When it comes to putting, more than any other area of the game, it's extremely important that we're holding the putter in the correct way. Without it, we would simply not be able to hole the putts that ultimately determine the level of golfer we are.
Golf Pride's reputation within the grip market is unmistakeable. The simplistic branding seen in many iconic moments throughout golfing history has led to their products being used by the best in the world for generations. Being a junior golfer I noticed the scratch team at my club all switched to Golf Pride multi-compound grips in the late 2000s, a young Rory McIlroy doing the same. It was a given that if you were changing your grips, you'd be changing them to Golf Pride.
The stats back it up: when it comes to full swing grips Golf Pride have a whopping 70-80% market share, last year on tour a staggering 97% of players playing in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth had them in the bag, and at the 2023 Ryder Cup 22 out of the 24 players used Golf Pride grips.
If you're interested in finding out more about Golf Pride's full swing grips, you can watch this very handy guide from our partners HowDidiDo:
However, the same cannot be said for Golf Pride when it comes to putter grips. In the putter grip category, they are not no.1 and have struggled to compete with the likes of SuperStroke who have filled tour players' bags for over a decade, thanks to the likes of Jordan Spieth using them so successfully on the biggest of stages.
2024 is the year that Golf Pride are trying to change this using their knowledge and experience, introducing the Reverse Taper Putter Grip range to the market, that they claim all golfers can benefit from.
Who Is It Aimed At?
The Reverse Taper is aimed at golfers that are ultimately wanting to improve their game on the greens. If you're somebody that gets the hands a little bit too active in the putting stroke, the Reverse Taper is about not stopping golfers from using their hands altogether, but actually to help golfers use their hands more effectively.
If you're somebody that lacks confidence and is keen on investing in marginal gains, looking at new approaches to your short game then the Reverse Taper grips may well be worth taking a look at.
The Tech
Reverse Taper is engineered to optimise both hands during the putting stroke to help square the clubface at impact and hence the name, does this through a slimmer upper half and wider lower section. This is all about helping anchor the top hand for stability and reduce tension in the lower hand for smooth acceleration through the stroke. Additionally, Reverse Taper is said to prevent micro-levers in the stroke, helping golfers to not flip their wrists at impact.
The grips come available in two sizes (medium and large) in three different shapes:
- Round - Universally popular for all hand gripping techniques; features a traditionally round upper section that tapers into a wider lower section
- Pistol - Classic pistol shape to help golfers lock in their upper hand; designed for all and often popular with players who use a left-hand-low technique (right-handed golfer)
- Flat - Slightly more oval shaped upper section; designed for all and often preferred by golfers with a palm-to-palm putting stroke style
By this point, you may be thinking that a putter grip that is thicker at the bottom compared to the top is nothing new, and if so, you'd be correct. This ideology has been seen a lot in the last twenty years from multiple manufacturers trying to 'quiet down the hands' of golfers, but Golf Pride say that they are not trying to change something that already works, but just do it better.
They used SAM PuttLab, the world's most accurate putt analysis and training system, to design many iterations of this new grip and found that data that proved this is the most effective way to improve your stroke. If it ain't broken, why fix it?
I tested this grip on my TaylorMade Spider GT Rollback putter over various rounds on greens with varying speed.
Golf Pride Reverse Taper Grip Review
Looks
I don't think I will have been the only golfer to change a putter grip simply because of it's aesthetics. There is something about a cool looking grip that can complete the look of your favourite putter and just make you feel good on the greens, but initially I have to say that the Reverse Taper wasn't quite to my taste looks-wise.
The design combines white, red and black colourways with various visual cues and textures to help with finger placement regardless of how a player likes to grip their putter, there is also the unmissable Golf Pride logo written down the front for all to see. Again I think this could have been done a little more subtly, making it less in your face, however SuperStroke have succeeded with this style for years.
Once I got used to the busyness of the grip, I started to use the various visual aids without realising and definitely appreciated the help when addressing the ball, and even when practicing my stroke in-between putts.
It will stand out on the course, suiting most recent grip trends that the modern-day golfer and tour professional has come to prefer in fairness. So maybe this won't put too many golfers off, and after all Golf Pride are trying to make a statement with this grip, so I understand thinking behind the design.
Feel
Arguably the most important element of any grip is the feel and I have to say that the Reverse Taper felt awesome from the word go.
These grips have been constructed using polyurethane to deliver the softness, texture and weight that enables more consistency and confidence in golfers’ hands. From the outset on test, they certainly felt soft in the palm of my hands - the material is smooth yet quite tacky giving a nice balance to the grip.
One reservation that many golfers have of thicker grips is that they will lose feel both in the stroke and at impact, however I found the reverse taper to still feel responsive both during the stroke and at impact with the ball.
If you've never used a reverse taper grip before, or just a standard thicker grip, the large shape may take a little getting used to, but after a while the change in thickness become less noticeable.
There are also slight perforations on the grip that give it added texture, again something I wasn't really used to but these unique traction elements helped each my hands control the speed of my putts that little but more.
Performance
This is a really hard thing to determine, despite the hours of testing I have done with multiple different shaped Reverse Taper grips, like most amateur golfers my putting is pretty inconsistent. When I miss putts there could be a variety of reasons why: poor pace, a miss-read or a weak stroke can cause my putter face to not be square at impact.
However what I will say is that I think my putting is definitely more consistent on shorter, straighter putts when using the Reverse Taper and if you're a golfer that struggles with flipping of the hands then this grip will definitely help.
My stroke just felt more solid overall when using the Reverse Taper which can never be a bad thing. Once you get used to the thickness and start to concentrate more on the actual putt than the grip, trusting the technology will certainly help you become more confident of the greens and let's be honest that's what it's all about right? Confidence is king.
Golf Pride Reverse Taper Grip Verdict
Golf Pride have brought something to the market using tried and tested ideologies, premium materials and design features that do accomplish what they're trying to achieve - not taking the hands out of the stroke, but allowing you to use them more efficiently.
A word of advice I would give however is to test multiple sizes and shapes of the grip - don't just get the closest one to your current putter or the one that feels right straight away. I made that mistake initially testing a medium round reverse taper, but after some thought changed to a medium pistol - the slight bit more of definition in my hands helped me putt with a little more feel and confidence.
Although the look of the grips won't put too many people off, it's not quite for me and I would've liked to have seen a variety of simpler colour design options, maybe this will come further down the line.
Overall, I'm certainly intrigued to see whether Golf Pride will reverse the trend of their short game stats in the coming years, over to you putting perfectionists.
Would I Use It?
As a golfer that doesn't like to change things in the short game too much, I have surprised myself here and will be sticking with reverse taper on my putter for the foreseeable. I'm determined to stick with it in an attempt to simplify my putting stroke and hole more putts!
Golf Pride Reverse Taper Pros and Cons
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