Best Golf Grips for Arthritis
The best golf grips for arthritis are oversized, soft and tacky, so you can hold the club with less pressure. Here is what to look for and how to test.
The best golf grips for arthritic hands share three traits: a larger diameter, a softer compound and a tacky surface. Together they let you hold the club securely with far less squeezing, which is usually the difference between finishing a round comfortably and giving up after nine. Several manufacturers make grips designed specifically for arthritis, but you do not need a specialist product to benefit — any quality oversized, soft grip moves you in the right direction.
This guide focuses on grip characteristics rather than brand names, because hands, budgets and preferences differ — and because the right way to choose is to feel a few options on a real club. It covers what makes a grip arthritis-friendly, whether to go midsize or jumbo, what softer rubber actually changes, and the other small adjustments that take strain off your hands.
- Bigger diameter spreads pressure across more of the hand, so you squeeze less.
- Softer compounds cushion vibration at impact.
- Tacky or textured surfaces hold securely at light grip pressure.
- Wearing a glove on each hand adds cushion and traction.
- Test one regripped club before committing the whole set.
What makes a grip good for arthritic hands?
Three things, in order: size, softness and tack. A larger grip fills the hand so the fingers do not have to curl as tightly to hold on — less curl means less joint strain. A softer compound damps the shock that travels up the shaft at impact, which stiff, worn grips transmit straight into sore joints. And a tacky, textured surface does some of the holding for you, letting you keep pressure light without fearing the club will slip. Worn-smooth grips force exactly the tight squeeze arthritic hands need to avoid, so fresh rubber alone is a real upgrade.
Should you choose midsize or jumbo grips?
Golf grips come in undersize, standard, midsize and jumbo diameters. For arthritis relief, midsize is the usual starting point and jumbo is worth trying if your hands are large or your pain is significant — the bigger the grip, the less the fingers close. The trade-off is that very large grips can quiet the hands' natural release, which some golfers notice in their ball flight. That is a fair exchange for playing pain-free, but it is worth testing rather than assuming: our guide to grip size for large or small hands covers how diameter is measured and fitted.
Do softer grip compounds really help?
Softer rubber and cushioned, cord-free construction reduce the vibration your hands absorb at impact, and most golfers with joint pain feel that difference immediately — especially on mishits and shots from firm mats. The trade-off is durability: softer compounds tend to wear faster and can feel less stable to players who like a firm connection to the club. If you practice frequently indoors, where every shot comes off a firm mat, softness is usually worth the faster wear. Replace them as soon as they glaze over, because a slick soft grip loses the light-pressure advantage that justified it.
What else can reduce hand strain when you play?
Grips are the biggest lever, but not the only one. Wearing a glove on each hand adds cushion and traction. Deliberately lightening your grip pressure — many golfers squeeze far harder than they need to — reduces strain on every swing. Graphite shafts transmit less vibration than steel. And shorter, more frequent practice sessions are kinder on joints than marathon range days. If pain is shaping your game, a club fitting can tie all of this together, and your doctor or physio can advise on what your hands should and should not do.
How do you test grips before regripping the whole set?
Regrip one club — a 7-iron or a wedge you hit often — and play with it for a couple of weeks before ordering thirteen more. An indoor simulator bay is a good testing ground: you can hit the same shot repeatedly, in comfort, and feel how the grip behaves over a full bucket rather than a few swings in a shop. Many venues also offer club fitting services that include grip sizing. You can find a simulator near you to put a candidate grip through a proper session.
Want somewhere comfortable to test a new grip? Find an indoor golf venue near you, read our guide to grips for sweaty hands, or learn how club fitting works.