Equipment
Best Grips: A company that lives up to the name?
As a boy growing up in Texas, Zach Sewill didn’t want to be a firefighter or football player. He wanted to be a professional golfer. Hands bloodied from hours of practice led to a realization — he needed better grips. What he found was both an answer and the foundation for a career.
In 2003, Sewill and his father (Harry) started a small company in Conroe, Texas, that distributed leather grips as the U.S. arm of Grip Master. Everything was hunky-dory until 2008 when what Sweille termed, ahem, “creative differences” led the companies to part ways.
In 2010, Sewill decided to go it alone and started BestGrips.com. With the support and guidance from his dad, he set out to produce the best golf grip in the world.
From left to right: MicroPerf, Gridiron and Classic
The company’s first grip, the Classic ($17 each) is a firm grip with a smooth surface. The MicroPerf ($18 each) is slightly softer and more textured than the Classic. The Gridiron ($19 each) has the most texture and is made from the exact same material as collegiate and professional footballs. Both the Classic and MicroPerf are available in oversized as well.
Each grip has a leather chassis and is produced from 100 percent genuine leather, a key component to being the best, Sewill says.
Best Grips also use “Pro Taper,” which adds more size — approximately three wraps underneath the golfer’s dominant hand — to the bottom of the grip. There’s also “Pro Tac,” which infuses a blend of food-grade materials directly into the leather. The result of Pro Tac is the only grip in golf that truly gets tackier as it gets wetter.
Best Grips also offers two different putter grips (Pistol and the D), which are offered in a variety of textures, colors and styles. Designer and exotic options (think ostrich and sea snake) drive the price north, but are still quite a bit less than similar products from other niche companies.
The Gridiron putter grip uses the same material as footballs.
Sewill prides himself on a willingness to provide customers custom options on every product, without any bulk order requirements.
Best Grip’s custom Puttershoe headcover in Black Carbon Fiber.
To be successful, you have to be committed to a vision of who you are and what you can do, Sewill says. He bases this stance on some advice he received from his father, Harry.
[quote_box_center]“You can’t out Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart, but they can’t out Harry, Harry,” his father says.[/quote_box_center]
Point being, the big box volume sellers may move a lot of product, but they can’t give you the same personal experience and access that a company like Best Grips can.
Don’t mistake the lack of presence on the major tours as anything significant. For now, Sewill isn’t interested in selling as many grips as he can. While the company has grown in excess of 20 percent each of the last four years, he says it’s more important that his company “continue(s) to produce everything in house, even if that means we someday can’t produce as much as we’d like to.”
To that end, Best Grips only publicly advertises on GolfWRX and depends on word of mouth for the rest. The company does work with putter maker TP Mills, as well as several other smaller companies that Sewill describes as “more appreciative” of the business relationships they establish.
Best Grips is a small company that pushes authenticity and customization in an arena of larger companies that thrive on volume sales. Excuse Sewill if that seems a bit rigged, if not disingenuous.
For now, Best Grips is committed to living out Sewill’s credo to provide “an unparalleled customer experience and one-off customized products made from the highest quality materials at a reasonable price.”
Hard to argue with that.
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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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James g
Mar 19, 2015 at 11:23 am
I ordered a head cover for my 3 wood and it is amazing. I get so many great comments on it. I have not broken down to get the grips yet. Part of the reason is I have been going back and forth between iron sets but now have settled on the gamers so I will be ordering grips. Only issue for me is there is no mid-size. The standard seems too small and the oversize too big.
Tom K.
Mar 18, 2015 at 6:26 pm
Wanted to say thank you to Harry and Zach at BestGrips for going the extra mile in helping with my leather grip selection. Awesome grips, awesome service!
Hernán Lazarde
Mar 17, 2015 at 11:10 pm
Zach is an amazing guy, personally, as a friend of mine, but much more importantly, from a professional and customer service point of view. His work ethic is great, his attention to detail is stupid awesome and his willingness to work with each client, whether a next door neighbor, a golf buddy or a guy from across the Atlantic, is priceless. I’m been to his shop and the way both his dad and Zach care about their equipment, the machines that, alongside their craftsmanship, make Best Grips what they are, is immeasurable. They really love what they do and it shows… in every single product they make.
kess
Mar 16, 2015 at 1:46 pm
Currently using the major leaguer on my putter. Love it. Great communication from the owner too.
