Putter grips come in all shapes, lengths, thicknesses, etc. They can be easily replaced and upgraded. With so many types of putter grips, are all of them illegal? To be frank, illegal putting grips aren’t as flashy as illegal putters themselves, however they do exist. So if you are curious to see what some of them look like, keep reading.
I took a look at the equipment rules provided by the USGA to find out what illegal putting grips look like. Below is a list of 6 putting grips that are considered illegal to use in any type of professional, semi-professional, or high-level amateur golf. Most casual and public golf courses won’t enforce rules on putting grips, but it is still good to know what they look like in case you have one.
1. Putting Grip With Bulge and Waist
This first putting grip is considered illegal because it has a waist and a bulge at the top of the handle. The rule states that the club shape must be straight. So, it should not contain any type of bulging handle.
In order to be considered legal, this grip would need to be straightened out enough so that the bulge and the waist are eliminated. So, the waisted top and the bulge section in the middle would have to be totally removed from the putting grip.
2. Putting Grip With a Flare on Underside
This illegal putting grip design may not be as obvious as the previous one. What makes this grip illegal is that the back end (the portion of the grip sticking out to the left) protrudes too much from the base of the club. This putting grip essentially flares out too much, and therefore is deemed illegal.
In order to be considered legal, the portion of the club that protrudes would need to be trimmed down so that it resembles the rest of the shaft. Essentially, the top part of the club would need to be made a bit skinnier.
3. Putting Grip With Round & Flat Face
It may be a little hard to tell from this picture, but this putting grip has two different shapes occurring. The top part is rounded, and the face of the putting grip is flat. These two shape designs are what make this grip illegal.
In order to be considered legal, the flat face must be extended upwards so that it is within 1-inch of the top of the club.
4. Putter With 2 Different Shaped Putting Grips
This putting grip is a bit interesting as it is broken up into two parts. While two piece grips are legal, they must follow specific rules. This grip is illegal because the sections are different shapes. The design must be consistent throughout. The USGA considers these two grips to be a part of the same club, and therefore the grips must abide by the ‘same shape’ rule.
If both of these sections were the same shape, then they would be totally legal to have on your putter.
5. Two Putting Grips That Create A Bulge
This is similar to the one above except there is no gap in between the two grips. Because both grips are different sizes in the middle, it creates a bit of a bulge. As a result of these two differing sizes and the bulge, this putting grip is considered illegal.
To make this grip legal, the putting grips would have to be the same size and thickness at the meeting point. This would make it so that there is continuity between the grips, thus meaning there is no bulge.
6. Two Putting Grips That Are Too Close Together
This putting grip is illegal, however it may be difficult to tell from the picture. The only thing illegal about this grip is that the gap between the two grips is less than 1.5 inches. If there are two putting grips (that are the same shape), they must be spaced out at least 1.5 inches apart.
To make this putting grip legal, the two grips need to be spaced out a bit more. As long as there is 1.5 inches of shaft in between the two grips, then a putting grip like this is totally legal to use.
What Makes A Putting Grip Legal
There are a few rules that all putting grips must follow in order to be considered conforming. The USGA outlines them in a few sentences, but I boiled it down to a few bullet points. Below are the rules that make putting grips legal:
- The putter grip must be sturdily fixed to the shaft
- The grip must be straight and plain in form
- It must extend all the way to the end of the shaft
- It must NOT be molded to fit the players hands
Some of these rules may seem a bit vague. The USGA has a tendency to make their rules sound confusing, so I gave a more detailed breakdown of each of these rules below. This should give you a much better understanding of what these putter grip rules mean.
1. Putter Grip Must Be Fixed To The Shaft
This means that the actual grip must be very snug onto the shaft. It can not be removable or detachable in any way. If you are able to easily take off and put on your putting grip, then it is not considered ‘fixed’ to the shaft.
Although there is no language describing exactly what ‘fixed’ means, it is safe to assume that both the shaft and the grip must move and operate as one unit.
2. Grip Must Be Straight And Plain In Form
This rule is in place to make sure that the surface and shape of the putting grip remains consistent throughout. If the shape of your putting grip changes somewhere along the shaft, then it would likely be considered non-conforming.
For example, if your putting grip is round at the top, and then about half way down it changes to a triangular shape, this would not be legal according to the USGA’s rules/
3. Must Extend All The Way To The End Of The Shaft
Almost all putting shafts are extended to the end of the shaft, so this one is not as much of a concern. If the putting grip wraps around the butt of the putter, then that conforms to the rules. As long as the actual shaft is not exposed, and the grip wraps around the entirety of the end of the shaft, it is totally legal.
4. Must Not Mold To Players Hands
This rule pretty much pairs up with rule #2. The putting grip must not be molded for a player’s hands as it violates the ‘plain in form’ portion of the previous rule. So if there are any indents with outlines for a person’s thumbs or other fingers, then the grip is not legal.
Are Round Putter Grips Legal?
Round putter grips are totally legal as they do not exceed the maximum allowable putter grip diameter of 1.75 inches. The USGA states that a putting grip can not be any thicker than 1.75 inches anywhere throughout the shaft.
If the grip does exceed this measurement, then it could provide the golfer with an unfair advantage, as a thicker grip helps stabilize the golfer’s wrists even more. So, in order to prevent a golfer from unfairly gaining an advantage with extremely thick grips, the USGA set this rule in place.
Final Thoughts: Illegal Putting Grips
While there are many rules and regulations regarding putting grips, it doesn’t really appear like there is that much to benefit from if you do have an illegal putting grip. In other words, having an illegal putter grip is not going to drastically change your golf game. So, it is not that big of an issue if you have an illegal putting grip.