Golf Grip Recommendation

[TR1PTIK]

Looking to see if anyone has experience and could help me. I suffer from excessively dry skin and during the winter months it becomes very difficult to play as my hands get chapped. It's really quite painful and in some cases I can barely touch anything afterward without pain. Even playing in what I'd consider mildly cold conditions yesterday (around 45* and sunny when I hit my first shot & around 60* when I finished) my right hand turned to this...

 

For anyone who can't quite make it out, nearly all of that redness you see in my hand is from fissures and cracks in the skin which occurred during the course of play. The only way to really treat this is to apply lotions/moisturizers multiple times per day. The rub here is that this makes the grip of my right hand quite slippery so rarely do I apply lotion before or during a round.

So, what I'm thinking of trying is going back to a fully corded grip (something I haven't done in several years) and see if I can maintain a stable grip after a fresh application of hand lotion. Before I do though, I thought it'd be worthwhile to see if anyone else has experienced this and what solution(s) you came up with.

Thanks!

[Dr Strangelove]

Wow. Does you glove hand have the same damage?  If not, maybe wear two gloves or a pair of rain gloves?

[TR1PTIK]

3 minutes ago, Dr Strangelove said:

Wow. Does you glove hand have the same damage?  If not, maybe wear two gloves or a pair of rain gloves?

No, it doesn't and if two gloves is what I have to resort to for the winter months I will. Just trying to see if anyone has come across another solution.

[Dr Strangelove]

3 minutes ago, TR1PTIK said:

No, it doesn't and if two gloves is what I have to resort to for the winter months I will. Just trying to see if anyone has come across another solution.

I'm going to follow this thread.  I dont play much in cold weather, but when I do my skin cracks a bit at the fingertips.  Not as much as yours, but still.  I'm curious if anyone has a solution.

[Shapotomous]

Have you tried really soft grips like chamois or cp2 wraps??  The wife got a set of Pings recently that came with cp2's and you can feel your fingers indent the grip they are so soft.

Aside from the grips Bag Balm works for me.....

https://www.amazon.com/Vermonts-Original-Bag-Balm-Moisturizer/dp/B00FNKXZLI

 

 

[TR1PTIK]

13 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

Have you tried really soft grips like chamois or cp2 wraps??  The wife got a set of Pings recently that came with cp2's and you can feel your fingers indent the grip they are so soft.

Aside from the grips Bag Balm works for me.....

https://www.amazon.com/Vermonts-Original-Bag-Balm-Moisturizer/dp/B00FNKXZLI

 

 

The softest I've played is the GP Tour Wrap 2G. I don't believe the grip is the problem so much as it is the environment based on past experience and the reading I've done about excessively dry skin. Several years ago when this wasn't an issue for me, I'd only experience the occasional callus with corded grips. I wasn't a huge fan of how that felt so I started experimenting with some slightly softer grips before landing on the Tour Velvets I play now. It might be something to consider though. Perhaps I grip one club with a corded grip and then on another club I throw on a Dri-Tac or the CP2 which I've heard great things about. Any improvement would be great. I don't like to play in weather that's truly cold, but I think a day in the mid 40's up to the 60's should at least be possible.

I do use a bunch of Gold Bond products and just got some overnight lotion and gloves to get my hands in better shape, but I may have to give this a try. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Dr Strangelove]

45 minutes ago, Shapotomous said:

Have you tried really soft grips like chamois or cp2 wraps??  The wife got a set of Pings recently that came with cp2's and you can feel your fingers indent the grip they are so soft.

Aside from the grips Bag Balm works for me.....

https://www.amazon.com/Vermonts-Original-Bag-Balm-Moisturizer/dp/B00FNKXZLI

 

 

The reviews suggest this stuff is greasy.  How has your experience been?

[chisag]

On 1/13/2022 at 11:50 AM, TR1PTIK said:

For anyone who can't quite make it out, nearly all of that redness you see in my hand is from fissures and cracks in the skin which occurred during the course of play. The only way to really treat this is to apply lotions/moisturizers multiple times per day. The rub here is that this makes the grip of my right hand quite slippery so rarely do I apply lotion before or during a round.

