Equipment
Bob Lamkin on the wrap grip reborn, 90 years of history
2015 marks the 90th anniversary of Lamkin Golf Grips. The longest-standing gripmaker in the golf industry is fresh off the success of the UTx and R.E.L. grips in 2014 and is poised to unveil something even more exciting in the year ahead.
“The Wrap-Tech is our ‘hero launch’ for 2015,” said Bob Lamkin, third-generation president of the company. “And it’s part of the puzzle when you see the products that are going to be launched in 2015 and beyond.”
According to the president and CEO, “The grip has had rave reviews from everyone. We’re very excited about the initial feedback that we’ve had. That’s resonated through our focus groups, retailers, PGA Tour professionals.”
Wrap-Tech
- Revolutionary new wrap-style grip with dual surface patterns for superior comfort and grip traction.
- Made with the patented ACE compound engineered for unmatched tackiness and shock absorption.
- Exceptionally tacky grip surface in all weather conditions.
- Slightly softer material ideal for players who prefer not to wear a glove.
UTx
- Proprietary Tri-Layer Technology: Softer ACE foundation for enhanced feel. Moisture-wicking full cord fabric weave. Firmer, incredibly tacky top layer
- Unmatched performance in all climates and weather conditions.
- Exceptional torsion control & grip stabililty.
- Promotes the ideal light pressure grip for longer, more consistent shots.
R.E.L. Ace
- Made with super-tacky ACE synthetic rubber.
- Patented shock-absorbing technology dulls painful vibration without dulling shot feedback.
- Extremely comfortable grip ideal for a wide range of golfers.
- Unique surface pattern maximizes surface contact with a golfer’s hands for added control and stability.
- Golf’s widest assortment of size and color options.
Lamkin’s offering for 2015 will also include stalwarts such as the Crossline, i-Line, and X10.
The CEO of Lamkin Grips was kind enough to talk a little about the family business and what’s ahead for the grip company.
On what’s coming down the pike
You’ll see line extensions on UTx. You’ll see this type of material technology move into the putter grip category. The end goal for us from the consumer perspective: develop products through material surface patterns.
What we’re really centering on in each one of the grip categories is performance. Performance materials, performance surface patterns; the combination of [the two] will increase playability. Performance for me equates into competence.
Golfers who regrip their golf clubs consistently stay within a product category. Instead of trying to convert them, or have them jump ship, what we want to do is have that same Ace material and the performance characteristics in all the product categories, whether it’s a putter grip, or a cord grip, or a wrap grip.
On the purpose of the grip
Get golfers to have a very light grip pressure and have confidence in the material and surface pattern where you don’t think you’re going to slip.
If you’re able to have a secure, tension-free swing from your elbows down, that really is going to be able to help the golfer…help a golfer make a full turn, generate swing speed.
If you’re really choking the grip because you don’t have confidence, it’s really going to impede your ability to freely swing the golf club.
On the company’s 90 years of history
I’m very proud of the fact that we’ve had three generations of evolution in the grip category. We’re the longest established grip company…from 1925 on. I have to applaud my grandfather and my father for instilling the core principle of continuous improvement.
We changed from when all grips were made of leather. My father came in and said we need to be able to offer a rubber material. My grandfather, it took a little while for him to warm up to the idea. We went into cord, and synthetic rubber, and then colors came out.
The dynamic changes from a manufacturing perspective to keep pace and to continue to develop new grips and new materials…a huge undertaking…new materials…new equipment…a constant learning…how to improve and get better…
We’ve brought a team of engineers together to really look at the materials side of the category and improve…with Wrap-Tech and the Ace material compounds.
It’s not just color. It’s not just cosmetic driven. People like the colors, but color doesn’t mean it’s a better product. Through the Ace materials, we’ve been able to combine the cosmetics with the functionality of a new material.
Each generation is a rebirth. It’s like a new company, and that’s been instilled in us through the generations.
We’re a privately held family business. We’re very proud of how much we’ve accomplished. Our management team, we have over 500 employees. It’s a collaborative effort worldwide. [We have a] singular goal: make it better each year.
On the company’s future
We keep bringing better products to market that are hopefully going to help golfers play more consistently or at least enjoy the game more. If we can do that, we’ve achieved our goal.
If you don’t improve, and you don’t keep trying to make the product category better, somebody else will. All we do is make golf grips, so our core focus is on that continuous improvement model in the materials side.
Lamkin indicated the company is doing extensive focus-group research globally to determine the optimal grip characteristics for, say, the United States’ West Coast versus the coast of Scotland.
