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Tapered Grips vs NON-Tapered Grips

Nippon Shafts
PKorf

PKorf

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Let me start by saying that I am a golf purest through and through. For god's sake it took me until last year to even try on a spikeless shoe. After I did, I bought 2 pairs and now I realize what I was missing.

For my entire life I have always used regularly sized :GolfPride: Tour velvets. Last year I switched out my wedges to :GolfPride: multi compound 1/2 cords and I absolutely love them.

This year I have been thinking of either switching out all iron grips to the same :GolfPride: multi compound 1/2 cords. However, recently there has been a lot of noise being made about non tapered grips. Specifically from :superstroke:[SUB]. [/SUB](Jordan Spieth)

For myself, I'm a purest, but I am interested in people's opinion ove the switch they've made to non tapered grips. The good, the bad, the ugly.
 
I have the Golf Pride MCC Plus4 on my iron set right now and have been happy with them. I'm technically a mid-size by hand measurement, but just barely. The non-tapered seems to be a nice option in between standard and midsize.
 
I'm interested to hear responses because I've never heard of non-tapered grips for irons. Certainly the MCC Plus4 is very tapered.
 
Tapered Grips vs NON-Tapered Grips

3aa0fc94838c546437612cdaaf8217ed.jpg


These are tapered


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PKorf said:
3aa0fc94838c546437612cdaaf8217ed.jpg


These are non tapered


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Click to expand...

Those look like the TX1 model that I have installed on one of my drivers. It certainly has taper. Here's a picture from their website.

tx1-s-black-560x843.jpg
 
I'm always amazed by purists that use a 460cc metal driver with a graphite shaft, but that's for another thread. I think the only non tapered grips that I can think of were on the Cobra Trusty Rusty wedges.

When it comes to the non tapered SS for a putter I like the feel and size in my hands. It's just comfortable.
 
Tapered Grips vs NON-Tapered Grips

PKorf said:
3aa0fc94838c546437612cdaaf8217ed.jpg


These are tapered


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Sorry fixed that. I meant tapered. The non tapered are the golf pride MCC Plus4


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Scrap Iron said:
I'm always amazed by purists that use a 460cc metal driver with a graphite shaft, but that's for another thread. I think the only non tapered grips that I can think of were on the Cobra Trusty Rusty wedges.

When it comes to the non tapered SS for a putter I like the feel and size in my hands. It's just comfortable.
Click to expand...

Curious, what new driver falls into a "purist" category under your criteria? My driver is the smaller head of the 915s....and also the smaller profile and shape


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PKorf said:
Sorry fixed that. I meant tapered. The non tapered are the golf pride MCC Plus4


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Click to expand...

The MCC Plus 4 are still very tapered, they just have the equivalent of 4 extra wraps on the lower part of the grip which is the equivalent of 1/16". I have the MCC Plus 4 on a couple wedges that I often choke down on around the green and love them for that. I wasn't a big fan of them on my whole set. It's obviously very easy to make any grip with 4 or however many extra wraps you want under the lower part of the grip.
 
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I wouldn't say the MCC Plus4 are "very" tapered. There is a taper, but they are considered reduced tapered which I'm assuming is what you meant.

With the exception of the last inch on both ends they are pretty consistent.

prod-p4-1238-190x422.jpg


I've installed a few on my own and have found that they are very easy to stretch longer than intended, in which case they would taper more.
 
PKorf said:
Let me start by saying that I am a golf purest through and through. For god's sake it took me until last year to even try on a spikeless shoe. After I did, I bought 2 pairs and now I realize what I was missing.

For my entire life I have always used regularly sized :GolfPride: Tour velvets. Last year I switched out my wedges to :GolfPride: multi compound 1/2 cords and I absolutely love them.

This year I have been thinking of either switching out all iron grips to the same :GolfPride: multi compound 1/2 cords. However, recently there has been a lot of noise being made about non tapered grips. Specifically from :superstroke:[SUB]. [/SUB](Jordan Spieth)

For myself, I'm a purest, but I am interested in people's opinion ove the switch they've made to non tapered grips. The good, the bad, the ugly.
Click to expand...

I take it that "purist" in your context means "I am receptive to change at a snail's pace" because you have made changes and embraced some of them.

Taper v Non-Tapered - for me, it depends on the extent you like to grip down - on wedges, I might add 2 wraps for the lower hand because I tend to grip down for versatility in the higher lofts. For irons, it's a comfort thing. Some people just want an extra wrap for the lower hand in an iron or wood.

Grips and wraps, to me, are about comfort. I never took to Tour Velvets and those are not exactly "purist.' I think they are late '90s. For me, they wore easily and too soon. As I've gotten older, I've taken to softer grips as the fingers age. I've gone to Winn Dri-Tacs - soft, tacky, so nice on the hands. But once again, it's about comfort and preference.

Good luck in unpurifying yourself slowly... :)
 
Desmond said:
I take it that "purist" in your context means "I am receptive to change at a snail's pace" because you have made changes and embraced some of them.

