Equipment
Talking counterbalancing with Steve Boccieri and Tom Stickney
Could counterbalancing be the next technology major OEMs market? Steve Boccieri of Boccieri Golf thinks so. “The next frontier is counterbalancing,” he boldly declared.
Boccieri, the inventor of the Heavy Putter a decade ago, admittedly has a vested interest in the resurgence of counterbalancing taking over the market. His company recently released the Secret Grip: a (nearly) standard grip with a weight in the butt end. The Secret Grip, at 92 grams, is about 40 grams heavier than a traditional grip, such as the Golf Pride Tour Velvet, which is 50 grams. Thus far, the grip has been well-received both on Tour and by the general public.
Although the numbers have likely increased, Boccieri Golf’s website states:
“Over 3,000 golfers have tested the Secret Grip, with 97 percent preferring it to a conventional grip.
Golf Labs conducted an independent test of the Secret Grip and found 87 percent of golfers, using a 6-iron, increased their ball speed, the leading factor in distance.”
Boccieri indicated that counterbalancing has been popular for years, stating that Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus both counterweighted their clubs.
Boccieri reports that Secret Grips can be found in every major OEMs’ tour van right now and that players are requesting the grips. Already on Tour, the following players (among many others) are using the Secret Grip or counterbalancing their clubs: Sergio Garcia, J.B. Holmes, Retief Goosen, Bo Van Pelt, Rory Sabbatini, Ernie Els, and Ryan Moore.
The next step for Boccieri: offering the Secret Grip in more styles, such as the ribbed reminder version Thomas Bjorn has requested. Presently, the company is working with Lamkin to give golfers more Secret Grip options.
At the retail level, the Secret Grip has been well received. And at the Boccieri facility, the company offered golfers who purchased at least six Secret Grips the following deal: try the grips for 30 days. If you aren’t satisfied, we’ll regrip your clubs with the grips of your choosing for free. More than 90 percent of golfers stuck with the Secret Grips. Thus, according to Bocccieri, “the consumer is accepting the product.” Here’s a look at the Secret Grip specs and options.
Secret Grip Original: $12.99
- Injection molded tungsten cap
- Heavier rubber compound
- 92-gram total weight
- 1-inch longer than standard grip
- Built-up lower hand
- Sizes: Standard or Midsize
- Styles: Multi-direction pattern and cord
- Colors: Black, Red, White or Blue
Secret Grip Putter: $19.99
- Injection molded tungsten cap
- Heavier rubber compound
- Sizes: Classic, Midsize or Jumbo
- Colors: Black or Black/Green
- Weights: 100 grams, 155 grams or 165 grams
- Note: Black is only available in Midsize
So, what are the benefits of counterbalancing a club?
According to Boccieri, “When you raise the balance point you make the club more efficient.” Beyond that, Boccieri claims that counterbalancing a club (and using the Secret Grip in particular):
- Creates a better plane on the takeaway
- Allows the hands to set more quickly
- Allows for a smoother transition
- Helps a golfer “hold the angle” longer
- Contributes to a fuller extension
Using the Secret Putter Grip:
- Contributes to overall stroke stability
- Quiets the hands during the stroke
- Facilitates a pendulum stroke
Offering his own take, Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Tom Stickney II indicated that counterbalancing a club makes the head feel lighter.
Stickney, who counterweights his wedges and putter, believes that the demise of backweighting over the past couple of decades is mostly a function of the fact that OEMs didn’t want to add to the cost of the golf club and decided instead to market other technologies.
In search for comparative advantages, he sees the return of counterbalancing as a real possibility. He believes further that the recent popularity of counterbalanced putters could lead to a spillover of the technology into other club types.
Stickney’s only cautions: Adding weight to the end of the club increases static weight and decreases swingweight. Further counterbalancing a club may make it was to release more quickly, particularly in the woods, which promotes a draw.
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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steve parrott
Sep 12, 2014 at 1:03 pm
A much easier and cheaper way to counterbalance is to add a carriage bolt(about 10-15 cents each a any hardware store)to the grip end of the shaft. Then re-grip with your favorite grip. The bolts come in different lengths (longer is heavier) and the head of the bolt is nearly the same size as the outside diameter of the shaft. The rounded end of the bolt does not cause any issues with the re-grip. The new grip installed will hold the bolt in place so no wiggles or rattles. I’ve even experimented with adding lead tape wrapped around the bolt to increase the weight. Very simple, very cheap and very easy to install.
