Ripit Grips
I wasn’t sure how to kick off this review. This is by far one of the more unique products I’ve had come through to test. Then, I went to the Ripit Grips website and found that they really sum it up perfectly. “RIPIT is for the new generation of golf players who don’t mind stepping onto the green with Sunday game passion and a Saturday night vibe.” Couldn’t have summed up Ripit Grips better myself. Ripit Grips is a relatively new brand out of Australia that provides an interesting alternative to your everyday rubber golf grip.
The Looks
Where to even begin? You’re not going to find anything else in the game that looks like Ripit Grips. There are so many different designs and colors to choose from that selecting one can be pretty difficult. The good news is you can pick and choose a diverse assortment to grip your clubs with whatever catches your eye! Honestly, the level of detail on these grips is genuinely impressive. While I get that they’re certainly not for everyone, the psychedelic themes and 90’s vibes are a fun change of pace. There are more “conservative” (I use that term VERY loosely here) geometric patterns in bright and bold colors as well. Oh, and there are putter grip options! For a good idea of the range of options available, make sure you check out the slideshow at the end of the review.
How Does it Feel?
Admittedly, I was skeptical about how the Ripit grips would feel when I first saw them. I mean, I’ve never seen traction patterns as a result of the unique etchings like this in my life. If you’re looking for a more traditional rubber grip feel, the Geo grip is your best option. There’s plenty of tackiness and you’re able to keep a good hold of the club from its etching/tread. The response is also precise with good stability. Should you feel more adventurous, the more intricate detailed grips have the same level of grip, response, stability, etc, but they have a slightly different feel in your hands. I might even argue that the more patterned grips like the one pictured above have a little more traction than you might be used to in a rubber grip.
If you’re looking for something in between the two directions I described above, the Squiggle grip falls somewhere in that range. This was far and away my overall favorite grip of the bunch from a feel and performance perspective.
Let’s not forget the putter grips. While I only tested one, it appears Ripit offers them in two different pistol options and one round option. Or as Ripit calls the round shape, “Orbit”. I tested the Square Face, which is essentially an oversized pistol grip. From a response perspective, it had very familiar feel for this style of grip. The cover is somewhat tacky with a little bit of a textured feel as a result of the fine etching in it.
On-Course Performance
I already touched on a lot of my thoughts in regards to the Ripit grips’ feel and that has a lot of impact on the performance, of course. Performance-wise, it’s a pretty straightforward story for the Ripit Grips swing grips. They perform as a high-quality rubber grip should in terms of response and control. I never felt like I had a bad connection to the club and couldn’t hit the shot I wanted to. In situations where I was dealing with a little moisture, I felt that the grips with more intricate etching had better natural control than traditional rubber grips tend to have. Lastly, while my time with these grips is short so far, they are holding up really nicely and seem like they’re going to be plenty durable. If that changes for some reason, I’ll report back!
As much credit as I want to give the swing grips, I really enjoyed the Ripit putter grip! The pistol shape was a good one (if you’ve held a bad pistol putter grip, you know exactly what I mean…) and the backseam allows for consistent indexing of the grip in your hands. I was able to get enough response to feel in control of my putts, but still keep things quiet and soft in my hands and arms.
Final Thoughts – Ripit Grips
Ripit Grips calls the pattern on the putter grip in this review “Stay Weird”. On the product page, they say, “Colour poppin’ off like its the 1970’s and you’re 3 days deep at Woodstock. Embrace the art expression that’s somewhere inside that dull exterior and run the happiest putter grip on the market.” This really sums up Ripit Grips extremely well. They are weird, and I love that about them, because a lot of us are weird, too. These grips give us a chance to let that weird out and express that unique trait about us in a small and fun way on the golf course, but also deliver a really strong performance at the same time.
