9/24/2015: The following are the initial results of testing on a ball launch monitor; comparing a traditional golf grip to the grooved golf grip. The results showed that the grooved golf grip on a driver taken from a barrel at a driving range produced a longer, straighter and more predictable length of the ball flight than a traditional grip on the players own custom fit driver. In addition, the results were better without a glove or with the half glove, thereby maximizing the dermal impression on the player’s fingers from the grooves.
THIS GRIP TECHNOLOGY WORKS THE WAY THE HUMAN WORKS. It is unlike other golf technology that is based upon how the golf club works.
BALL LAUNCH MONITOR TESTING
MICHGAN STATE UNIVERSITY TEAM
Bias: The subject knew there was some unspecified benefit to the grooved grips. He was allowed to warm up to his satisfaction with his driver before being subject to testing.
Anti-grip bias: The test driver was randomly selected from a barrel at a driving range. The player was not allowed any practice swings with the test driver prior to hitting the five balls. The balls were practice balls at the golf course’s range.
METHOD: The right handed player warmed up with his driver with full glove on his left hand.
THE TESTING: He hit 5 shots with impact paper tape on his driver face. Shots were recorded on ball launch monitor and seen in WHITE dots below.
He then was handed the test driver. It was a 20 year old Titleist from a barrel in a driving range with a 9.5 loft and stiff shaft and the GROOVED GOLF GRIP. With no practice swings he hit 5 drives with his glove and impact recording paper tape on the driver face.
Impact on driver face with his club on left and test driver on the right.
The drives were recorded in GREEN as seen below.
He then hit five drives with the test driver and no glove. The results are recorded in YELLOW dots below.
The final test was with test driver and with an half glove with open fingers. The results are recorded in BLUE dots.
RESULTS: Test driver produced longer ball flight. It produced less ball flight dispersion right to left. The test driver produced less dispersion long to short.
KEY to color of the landing site dots.
WHITE: His driver and his glove
GREEN: Test driver and his glove
YELLOW: Test driver and no glove
BLUE: Test driver and open finger glove
Further Analysis of the data:
DIRECTION: More centered with skin exposed
White: He hit left with his club and his full glove.
Green: He hit right with test driver and his full glove on.
Yellow: He hit more centered with test driver and no glove.
Blue: He hit more centered with test driver and fingerless glove.
NOTE: THE RESULTS WERE SAME WITH FINGERLESS GLOVE AS WITHOUT A GLOVE ON TEST DRIVER. To review: The results were worse with the players driver and full glove. The results were better with the test driver and grooved grips and full glove, yet even better with test driver and no glove. However the results were best with the half glove and the grooved grip test driver. The half glove gives the benefit of the glove, but with the fingers exposed the critical neursensory perception of the grooves remains. It should be noted that the sensation in the fingers is twice as good as the palm of the hand.
RIGHT TO LEFT DISPERSION: Less with Groove Grip and skin exposed
White: 39 yards off line with his driver and his full glove.
Green: 31 yards off line with test driver and his full glove.
Yellow: 19 yards off line with test driver and no glove.
Blue: 13 yards off line with test driver and fingerless glove.
DISTANCE AVERAGE in yards: Longer drives with Grooved Grip on test driver.
White: 258 (240-270)
Green: 268 (250-270)
Yellow: 268 (250-270)
Blue: 270 (260-280)
DISTANCE LENGTH DISPERSION: More consistent distance with Grooved Grip on test driver.
White: 30 yards (240-270)
Green: 20 yards (250-270)
Yellow: 20 yards (250-270)
Blue: 20 yards (260-280)
FUTURE: Further testing will be preformed not only with driver by other clubs to give maximal predictive knowledge of length of ball flight for each club.