Jonzy
Sep 8, 2014 at 1:22 pm
I got a couple of these 2 years ago when they offered them free thru GG, Dick’s and Edwin Watts and put them on my wedges. I loved them and I feel that I got more accurate with them, but I’m not paying that price per grip. I’ve ended up buying the Tour Lock Pro weight that weighed about the same as the Boccieri one to see if I would get the same result and so far I’m happy with it. Plus, when I regrip, I can re-use the weight.
Mark
Sep 6, 2014 at 10:50 am
I just installed The Secret putting grips on a two old Ping Anser and B-60 putters as an experiment. and LOVE them. I’ve become pretty “yippie” as I’ve aged (57) and the counter-balancing has taken my hands significantly out of my stroke. I used a long putter for years, but have regained confidence with the added weights.
If you suffer from the yips, I’d absolutely give it a try…..not sure on the irons though
Eric
Sep 6, 2014 at 10:33 am
So, does counterbalancing promote a draw or a fade??? I am hearing differing opinions on this. Tom, you state at the end of your article that it promotes a draw, but some of the responses are saying the exact opposite……what is the correct answer?
Tom Stickney
Sep 6, 2014 at 3:27 pm
It promotes a draw for most people that I’ve seen professionally.
Try one
Sep 7, 2014 at 2:27 am
Which is not a good way to show that a person like Nicklaus, a perennial cutter of the ball is promoting it. Confusing, to say the very least. The science needs to be explained further.
S
Sep 6, 2014 at 8:32 am
Balance Certified is another company who makes counter balance weights for all clubs. They are a bit more expensive but you only have to buy them once which makes the cost negligible.
Try one
Sep 6, 2014 at 2:58 am
It’s not for everyone, just like anything else.
If you’re a hooker of the ball and want to correct it, the counterbalance will work for you nicely.
But with too much counterbalance, for a lot of people, it also robs them of the traditional swingweighted feeling of the clubhead at the end of the stick, so most people will struggle to fire the club through enough and lose all kinds of speed and control.
It’s not for everyone. Try one grip on a mid iron that you normally don’t hit very often and see what happens before you do the whole set.
Eric
Sep 6, 2014 at 10:27 am
I am a bit confused about your statement regarding someone being a hooker of the ball, that counterbalancing will help with that……Stickney specifically states that counterbalancing promotes a draw……..who is correct? Your statement is a direct contradiction of his….
Tom Stickney
Sep 6, 2014 at 3:28 pm
It depends where the wt is located. Deeper in the grip promotes a fade. Higher a draw
Try one
Sep 7, 2014 at 2:25 am
Eric,
I was specifically talking about the Boccieri grip, NOT the other counter-balance weight kits that allow you to move weight down into the shaft more. The Boccieri grip has a fixed 17 gram weight at the very end of the grip (therefore the shaft), in addition to the heavy rubber grip weight total.
The other aspect of the counter-balance that is not mentioned is the fact that it also makes the shaft play much much stiffer. That probably won’t help people that need a softer, more whippier transition as the counterweight will take that away.
Jason
Sep 5, 2014 at 9:44 pm
Why shouldn’t I just by the tour lock stuff counterweight system? When these grips are ready to be changed, do I throw the grip and weight away? If I bought the tour lock system , I could make the weight investment once, and choose any grip I want.
Jeffcb
Sep 5, 2014 at 9:06 pm
I tried them and what I noticed is that they slow my hands down. I like to hit a draw but with the weights it was harder for me personally to release correctly. Nicklaus hit a fade, Hogan struggled with a hook, both good reasons why back weighting might be beneficial to slow one’s hands. Just wasn’t for me.
Kevin
Sep 5, 2014 at 5:49 pm
Tom,
How does the counter weights effect your wedges in trajectory and distance ? Also if one was installed on a driver how may this effect the ball flight ? I tend to create a 3400/3500 spin rate with a driver
Tom Stickney
Sep 5, 2014 at 7:02 pm
It feels more stable to me personally but that’s only my opinion. I’ve noticed no changes in yardage.
Snowman
Sep 5, 2014 at 5:47 pm
I rigged a very heavy ~80 gram counter weight into my putter and like it very much. Interested in trying in some other clubs (not 80 grams), but grips are already too expensive in my opinion and I am a dedicated player that regroups at least twice a year. $12 is way high!.. + call it vanity or whatever, I do not want to play a grip that has “Secret Grip” plastered on it. I’ll buy some weights and do it myself.
Side note: great grip for the price: Lamkin X10, very similar to GP Tour velvet and significantly less expensive.
