YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Q: I’M A HIGH-HANDICAP PLAYER AND WAS TOLD BY A FRIEND THAT A “REMINDER GRIP” MIGHT HELP ME. WHAT IS IT, AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? Reminder grips have long been used by tour players. Ben Hogan, in fact, was known to place part of a wire hanger under his grips to promote a weak grip to avoid the hook. Manufacturers also
make them for the masses. Reminder grips feature a narrow rib on the underside of the grip that fits into the crease of the fingers to “remind” players to grip the
FLY HIGH Tommy Fleetwood is among the handful of pros that use a 9-wood.
club properly. Today, these grips appear to be an underutilised tool. According to industry leader Golf Pride, about 15 percent of all grips are ribbed, with the company’s ALIGN grip accounting for about two-thirds of that 15 percent. “The level of knowledge about re- minder grips is fairly low,” says Greg Cavill, an engineer at Golf Pride. “The diehards know they exist, but even they are not fully aware of the benefits of re- peatable hand placement.” That’s unfortunate. “More players should consider reminder grips, espe- cially higher handicaps,” says Woody Lashen, a Golf Digest 100 Best Clubfit- ter. “Middle to high handicaps would benefit from positioning their hands on the club the same way all the time.” Reminder grips eliminate a variable. If you struggle getting your hands in a comfortable, consistent position, you should give them a try. Plus, the barrier to entry can be as low as one re-grip. Try re-gripping your driver with a reminder grip and see how you like it. You can always go back to what you had.
With 7-Woods all the Rage, Should 9-Woods be Next? Q:
Golfers with average to slower swing speeds often benefit from more spin to help keep the ball in the air. Another benefit is forgiveness. A 9-wood is larg- er than a hybrid and much larger than an iron, making it more forgiving with a moment of inertia (which increases stability and mitigates ball-speed loss on mis-hits) that is significantly higher. The longer shaft should generate ad- ditional clubhead speed, and the bulge and roll on the face of a 9-wood (com- pared to an iron with a flatter face) pro- duces a gear effect that brings toe and heel hits back towards the centre of the fairway – always a bonus. A handful of players at the US Wom- en’s Open carried 9-woods. Although that doesn’t appear to be a significant number, the more telling stat is that roughly 20 percent of the field started their iron set at the 6- or 7-iron. This is our suggestion for everyday golfers, and the 9-wood should be considered as an iron-replacement option.
I SEE A LOT OF PGA TOUR PLAYERS USING 7-WOODS. I HAVE ONE, TOO, AND IT’S TER- RIFIC. GIVEN THAT, SHOULD I LOOK AT A 9-WOOD TO REPLACE MY 5-IRON, WHICH I HAVE TROUBLE HITTING CONSISTENTLY? My friend, you have come to the right place. One of us recently made that very switch and has been extremely pleased with the results. The 9-wood is easier to hit, goes way higher and powers through the rough. It’s also a club you can use from the tee on at least one par 3. How- ever, what makes a 9-wood easier to hit? For starters, a 9-wood imparts more spin than an iron or hybrid. This allows the ball to fly higher and can help you hold a green from longer distances. It performs the same way from the rough, and this is vital because playing out of the rough reduces launch and spin.
Answers by Golf Digest’s equipment experts, Mike Stachura and E Michael Johnson.
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104 GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2025
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