Unfortunately I had to wait until after my club championship to get this put on my every day putter. I have now had it installed for 7-10 days and have probably had 2-3 hours of practice and three rounds of play with the grip. My initial thoughts from when I saw the grip were more or less confirmed...it fits really nicely in your hands and keeps your wrist/hand motion steady. I felt most comfortable using a crosshand grip with the ForwardGrip. Coming from a SuperStroke XL grip I could definitely feel like "forward" component of the grip. It feels completely natural now though and I believe it would benefit any golfers that struggle with breaking their wrists, stabbing at the ball, etc.
I've been playing a little putting game during my practice sessions this year so I can only compare my results to that game and my in-round putting stats. On the practice green I create a 9 hole course, typically hitting the first putt from 15-40 feet, and playing it as a par 18. I had done this probably 10 times with my old grip and had scores ranging anywhere from -1 to +3. I completed the course twice with the ForwardGrip and scored +2 and E. The first time I had some issues on distance control which probably wasn't even grip related. On the long putts I felt more confident in hitting my line On the short putts I didn't notice as much of a difference. I think the ForwardGrip made hitting the line on long putts easier since I kept the same stroke, grip, etc...with my SuperStroke XL I was constantly questioning my grip, stance, and other details, especially when I was 20+ feet out.
My total putt average for the year has floated between 31-32 putts/round. In the two rounds that I have played so far I had 34, 32 and then 29 putts...right at my average. I definitely feel myself getting more comfortable with the grip as time goes on. I've definitely been making a higher percentage of long putts when I'm on the practice greens...it hasn't necessarily translated to a round yet but I think it will come full circle.
I have handed my putter to a few playing partners and they both commented on how natural it feels in their hands. They seem impressed but generally speaking not overly intrigued.
Performance on the Course
Very natural feel right away. Took a little bit to get used to the "forward" aspect of it but nothing crazy. The size is perfect...I've used both a conventional and crosshand grip without any issue. I was using a SuperStroke XL before this and I had a tough time getting comfortable over the ball. I think I switched my physical grip 3-4 times this year using the SuperStroke. With the ForwardGrip I feel much more confident that I can stick with one grip and get the same results. So far I haven't seen a major difference with the ForwardGrip but I am trending in a positive direction. I make more putts on the practice green and things are getting better on the course as well. I'm not sure this is a major game changer but it has helped me settle in and stroke the ball confidently.
Performance Score: 50/60 (nothing revolutionary but the comfort/consistency is enough to make a difference for me)
Looks & Durability
Very straightforward appearance. I'm good with a black putter grip although it may be nice to offer a few other colors...blue, red, green, etc. My SuperStroke was mostly white and looked pretty crappy after a while. I found myself cleaning it every few weeks just to make it look presentable. It does seem very durable and I can't imagine any issues with it wearing down. I think this grip should last a few seasons without any issue.
Looks Score: 20/25 (doesn't matter to me but a few color options may be worthwhile)
Likelihood of Purchase
Honestly I'm not sure if I would purchase this grip or not. At $25 it is fairly priced when compared to other "specialty" putter grips. There are so many options out there that I can't say for sure that this is the best option for me. I would certainly rate it up there with the 3-4 grips I have used...and I definitely like it better than the SuperStroke XL that I had. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has wrist breaking issues but that is not something I have dealt with much.
LOP Score: 10/15
Conclusion & Final Score
The shape of the grip is definitely nice and sits perfectly in the fingers. The forward aspect of the grip was very different than my SuperStroke XL but I got used to that quickly. I found a physical grip (crosshand) that felt very comfortable and have stuck with that since. I never felt comfortable with my previous grip and changed things constantly. There was no consistency there. I do think that the ForwardGrip will allow me to stick with one grip and putting stroke which will hopefully pay dividends in the long run. It seems like this product may be best for people that really struggle with hitting their lines and controlling the putter. I like the ForwardGrip, and will continue using it, but I'm not sure it is going to make a massive difference in my putting. The bigger issue for me was probably the grip that I was using before this one. Good and reliable product though and one that people can certainly benefit from.
Total Score: 80/100