fingertip comes to the pad at the base of your thumb.
If the grip is the right size, your thumb should just be touching the base, but if it digs in too much, it’s a sign that your grips are too small.
Conversely, if your thumb comes nowhere near the pad, it’s a sign that your grips are too big.***
Given the impact that golf grip size can make on your game, it’s worth running this test before you next head out onto the golf course, so you can make the necessary adjustments if required.
8. Will an Undersized Grip Affect Ball Flight?
An undersized grip will only affect ball flight if you use it when you shouldn’t. For instance, if an undersized grip is too small for you, it can cause you to hook the ball, which poses a big problem for your game.
However, if you have small hands and have checked that an undersized grip is an appropriate size for your hands, it won’t negatively impact ball flight.
If anything, it will help you hit the ball more consistently.
As explained throughout, grip size is actually a really important thing to think about, and given that most golf clubs come with standard or midsize grips off the rack, you will need to make the adjustments if you want to change to undersized grips.
It’s a relatively simple step that can make a huge difference to your golf game, so it’s worth thinking about this season.
Conclusion
There are so many things to think about when buying golf equipment, and the size of the grips on your clubs is just one of them. However, it’s often overlooked, meaning it can negatively impact your game.
Therefore, be sure to measure your hands and check that undersized grips are the best option for you this season.
Playing golf with the wrong-sized grips makes things unnecessarily more difficult, so it’s really important to equip your clubs with the most appropriate grips for the size of your hands.
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