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Equipment
Why Rory McIlroy will likely use the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper at the RBC Heritage
Although we spotted Rory McIlroy testing the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper last week during practice rounds at the Masters, he ultimately didn’t decide to use the club in competition.
It seems that will change this week at the 2024 RBC Heritage, played at the short-and-tight Harbour Town Golf Links in Hilton Head.
When asked on Wednesday following his morning Pro-Am if he’d be using the new, nostalgic BRNR Copper this week, McIlroy said, “I think so.”
“I like it,” McIlroy told GolfWRX.com on Tuesday regarding the BRNR. “This would be a good week for it.”
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According to Adrian Rietveld, the Senior Manager of Tour at TaylorMade, the BRNR Mini Driver can help McIlroy position himself properly off the tee at the tight layout.
Here’s what Rietveld told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday:
“For someone like Rory, who’s that long at the top end of the bag, and then you put him on a course like Harbour Town, it’s tough off the tee. It’s tight into the greens, and you have to put yourself in position off the tee to have a shot into the green. It kind of reminds me of Valderrama in Spain, where you can be in the fairway and have no shot into the green.
“I’m caddying for Tommy [Fleetwood] this week, so I was walking the course last night and looking at a few things. There’s just such a small margin for error. You can be standing in the fairway at 300 yards and have a shot, but at 320 you don’t. So if you don’t hit a perfect shot, you could be stuck behind a tree. And then if you’re back at 280, it might be a really tough shot into the small greens.
“So for Rory [with the BRNR], it’s a nice course-specific golf club for him. He’s got both shots with it; he can move it right-to-left or left-to-right. And the main thing about this club has been the accuracy and the dispersion with it. I mean, it’s been amazing for Tommy.
“This was the first event Tommy used a BRNR last year, and I remember talking to him about it, and he said he couldn’t wait to play it at Augusta next year. And he just never took it out of the bag because he’s so comfortable with it, and hitting it off the deck.
“So you look at Rory, and you want to have the tools working to your advantage out here, and the driver could hand-cuff him a bit with all of the shots you’d have to manufacture.”
So, although McIlroy might not be making a permanent switch into the new TaylorMade BRNR Mini Driver Copper, he’s likely to switch into it this week.
His version is lofted at 13.5 degrees, and equipped with a Fujikura Ventus Black 7X shaft.
See more photos of Rory testing the BRNR Mini here
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It seems like the RBC Heritage is full of new gear to be spotted, and you can add TaylorMade’s P-UDI utility irons to that list.
We spotted a 17-degree P-UDI 2-iron in Nick Dunlap’s bag yesterday, and now have some photos of both the 3- and 4-irons. Nick has his P-UDI 2-iron setup with a Project X HZRDUS Black 4th Gen 105g TX shaft.
From what we can tell, this new P-UDI utility iron looks to have some of the usual TaylorMade technology as we can see the Speed Slot on the sole of the club for additional face flexibility. A toe screw is usually used to close off the hollow body design that will probably be filled with a version of TaylorMade’s Speed Foam that is present in the current iron lineup. This hollow body, foam-filled design should offer additional ball speed, soft feel, and sound, as well as an optimized CG for ball flight.
“Forged” is etched into the hosel, so we can assume that either the face, body, or both are forged for a soft and responsive feel. The club looks good from behind and at address, where we can see just a little offset and a topline that I would consider medium thickness. We don’t have the full details on what is under the hood or how many loft options will be available yet.
TaylorMade P-UDI 3-iron – 20°
TaylorMade P-UDI 4-iron – 22°
- Check out the rest of our photos from the 2024 RBC Heritage
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- Collin Morikawa what’s in the bag accurate as of the RBC Heritage. More photos from the event here.
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 LS (9 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 60 TX (45 inches)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (13.5 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Limited 80 TX
Irons: TaylorMade P770 (4), P7MC (5-6), P730 (7-PW)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue Mid 115 X100 (4-6), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (7-PW)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50-SB09, 56-LB08), TaylorMade MG4 TW (60-TW11)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: TaylorMade TP Soto
Grip: SuperStroke Zenergy Tour 2.0
Grips: Golf Pride Z-Grip Cord
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x
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Golfraven
Dec 5, 2014 at 6:26 pm
Glad for the comments folks. I was about to try the UTx on my driver first but need something that will last me longer than couple of months. will either stay with the Tour Velvet Cord or try the Golf Pride Multi-Compound Platinum – love the look of Platinum/White.
Jeff
Dec 4, 2014 at 1:19 pm
Revolutionary new style grip? For Lamkin, yes. But it’s not revolutionary or new for golf. It’s just an updated version of the Sand Wrap offered by Royal Grips (remember them?) back in 1994. That being said, I’ll probably give them a try.
