Grips & Shafts

Salty Grips

Salty Grip Review: About 5 years ago I started to notice guys on tour with large over-sized putter grips. Notably, KJ Choi was one of the biggest names to go all in with a really mongo grip. Looking to capture some of that magic, I too moved to a mid-sized grip but as it turned out, it was shortlived as I ended up swapping out putters and was too cheap to replace the stock grip.

Then recently, I read a great article on MyGolfSpy that “kinda proved” that grip size is a big part of putting success and that over-sized grips tend to perform better for most golfers. Coincidentally, around that same time, I learned of a company called Salty Grips who makes an over-sized cork putter grip. So with the stars aligned, it was inevitable that I review the Salty Grips.

Inspired by the old fishing poles of our/my youth, Salty Grips are made from cork harvested in Portugal and then finished locally in Virginia. Out of the gate, the Salty Grip feels very different than your typical rubber grip. Primarily, the Salty Grip is smoother as they do not have a manmade texture. For me, this means it feels very soft in my hands and promotes a light touch. The other difference is of course is the way they look. Salty Grips look like nothing else I have seen on the golf course. So much so that I regularly get comments and questions about the grip, which never happens with other grips.

Since the putter tends to be the most personal piece of equipment and the one we have the most pride in, adding a grip that is completly unique makes total sense. Additionally, unlike other grips, the Salty Grip gets better with age.

Yup, better with age, which is exactly opposite of every other grip I have owned which wears down and ends up capturing all kinds of grime from constant use. Salty Grips, on the other hand, gain character as the cork ages. Better still, you can always take a piece of 200 grit sandpaper if you ever want to clean them up a bit or add a touch of texture.

As for installation, Salty Grips can be installed using basically the same method as other grips. The only difference is that you cannot man-handle the grip since they are made from cork. Once installed, the grips are as snug as any other grip and should last basically forever.