[Moecat]

http://www.golfdiges...f-clubs-wi.html

ORLANDO, Fla. -- When Boccieri Golf developed its Secret Grip it did so principally to provide golfers an easier way to back weight a club. What it discovered, company president and CEO Stephen Boccieri said, was that it actually improved performance.



"From a performance standpoint, I never thought there could be a grip that would enhance the capabilities of a golfer," Boccieri said. "What we found was that players were picking up four miles an hour on ball speed by using this grip."

The Secret Grip was officially introduced at the PGA Merchandise Show here and is the latest offering from the company that has the Heavy Putter in its line of clubs.

The grip weighs in at 92 grams, 40 grams more than a traditional grip. A tungsten button on the butt end of the grip accounts for the additional weight.

"We have a full line of back-weighted golf clubs," Boccieri said. "What a lot of customers said to me last year is that they like the driver, they like the irons, but if they buy any one of my components they have to buy a complete set. The economy is saying I don't want to spend $300."

The grips, which will retail for $18.99, can be installed on any brand of club.

Back-weighting clubs is not knew. Jack Nicklaus back-weighted clubs, as do a number of tour players. The process of back-weighting clubs has been somewhat cumbersome, requiring drilling through the end of the grip. The Secret Grip accomplishes the same thing simply by changing the grip.

"None of the average golfers know anything about back-weighting," Boccieri said. "Jack Nicklaus used it in his day and people throughout the tour do it, but it's kind of behind closed doors, basically. We think the Secret Grip is going to enhance the back-weighting technology that Boccieri Golf has developed with its putters and now its swing clubs."

What is Boccieri's theory as to why the Secret Grip increases ball speed?

"At the top of the swing, when you have more mass in your hands, you have a better transition with that momentary pause at the top," he said. "The first move that the average golfer makes with a high swing weight, they cast from the top. With more mass in the left hand, like everybody says, it's like dropping into the slot. So what's happening is they're creating more lag and holding onto the angle of retention longer into impact."

-- John Strege

[wdgolf]

Wouldn't you also lose all feeling of the club head with the considerable drop in SW? I could see really really good players getting away with this, but not most... With those grips at $19 a pop, I can't say I'm tempted in the slightest to try.

[Shambles]

wdgolf, on 10 February 2012 - 05:22 PM, said:

Wouldn't you also lose all feeling of the club head with the considerable drop in SW? I could see really really good players getting away with this, but not most... With those grips at $19 a pop, I can't say I'm tempted in the slightest to try.

You don't have to be all that good, just looking for a different feel without spending a lot of money. Back weighting in simple, moves the center of gravity of your club a bit closer towards the grip end and therefore imparts a feeling of a stiffer shaft and can also make a shaft feel more stable simply because you are swinging it around a slightly higher center of gravity. The weights needed will likely be anywhere from 10 grams or greater if you install them at the butt end and much more if you install them deeper in the shaft. In all cases swing weight is affected but to me that is not all that important as long as you can feel the club head throughout your swing. That's just a comfort thing. The shaft does not in itself change but your feel of the club will change and it's then just a matter of whether you like or don't like the result.

I experimented with this for some time and found success by epoxying 15 grams of lead in the butt end of my shafts. I was trying to save a badly cut set of shafts but, having done what I could with back weighting, I finally decided to discard the shafts and replace them.


Shambles

[BIG STU]

wdgolf, on 10 February 2012 - 12:22 PM, said:

Wouldn't you also lose all feeling of the club head with the considerable drop in SW? I could see really really good players getting away with this, but not most... With those grips at $19 a pop, I can't say I'm tempted in the slightest to try.

If you are a "feel" player like I am you are absolutely correct. If you want to butt weight a club the old school/ Nicklaus way you can shoot the grip off with air or a needle and weigh some lead tape and stick it on the inside of the shaft at the butt end and wola!! Even if you cant save the grip it still is cheaper than $19 a grip

[GolfSpy Tim]

I picked one of these up from the PGA Show last month.

Sadly, I don't have an extra iron to try it on right now....

[McGolf]

The question could be where is the "Feel" player actually feeling the weight.

obviously the sw weight of the club creates a weight in the hands, Backing weighting places that weight directly in the hands.

The no feeling comment usually comes when the player is waggling the club not bringing it around.

It was mentioned Nicklaus did it. Wasn't he a feel player?

then a wooden dowel was placed in the butt of the shaft and lead was poured into a drilled out portion. Another way to accompish the same.

Another thought is the grip is less expensive than a balance certified weight

[indacup]

Back weighting seems to work well with putters and woods...but our tests have shown none or in some cases detrimental effects in doing it with irons.

If you want to experiment at a very low cost, use 1/2" clevis pins and experiment on your own...

[Justin66]

You know how else to do this? Get those shaft butt weight ports and some lead powder, fill it up to your desired weight and put whatever grip you want on. Doesn't come close to $19/grip, unless you go crazy with the brand of grip. But again, you at least get EXACTLY what grip you want.

There's never been any proof that counterbalancing works across-the-board. It's just like the swing weight v. MOI matching debate: there's no proof either is "best", it's just swing weighting has been around a LOT longer. But if you choose one and it works for you, then that is your own "best".