Taper v Non-Tapered - for me, it depends on the extent you like to grip down - on wedges, I might add 2 wraps for the lower hand because I tend to grip down for versatility in the higher lofts. For irons, it's a comfort thing. Some people just want an extra wrap for the lower hand in an iron or wood.

Grips and wraps, to me, are about comfort. I never took to Tour Velvets and those are not exactly "purist.' I think they are late '90s. For me, they wore easily and too soon. As I've gotten older, I've taken to softer grips as the fingers age. I've gone to Winn Dri-Tacs - soft, tacky, so nice on the hands. But once again, it's about comfort and preference.

Good luck in unpurifying yourself slowly... :)
Click to expand...

Haha yes exactly. I'm difficult to change my ways. Not like I'm playing old hickory, leather wound balls and wearing metal spikes like others implied.


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I started putting a couple extra wraps under the bottom hand of my grips last year and love it. I do it on everything, and also use a Superstroke putter grip.
 
cbaker2882 said:
I started putting a couple extra wraps under the bottom hand of my grips last year and love it. I do it on everything, and also use a Superstroke putter grip.
Click to expand...

I love the superstroke putter grips too. Just not sure about more tape. Have always liked standard wrap


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PKorf said:
I love the superstroke putter grips too. Just not sure about more tape. Have always liked standard wrap


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Click to expand...

I'll never go back. I feel I have much more control and power with it. I think it also goes back to my lacrosse roots which obviously has equal size for both hands on the shaft. Just so much more comfortable for me.
 
cbaker2882 said:
I'll never go back. I feel I have much more control and power with it. I think it also goes back to my lacrosse roots which obviously has equal size for both hands on the shaft. Just so much more comfortable for me.
Click to expand...

I like the extra tape as well. I have done it with woods and hybrids but will be going that route on irons.
 
-CRW- said:
I wouldn't say the MCC Plus4 are "very" tapered. There is a taper, but they are considered reduced tapered which I'm assuming is what you meant.

With the exception of the last inch on both ends they are pretty consistent.



I've installed a few on my own and have found that they are very easy to stretch longer than intended, in which case they would taper more.
Click to expand...


What I mean is the MCC Plus4's have nearly the same taper as a regular grip. I just measured mine with a dial caliper on my wedge compared to another identical wedge with a "regular" Golf Pride grip on it. Measuring an inch below the butt and and inch above the steel shaft at the bottom of the grip here are the ratios:

MCC Plus 4 - 74.42% bottom diameter compared to top of the grip

Tour Velvet - 72.25% bottom diameter compared to top of the grip


The MCC Plus4 is only 1/16" larger at the bottom than a normal grip which makes it only 2% bigger. Non-tapered is a misnomer for a grip that tapers 26% compared to 28% for a tapered grip.
 
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I've always played a tapered grip, but non-tapered isn't out of the question. Depends on your hand size, in my opinion. I'd suggest buying some cheap tapered grips and then applying enough tape under the grip to give it a feel of non-tapered toward your lower hand. You might not like the feel, and if you don't it's just as easy to remove the tape.
 
I've gone from traditional grips to midsize which made a big difference in feel and control. Less tapered grips like MCC plus4 are next on my list to try. I wouldn't have found midsize grips work better without trying new equipment.
 
I've been gaming the MCC Plus4 since they came out. The major benefit I see is that my lower hand is less active on the grip. I have stopped snap hooking balls since I put these grips on which was my worse miss. Could be a coincidence, but I feel like I have better control of the club. I have not changed the stock grip on my Driver yet and that grip feels alien to me. Now that I have my driver dialed in to the loft I like, I am going to change it out this weekend. I think these grips are worth a try for anyone skeptical of their performance claims.
 
tahoebum said:
MCC Plus 4 - 74.42% bottom diameter compared to top of the grip

Tour Velvet - 72.25% bottom diameter compared to top of the grip


The MCC Plus4 is only 1/16" larger at the bottom than a normal grip which makes it only 2% bigger. Non-tapered is a misnomer for a grip that tapers 26% compared to 28% for a tapered grip.
Click to expand...

I understand what you are saying and was directing my assumption on "less-tapered" at the original poster. I agree that the ends of the MCC plus4 grips are tapered similar to a standard grip. However, the majority of the center of my MCC plus4's are fairly consistent in outer diameter and feel totally different from a standard grip.

"alien" is a good word to describe how standard grips feel to me too now.
 
I recently regripped my driver and hybrids with MCC Plus 4s and love the way the reduced taper seems so much more secure than standard tapers. I'll be gripping all my other clubs soon.
 
I have been playing the NDMC Plus 4 since they came out and I really like them they are legit.
Standard size grips feel strange to me now, I really like the versatility that the Plus 4 provides.

Dax
 
I'll have to look into the NDMC +4 grips. I have played jumbo grips with 4 wraps under the lower hand for some time now. Last year I switched to mid sized grips with 6 wraps under my lower hand and found them to be better for me. The +4 grips would be nice to not have to build them up so much.

Fwiw, I have tried actual no taper grips (natural golf) and they are not that great. I want some taper, but just a little.
 
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