Choosing grips for your clubs is an often overlooked part of the game. Finding a type of grip that is comfortable for each golfer, suits their eye, and has enough grip to properly hold the club in place is a key component in playing well. I have always played a certain kind of grips that offer these key elements to my clubs and really fit my game well. It was a trial and error process to get to that point, but one that will help me for years to come. Recently THP was contacted by Tacki-Mac to see about reviewing their Itomic golf grip line and put a review together. As always, we were happy to oblige and eager to try them out.
From the Company
Tacki-mac grips never lose their tacky feel and are superior to other products hot or cold, wet or dry. Each grip is made from a high quality thermo plastic rubber (TPR) which gives the grips an exceptional tacky feel. Our color fast dye and richly ingrained patterns will outlast any competitors products. No rubber or leather grip can offer you our quality or performance.
First Impressions
About a week after speaking with the fine folks at Tacki-Mac a box arrived and in it was a set of the Itomic golf grips that are white with a black cap. The model 1090 is what we received and the grips looked great. Just picking one up out of the plastic bag you could feel a “grip like” feeling and I must admit, I was enamored with the white look. It stands out quite a bit and as someone that has long been a fan of white putter grips, I was eager to try these out.
Regripping
We immediately went and got a set of Nike MachSpeed irons and Cleveland CG15 wedges and took the existing grips off. A quick “grip job” and these were ready to go, drying for the next day’s round of golf. The look alone had me eager to get started. Regripping with the Tacki-Mac golf grips was really no different than any other grips we have tested. The process is quick and painless and the result was a beautiful looking white grip to contrast the normal black grips we see elsewhere.
Testing
We put the Tacki-Mac Itomic grips through 9 rounds of golf and countless range sessions. A few questions were answered for me that we got quite a bit of in the forum before the review. Are the grips tacky? Yes, extremely. They have a grip on them that is very good and one that holds up as well as others. However during some very humid rounds, we got an almost “slimy” feel that we have not had testing out other grips on the market. It did not have an adverse affect on play, but was “different”. The white sparkled and shined for the 1st round. Unfortunately, after that, the white quickly turns to gray as it becomes dirty. This is a grip that must be washed after each round if the aesthetics of your clubs are a concern to you. The getting dirty part of the testing, in some ways, was a good thing as it shows an indicator that your clubs must be cleaned.
Over the course of the 9 rounds, the grips did not lose any “stick” and could still be considered as good as new, minus the getting dirty part. The picture to the left is after just one round. One thing kept coming up and that is the texture on humid days (testing took place in FL) was still a slightly slimy feeling. Again, it did not hinder play, but rather was just off putting.
Overall
For the bargain hunter, these appear to be a great value. Priced at less than $4.00 per grip we found them to hold their tackiness extremely well. We do not however recommend them in white. Will I change from my current grips to these? Probably not. While I like the “stick” they provide, and lord knows we need all the help we can get in FL to combat the humidity, I did find the slimy aspect of the grip not really my cup of tea. Again they did not hurt performance, but each tester that we handed the club to during our rounds had the same reaction. If you are in a climate that is not quite as humid, but are looking for something with some serious grip, these may be perfect for you. For more information on the Tacki-Mac Itomic or any of the other products that they produce, check out their website at www.tackimac.com.
Till Next Time
Josh B.