Steve
Dec 3, 2014 at 3:20 pm
Wow, I love their new grips. The updated logo and the new wrap seems like a winner.
Companies don’t make it 90 years by doing the SOS forever. Congratulations to Lamkin. They have been a part of the fabric of the game.
Shallowface
Dec 4, 2014 at 6:35 am
Seems a lot of us here think the SOS is just fine.
Chuck
Dec 7, 2014 at 3:37 pm
Lamkin makes dozens of different grip models. If they want to introduce new innovations, I think that’s great. If they want to put a new logo on every new model as it is introduced, there’s nothing wrong with that.
Just don’t make changes to existing models that are working beautifully and are part of equipment choices that I don’t want to change or re-adapt. And don’t even think of discontinuing a truly classic product like the Crossline.
tom
Dec 3, 2014 at 12:12 pm
Hated the feel of the UTx. Ordered my Z545’s with Tour Velvets instead.
FTWPhil
Dec 3, 2014 at 11:25 am
Bring back Crossline Black it’s one of our best sellers! Why was the crossline pattern changed on the standard crossline? It is much smaller now.
tom
Dec 3, 2014 at 12:02 pm
Agree. Love the Crossline black.
Tim
Dec 4, 2014 at 2:22 pm
Cross line and corded cross line are the most timeless grips, and very reasonably priced as well. Great grips for all weathers, have used them for years and multi compound for years, but the lambkins are about half the price of the golf prides.
No bueno
Dec 3, 2014 at 1:00 am
Crossline is the only decent grip in the whole line that lasts any length of time. The rest are too soft and doesn’t last at all.
jonno
Dec 2, 2014 at 11:51 pm
all of the ace compound grips wear out too fast, utx lasts like a month on the driver
Dave
Dec 2, 2014 at 10:14 pm
Have used Lamkin for years. I don’t understand why most of their grips are available only in .580 when most shafts have a butt size of .600. I guess they think everyone needs oversize grips. I’d like to hear the reason for the .580 size.
obo
Dec 2, 2014 at 9:27 pm
The UTx are absolute garbage. They didn’t even last a year. Cords break down way to fast and the color will stain your golf glove and bare hand. Back to iomic for this guy.
ron
Dec 3, 2014 at 12:17 am
iomic is trash
CM
Dec 8, 2014 at 7:22 pm
They do wear fast but like the firm tack. I can’t grips to last 5-6 months. No grip last a year with heavy use.
Dbuck
Dec 2, 2014 at 8:05 pm
I have used Crosslines for several years on virtually everything and am glad they are keeping them in the line.
I will be trying the Wrap-Tech when it is available.
FTWPhil
Dec 8, 2014 at 10:23 am
I’m very interested in the wrap grip color options as well. I currently use Golf Pride Tour Wrap blue. The different texture is pretty interesting.
Shallowface
Dec 2, 2014 at 7:40 pm
I will never understand why they did away with the distinctive Lamkin logo as shown on the grip that’s in the picture of Mr. Lamkin, in favor of a white block letter logo that reminds one of Golf Pride.
Big fan of the Crossline as well as older products such as the Perma Wrap and the Sure Tac 85th Anniversary grip from 2010. I’ve tried a couple of the ACE products, but didn’t like the feel of them as well as the Crossline.
The old Sure Tac grips from the 80s were a remarkable product. Wilson used those on some of their Staff irons, and I have found some of those that were still playable after a light sanding and cleaning with soap and water. Incredible for 30 year old grips.
Jafar
Dec 3, 2014 at 9:39 am
Perhaps money and manufacturing costs.
A small design change could save millions possibly.
Shallowface
Dec 4, 2014 at 6:31 am
Don’t see how it could make any difference. The logo is part of the mold, is it not?
Chuck
Dec 4, 2014 at 10:32 pm
Yes; keep the old logo!
At the very least, PLEASE keep making the old Crosslines the exact same way, including the old logo.
I will never understand why it is so hard to get a matching set of grips with options for rib and round. It’s hard enough finding any rib grips anymore.
I’ll keep buying .580 rib and round Crosslines as long as they keep making them. (Ribs on Driver thru PW, Rounds on GW and SW.)
David Gebhardt PGA
Dec 2, 2014 at 6:12 pm
Have used Lamkin for years,love the feel and durability of the Crossline. As a company you have always provided great r&d, but you are missing a growing market. Your wrap has been the best, except – it is righthanded. Try a model reversing the wrap for us lefties.
joey
Dec 2, 2014 at 3:21 pm
great article haven’t tried the new lamkins yet have golf pride tour wraps on and they are great