If there’s one factor I’ve realized from years of protecting golf tools, it’s that grips is likely to be essentially the most neglected piece of efficiency tools. We continuously point out that the ball is the one piece of apparatus you utilize on each shot however the grip is actually the one level of contact between you and your membership on each swing (on this story, putts depend as swings). Regardless of that actuality, most golfers deal with grips with all of the consideration of a subway handrail.
Golf Pleasure needs to vary that mindset with its new ALIGN Max grips. The case is compelling.
The evolution of reminder grips
For these unfamiliar with golf’s grip historical past (I’m guessing that’s 99 % of us), reminder grips had been as soon as the usual. We’re speaking 90 % of all grips within the ’50s and ’60s. However as mass manufacturing took maintain, spherical grips grew to become the norm – nearly solely as a result of they had been simpler to fabricate and set up.
Quick ahead to immediately the place 25 to 30 % of PGA Tour gamers use reminder grips however the common golfer largely ignores them.
Stated one other means, Golf Pleasure believes ALIGN is barely scratching the floor of its potential.
By the numbers, the corporate has discovered that, when proven the know-how, 92 % of golfers discover ALIGN know-how interesting. The problem is that solely 38 % have heard of ALIGN, and solely 20 % both play or have tried them.
It’s a disconnect that isn’t misplaced on Golf Pleasure they usually’re hoping that ALIGN Max will assist bridge the hole.
ALIGN Max: Extra cowbell
When you consider the unique ALIGN grip as a mild suggestion for hand placement, the ALIGN Max is extra like your outdated golf coach standing behind you actively adjusting your grip.
The ALIGN Max was designed in response to golfer demand. As Golf Pleasure Putter Product Supervisor Bruce Miller put it, “Some golfers, they want more cowbell. They want it to feel larger than it is.”
Not like the unique ALIGN’s surface-level reminder, Max’s reminder cuts all through the grip. It’s just like the distinction between a velocity bump and a Jersey barrier.
The extra aggressive rib will possible make a major distinction at retail the place the advantages of the ALIGN grip weren’t all the time noticeable to golfers who had been simply pulling grips out of baskets at Golf Galaxy.
With ALIGN Max, the rib is waaaay extra pronounced. You’re going to really feel it even when the grip isn’t put in on a shaft.
Talking of set up …
The set up downside
One of many largest hurdles with reminder grips has all the time been set up. Get it flawed by even a number of levels and immediately your reminder is extra like a nasty reminiscence.
The actual fact of the matter is that lots of installers acquired it flawed. I can’t depend the variety of ALIGN grips I’ve seen the place the rib was, angled, twisted, turned and in any other case completely buggered.
I think that’s a part of the rationale why some golfers who tried ALIGN didn’t keep it up.
ALIGN or Mis-ALIGN, it too typically comes right down to the installer.
With ALIGN Max, Golf Pleasure addressed the difficulty head-on, making them considerably simpler to put in straight. Whereas it’s in all probability not correct to name it self-correcting, the brand new design is way much less liable to twisting. It’s a vital element that would considerably enhance the variety of repeat customers.
The correct grip for you?
Right here’s a sobering stat: solely 41 % of golfers are assured they’ve chosen the proper grip. That’s like saying solely 41 % of persons are assured they picked the proper sized footwear. Much more regarding? A whopping 83 % of golfers change their grips solely when completely vital.
When is that, precisely?
“We see golfers spending thousands of dollars to go on bucket-list golf trips while playing grips slicker than a metal shaft,” says Miller. “They have no idea how much it’s hurting their game.”
With that, you possibly can count on to see Golf Pleasure extra aggressively try to coach golfers on not simply discovering the proper grip but additionally understanding why and when you have to exchange them.
My 2 Cents
At a launch occasion final yr, I had Golf Pleasure set up the ALIGN Max on my driver. I’ve performed mid-sized MCC +4 grips for the final a number of years and my preliminary response was that not solely was the rib on the ALIGN Max extra pronounced however it additionally makes the grip really feel a bit bigger than the usual +4.
I believe you’re going to really feel the distinction, too.
The underside line
The ALIGN Max represents Golf Pleasure’s most aggressive push but to redefine grips as real efficiency tools. It’s not nearly having one thing to carry onto anymore – it’s about consistency, precision and, finally, higher golf.
Will it revolutionize how golfers take into consideration grips? That continues to be to be seen. However should you’ve been in search of extra suggestions out of your grip, extra consistency in your hand placement or simply extra cowbell usually, the ALIGN Max deserves a severe look.
I must also point out that should you love the present ALIGN, there’s no cause you need to swap. Golf Pleasure’s preliminary analysis means that roughly 83 % of present ALIGN customers will make the swap however Golf Pleasure has no plans to take away the prevailing ALIGN from cabinets. Consider Max as an alternative choice throughout the ALIGN household.
Specs, Pricing, Availability
Obtainable in MCC and MCC +4, the Golf Pleasure ALIGN Max shall be out there starting Feb. 15. Retail value is $14.99 per grip.
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