By the 2024 Mexico Open, the average putts per spherical on the PGA Tour is 29.23. With a Tour common rating of 71.425, putts equate to roughly 41 p.c of strokes per spherical on Tour this season.
With a median of 4 out of each 10 strokes in a spherical happening on the inexperienced, there’s no more true expression within the recreation than “drive for present, putt for dough.”
Whereas many amateurs are assured a shiny new Scotty Cameron putter for $450 will resolve their placing perils, Golf Pleasure believes it’s engineered a a lot economical resolution: the Reverse Taper grip.
Out there starting April 15 at retail and golf course areas in addition to online, the $29.99 Reverse Taper grip flips the putter grip the other way up. A slimmer higher half and a wider decrease part anchor the highest hand for stability whereas lowering pressure within the decrease hand for easy acceleration via the placing stroke. The reverse width and weight additionally prevents micro-levers within the stroke to assist golfers keep away from flipping their wrists at influence.
“It’s a delicate reverse taper—it’s not loopy,” Golf Pleasure Chief Innovation Officer Andy Erickson stated. “What we noticed within the SAM PuttLab knowledge is that it’s noticeably extra sq. at influence throughout the board (in comparison with a parallel putter grip) for practically each participant we put via testing.”
In a recreation of trivia and millimeters, any benefit, particularly on the inexperienced, will pay main dividends to assist golfers go decrease. Studies have proven that an putter face open simply two levels at influence will miss the outlet from 5 ft. The room for error is lower than one diploma from eight ft and fewer than half a level open or closed from 15 ft.
After intensive analysis together with interviews, assessing greater than 300 placing grips and methods, 18,000 SAM PuttLab putts, outside testing and 100 iterations, the Golf Pleasure Reverse Taper grip is accessible in three shapes (spherical, pistol, flat) and two sizes (medium and huge).
That includes a historically spherical higher part that tapers right into a wider decrease part, the spherical grip is a universally well-liked choice for all hand-gripping methods. Serving to golfers lock of their higher hand, the pistol form is usually well-liked amongst gamers who make the most of a left-hand-low approach. Boasting a barely extra oval-shaped higher part, the flat grip is usually most well-liked by golfers with a palm-to-palm placing stroke approach.
No matter dimension and mannequin, every of those polyurethane Reverse Taper grips had been designed to weigh between 63-70 grams.
“We tried to seek out that candy spot so, regardless of in case you are a big pistol or medium flat, we attempt to preserve you in that very same weight vary to kind of get rid of one variable,” Erickson stated. “There’s a consolation piece the place you don’t need one thing that appears like a bizarre, international, nearly training-aid-feeling in your hand, so it was placing that stability between being useful and delicate.”
In growth since 2021, the Reverse Taper grip is the second product in Golf Pride historical past to be conceptualized, designed and examined at their state-of-the-art World Innovation Heart in Pinehurst, N.C., positioned subsequent to the world-famous Pinehurst No. 8.
Already utilized on the DP World Tour and LPGA, the Reverse Taper grip can also be a key product highlighting Golf Pleasure’s emphasised messaging across the significance of grips as efficiency tools.
Final 12 months, the corporate got here out with a study that confirmed a definite distinction in common ball pace and carry size between gamers utilizing a brand new Golf Pleasure Tour Velvet grip in comparison with a grip positioned in a climate chamber for twenty-four hours.
On common, ball pace elevated by 1.3 mph and the typical carry size improved by 2.3 yards, whereas face influence location of the brand new grip in comparison with the worn one confirmed a dispersion improve of 11 p.c and 10 p.c within the X-axis and Y-axis, respectively.
Outfitted with an progressive product within the Reverse Taper grip and knowledge backing up its efficiency, Golf Pleasure continues to induce all golfers to pay extra consideration to their grips.
“We do view grips as efficiency tools and we’re trying to change that narrative,” Erickson stated. “Once I first began taking part in golf, a $40 metal shaft was high-quality. Now hastily I’ve a $250 shaft on my driver, so sooner or later in time any person satisfied me {that a} shaft issues.
“Equally, the extra we get into the science of grips and what we do, there’s actually the psychological and emotional half because it’s your solely level of contact with the membership. For those who’re not feeling safe and robust at tackle, we will simply cease the dialog since you’re not going to have the ability to management the clubhead.”