Snowman
Sep 5, 2014 at 5:49 pm
I also regrip twice a year……
Tom Stickney
Sep 5, 2014 at 7:03 pm
Try tourlock.com
steve
Sep 5, 2014 at 5:37 pm
Why use the Secret Grip, like said in the article this is nothing new. Why not just add weight to the butt end and use the grip you want
pilot25
Sep 5, 2014 at 5:20 pm
$12 per grip!! No thanks unless they last 2 seasons.
Chuck
Sep 5, 2014 at 4:48 pm
I’m very interested in counterweighting and especially in counterbalanced shafts.
I appreciate all that Boccieri is doing. As well as other manufacturers and club builders.
Great to hear the news (new news to me) that Boccieri is working with Lamkin.
My grip of choice is a .580 Lamkin Crossline; rib version. THAT is why I would never use one of the current Boccieri products; they ARE ALL ROUND GRIPS!
I have always been mystified why there are so few rib-model grips on the market. Dear OEM’s: among all of your exotic designs, colors, et cetera, just start all of your choices, please, with a rib-versus-round option.
PM
Sep 5, 2014 at 2:21 pm
I use the grips now for more than 6 months and I love them. I strike the balls better than before and my putting has improved amazingly. I really can recommend them to everybody.
You don’t have to live in the US as Boccieri ships them all over the world. Sorry to see so many negative comments from people who not even have tried them. It says more about them than the grips.
nikkyd
Sep 5, 2014 at 2:21 pm
I just make my own slugs out of melted down bullets i find in gravel pits. Cheaper,custom and more adjustable (fun too) Pretty boys buy 20$ grips. Good for them! They keep the companies in business!
adam
Sep 5, 2014 at 3:47 pm
Restate that please: “pretty dumb boys” pay $20/grip. Look for deals and you’ll find them. I paid $57 CAD shipped for 5-pw.
Jeff
Sep 5, 2014 at 2:05 pm
Line 1 Resurgent counterbalancing or resurgence of counterbalancing. Not resurgence counterbalance.
Shawn
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:56 pm
$13 for a grip just sounds high. $169 just to regrip is a little steep to me.
PaloAltoPlaya
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:27 pm
I’ve tried this grip at my club on a Miura MB001 9 iron- the pro asked me to take a couple swings with it. He didn’t let on anything about the grip I just figured he wanted me to try his new blades. I hit a couple of balls with it and said, no offense but my Mizunos blades feel a hell of a lot better than these Miuras. I then hit the 7 iron with stock Pure grip…yeah that’s more like it.
You guys getting paid to write favorable articles?!? Uneffinbelievable!
Tom Stickney
Sep 5, 2014 at 7:04 pm
I get paid zero! They didn’t work for me in my irons thus the reason why I use them only in my wedges.
steve
Sep 5, 2014 at 7:50 pm
You use different grips in your wedges? I kinda like using the same grip through out.
Chuck
Sep 5, 2014 at 8:59 pm
I use rib grips in Driver-PW and round grips in my 52-Gap wedge and my 59-Sand/lob wedge.
Lamkin Crossline ribs/rounds. They match perfectly.
I do this because I prefer rib grips, but I tilt “open” my 52 occasionally, and my 59 often.
Ed
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:26 pm
This isn’t anything new.. Sergio has been doing this for a while (I know I’ve seen pics on this site even)
I counter balanced my putter years ago to quiet the hands at takeaway.. same principle here in all clubs I suppose..
It’s a great idea to bring mainstream but it’s nothing new. Tour pros have known about this for w while..
Chuck
Sep 5, 2014 at 4:43 pm
I think we all know that, Ed, and that this article specifically acknowledged the practice dating back to “Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus.”
I frankly don’t get your point.
steve
Sep 5, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Frankly he means you dont need to buy the secret grip to get the job done.
Scooter McGavin
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:11 pm
I don’t understand the opening sentence/question. Every major OEM already markets counterbalancing. They all have counterbalanced putters. Ping’s TFC wood shafts are “high balance point”, which is the same general idea as counterbalancing – moving the cg closer to the hands. Only discussing Boccieri the way it’s done here just makes it a Boccieri commercial. Did Boccieri pay for this ad?
Kevin
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:02 pm
Unfortunately not available in the UK as usual. Tried last year and couldn’t get anyone to post one over.
dot dot
Sep 5, 2014 at 12:49 pm
Bocceri website states “97% preferred the secret grip over a conventional grip” Ya, I’m thinking that’s just a wee bit overstated. If they are going to lie at least make it believable.
MC
Sep 5, 2014 at 1:06 pm
Agreed. I’ve done Secret grips for more than a few customers and 100% have gone away from them.