50 Words or Less
The Golf Pride Reverse Taper putter grips promote more stability in your hands with an enlarged lower portion. Three shapes and two sizes give players a lot of options. Light weight.
Introduction
Over the last decade or so, the shape of golf grips has undergone a major change. A sharp tapering from the top of the grip to the bottom had always been the norm. With grips like the MCC Plus 4 [review HERE] and Plus 4 Align [review HERE], Golf Pride gave players a shape that was more consistent from top to bottom.
With their new Reverse Taper putter grips, Golf Pride is going completely the other way: the grip is now thicker (much thicker) on the bottom than the top. Is this just a fad or the emergence of a new normal? I tested them to see for myself.
Look
All of the Golf Pride Reverse Taper putter grips share a black, white, and red color scheme. There’s extra large Golf Pride branding down the front of the grip and a smaller “Reverse Taper” at the top. The only other text is wrapped around the back at the top of the grip explaining the size and shape of the grip. There are five red stripes around the middle of the grip which could be used to guide hand placement, depending on your grip style. Overall, the sharp contrast between the black and white make the Reverse Taper eye catching despite not having a lot of busy graphics.
Feel
While the three shapes are dramatically different, each Golf Pride Reverse Taper putter grip has the same dimpled pattern across the entire grip. The combination of this texture and a light tack gives the player a good hold on the putter without needing to squeeze it.
The Golf Pride Reverse Taper is a made from polyurethane to keep the weight low even at the larger sizes. This gives it a feel similar to Super Stroke and other large, modern grips. At impact, that similarity continues. To me, larger polyurethane grips have a more muted feel than traditional rubber grips. This isn’t inherently good or bad, just a matter of finding what fits your preference.
Performance
Why would you want to use a reverse taper grip? According to Golf Pride, “Reverse Taper putter grip technology stabilizes both hands for a more square putter face at impact.” This is “as tested against a parallel style grip,” though they do not disclose how this testing was done.
The Golf Pride Reverse Taper putter grip family has six offerings: Pistol (above, bottom), Round (above, top), and Flat, all in medium and large sizes. There is surprisingly little weight variance among this family. The lightest – Medium Flat – weighs 61 grams, and the heaviest – Medium Pistol – weighs 64 grams. And no, that’s not a typo: Golf Pride lists the Medium Pistol at one gram heavier than the Large Pistol. This light weight is helpful because it allows you to change your grip without altering the feel of your putter.
I was immediately drawn to the Pistol (above). This model has a dramatic “pistol kick” to lock in your top hand and the least dramatic reverse taper. Because of the pistol shape, it feels closer to no taper, but a thorough examination reveals that there is a slight bulge in the lower half. The Round grip has a flat top with rounded sides and back and a significant reverse taper. Finally, the Flat grip has a flat top and longer sides for a more oval shape (below). Like the Round, it has a large reverse taper. Golf Pride recommends the Flat for a palm-to-palm hand placement.
Because each of the Golf Pride Reverse Taper grips has a large, flat top, I found them to be versatile for different hand placements. I’ve always used a traditional grip when putting, but I was able to use different styles more effectively with these grips. I found it easier to putt left hand low because the larger bottom gave the dominant lower hand more to hold on to. Similarly, the large, flat tops gave my hand more space to rest for claw or saw style hand placements.
In my testing – both on grass and on a launch monitor – I did not find a meaningful difference between the performance of the Reverse Taper Pistol and my current gamer grip. The Reverse Taper felt like it filled my hand more, but that didn’t translate to dramatically different results. I actually view this as a good result for the Reverse Taper. I’ve only gamed traditionally sized grips, and, statistically, I’m a good putter. For the Reverse Taper to come out of the gates and match my gamer is impressive. It’s certainly possible that I would see improved results after more time with this grip.
Conclusion
The Golf Pride Reverse Taper putter grips offer a range of unique options for golfers seeking a new feeling in their hands. I applaud Golf Pride for going big with the namesake feature and for offering three distinct shapes. If you’re trying to find more stability on the greens, these are worth a look.
Buy Golf Pride Reverse Taper Putter Grips HERE
He founded Plugged In Golf in 2013 with the goal of helping all golfers play better and enjoy the game more.
Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters.
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8 Comments
Thanks for the review.
Would you say the medium size is smaller or bigger than a 2.0 super stroke as a general comparison?
Matthew,
The Medium is a bit smaller than the 2.0.
-Matt
I have been enjoying the Supersport 2.0 since it came out, but waited about 45 days to try this new grip. I could not believe how good it felt in my hands, squared up the face. Thank you for this new development.
Matt, thank you for the detailed review. I’ve been reading the ads for this grip. I have an old Super Stroke grip (Mid Slim 2.0) that is slightly reversed tapered. Not sure how old it is but I haven’t been able to find them for sale anywhere and don’t think they make now. Measured it this morning and confirmed it is slightly smaller at the top in the last three fingers of the left hand (for a right-handed conventional grip) and then consistently and slightly larger to bottom to the bottom of the grip. The taper is not as severe as the new Golf Pride grip. Completely agree with your review that it feels great with different grip styles, left hand low, claw, etc.
Can you add weight to the medium pistol grip after installation
Steve,
There are no weights in the grip, pre or post installation. You could add weight to the shaft under the grip before installation.
Best,
Matt
I like the grips , but the Medium Pistol says Pistol but is is a far cry from a pistol . The large is more pistol. Disappointed in Golf pride saying the medium is a pistol when it is round. I was hoping it was like the large pistol but in medium.
I think they blew it with the pistol medium.
Eddie
Golf Pride reverse taper , is going to be the hottest putter grip in the world . Mark this down . It’s just a matter of time . Just like Ventus shafts . They where not an Instant success.
The medium pistol reverse taper is so darn good. Checks ever box available. If you don’t have one your leaving lower scores out there .
Nothing lowers your score more than a great putter. Make your day and go low . Super Stroke can’t compete.