Adrian
Mar 16, 2015 at 12:28 pm
I too am a very satisfied customer of Best Grips (micro perf). I previously had the high-end Grip Masters installed but they were too tacky and the butt end of the grip had excessive wear. It made no sense to be paying $20-25 per grip premium only to have the rubber end-cap wear out way before the grip. The Best Grips have a better composition they’re slightly more rounded on the end-cap which I suspect prevents the issues I was experiencing with Grip Masters.
Separately, the “feel” of the Best Grips (I’ve only tried/used the Micro Perfs) is perfect no pun intended. Slightly less tacky than the Best Grips but more over, there’s no residue that stays on your hands or gets all over your shafts… something else that was a tad annoying about my priors.
The fact that Zach’s product is slightly less expensive is pure upside. I can’t say they are the best grips available because that’s subjective and some rightly prefer the feeling of a rubber/compound grip. But, I can say they are indeed the best leather grip available and after one year showing 0% sign of wear. I reckon these will have a minimum of 3 years life.. which easily justifies the price/grip.
Brendon
Mar 16, 2015 at 5:34 am
I use the the grip master grips from Australia,so happy with these and when it rains they grip so well,good to see another leather grip manufacturer out there,will check them out.
RG
Mar 15, 2015 at 10:30 pm
Thank you soooooo much! I have been dying to try a leather putter grip for ages and now I know where to go.
Dave
Mar 15, 2015 at 8:30 pm
I have worked with this company since 2004 and can attest to the quality of the products and the integrity of the folks who work there. I have yet to get any product from them that was less than they offered, and in most cases got a better grip/putter cover/head cover than what they said it was.
I would go so far as to say that any product offered by this family will be superior to any other.
If you can find another group of individuals who are more dedicated to serving the golfing public please let me know. Smiles, Mad Honk
Curt
Mar 15, 2015 at 9:52 pm
A lot of companies start out with this much care and pride, then go down the slippery slope of all profits.
Brian
Mar 15, 2015 at 4:21 pm
I have one Best Grip Black Ostrich putter grip that I bought used and its a piece of crap. It feels like plastic instead of Ostrich and the quills barely go half way down.
What the article doesn’t say is that their cowhide putter grips start @ $35. For that you can get The Grip Master Pittards Cabretta Tour Stitchback @ $35. Or you can get their closeout Kangaroo Putter Stitchback for just $25. That is an awesome grip.
Sorry to dump on a sponsor, but The Grip Master is the better grip.
Chris Nickel
Mar 15, 2015 at 4:56 pm
Certainly everyone is welcome to their opinion – but if I read your post correctly, you said you bought a used grip – correct? Not really and apples-apples comparison. FWIW, I’m sure Grip Master makes nice grips as well – but you can’t compare a used product to a new one.
Curt
Mar 15, 2015 at 9:54 pm
Well said Chris! Someone sold him a used grip for a reason?!?!
Brian
Mar 18, 2015 at 7:08 am
Fair enough, but it was a ‘new’ pull off of a tour putter. It was my one and only experience with a Best Grip and frankly, I was disappointed.
Awedge333
Mar 16, 2015 at 8:56 pm
I have a black ostrich on my Low Tide putter – it is simply great!
Scott
Mar 15, 2015 at 9:46 am
I used the leather grips from Australia for a few years. I ended up replacing m clubs before the grips wore out. I need a Jumbo or a mid size that I can build up. Let me know when You guys have those. Thanks.
slider
Mar 14, 2015 at 9:21 pm
nice but hard to find I will stick with my GP patriot grips
RI_Redneck
Mar 15, 2015 at 9:45 am
What’s hard to find about them. Go to the website and there they are.
BT
Chris Nickel
Mar 15, 2015 at 4:50 pm
I can tell you Zach is very easy to work with and would be happy to help you create whatever it is you like – Most grips like this aren’t readily available at your local Golfsmith, but that’s pretty true of most niche products.