Quick reference

Golf grip glossary

Grip terms in plain language. Short definitions you can look up in a few seconds, with links to the full guides where a term deserves more.

Build-up tape: Extra layers of tape wrapped under a grip to increase its diameter. Around two wraps adds about half a size. See tape wraps.
Compound: The rubber or blended material a grip is made from. Different compounds feel firmer, softer, or tackier, and wear at different rates.
Cord: Brushed cotton fibers woven into the grip surface for traction in wet or sweaty conditions. Firmer and more textured than plain rubber. See cord vs rubber vs hybrid.
Core size: The inside diameter of the grip that fits over the shaft, usually 0.580 or 0.600 inches. It should match your shaft's butt diameter.
Counterbalance: Adding weight toward the grip end of a club to lower swingweight and change how the head feels through the swing.
Grip pressure: How tightly you hold the club. Lighter is usually better; the right size and material let you hold on securely with less squeeze.
Handedness: Which hand leads the swing. Almost all grips are ambidextrous; a small number of putter grips are hand-specific.
Hybrid (multicompound): A grip with cord in the upper hand and softer rubber in the lower hand, blending all-weather traction with comfort. The Golf Pride MCC is the classic example.
Jumbo / oversize: The largest standard grip size, about 1/8 inch thicker than standard. Suits very large hands or sore joints. See the size chart.
Midsize: About 1/16 inch thicker than standard. Suits larger hands or long fingers.
Pistol: The classic putter grip shape, with a flat front and a slight bulge under the top hand. See the putter grip guide.
Regrip: Replacing a worn grip: strip the old grip and tape, clean the shaft, apply fresh tape and solvent, then slide on the new grip.
Reduced taper: A grip built with the lower hand closer in thickness to the top, so it narrows less from top to bottom. It quiets an overactive lower hand.
Ribbed (reminder): A grip with a raised rib along the back that helps you set your hands the same way each time. A "round" grip has no rib.
Solvent: The fluid that activates grip tape and lets a new grip slide on, then holds firmly once it dries.
Swingweight: A measure of how a club's weight is balanced between the grip and head ends (written like D2), not its total weight. Grip weight changes it. See grip weight and swingweight.
Tack: The sticky, grippy feel of a grip surface. Tacky grips feel secure when dry but can go slick when wet, and tack fades as a grip ages.
Taper: How much a grip narrows from the butt end down toward the shaft. See standard vs reduced taper.
Undersize: Slightly thinner than standard, by about 1/64 inch. Suits smaller hands.
Weight (grip): How heavy a grip is, from light (under about 46g) to heavy (over about 58g). It affects swingweight and overall club feel.