 

... Have you tried coconut oil? Obviously not just before or while playing but it can do miracles with dry and cracked skin. I use it on my face, legs and arms as well because the constant AZ sun tends to dry them out in the low humidity. 


 

If you are experiencing dryness on your hands, coconut oil might help. Take a look at the benefits of using coconut oil:

Moisturizes The Skin

If your body does not produce enough oil naturally, you can apply coconut oil for moisture. It hydrates the skin, and it is very effective for people with skin conditions like eczema. When you feel your hands are dry, slather on some coconut oil and wait for the results.

[Shapotomous]

6 hours ago, Dr Strangelove said:

The reviews suggest this stuff is greasy.  How has your experience been?

It is, although if used sparingly and rubbed in well its not bad for everyday use.  I wouldn't use it on a bare hand gripping the club.  My recommendation is more for use outside of golf to heal up your hands.  If they are really bad apply liberally at night and put old socks on your hands.  This stuff really really works well in that instance.

[stuka44]

As others have suggested I would make sure you are using something on your hands regularly.  I do not experience the pain or anything you have eluded to but I will tell you that as someone who plays regularly in cool/cold weather that even at 45 degrees to start, you would be amazed at how much any sort of breeze on a bare hand will dry it out.  I have noticed several times after getting home even though my hands never felt cold that they were very dried out.  I don't have any trouble playing with rain/winter golf gloves on.  If this is not ideal for you, then even if your non glove hand isn't cold, bring a mitten or something you can get on and off easy to keep the breeze off your non gloved hand.

Tried to play today...nobody was open... it was 27 and sunny at noon, Why was nobody open?

Edited January 16, 2022 by stuka44

[TR1PTIK]

I appreciate the replies from everyone so far. I think I'll probably experiment with some different grips and using lotion, but I have a strong feeling I may need to start using two gloves. With that said, I've tried the FootJoy winter gloves before, but they didn't seem to hold up well. Any other recommendations for gloves? I'm honestly thinking something more along the lines of rain gloves or even two standard gloves. I don't intend on golfing very much when it's below 40 out so heavy gloves aren't as big an issue.

[TR1PTIK]

Well, I've spent the past week really focusing on healing up my hands and making a concerted effort to lotion up regularly. My hand felt so good in fact that when my wife said I could golf yesterday afternoon, I went for it. Temps were hovering right around 60 again with plenty of sun and less breeze than the previous round. I took some Gold Bond hand cream with me and applied it periodically throughout the round.

To my surprise, the lotion felt much less greasy than it had ever before - I'd assume my hands are in much better condition to quickly absorb the lotion. I did have to change gloves though as I could feel some extra movement in my thumb with the one I've been using (which is nearly worn out). Luckily, I bought two new gloves recently and had them in my bag and the snug fit of a fresh glove eliminated the issue.

The best part of all was that when I finished, the damage (and pain) was absolutely minimal!!! I'll have to try again in cooler temps just to make sure I wasn't fortunate with milder weather throughout the entirety of my round, but it was very promising. Assuming my next few outings go just as well, I'll probably make the switch to a corded grip and just continue applying lotion throughout the round.

I don't have any pics from yesterday, but here's what my hand looks like this morning:

 

You can see that my hands are still a bit flaky and dry in spots, but he worst of the damage was limited to my right thumb as shown in the last picture.

And in case you're wondering what I've been using, here's a list:

Amazon.com : Gold Bond Ultimate Healing Hand Cream, 3 oz., Lasts Through Handwashing : Beauty & Personal Care

Amazon.com: Gold Bond Overnight Deep Moisturizing 8 oz., Skin Therapy Lotion With Calming Scent : Beauty & Personal Care

Amazon.com: CARA Moisturizing Eczema Cotton Gloves, Large, 24 Pair : Everything Else

[azstu324]

Man I feel for you! 

I've lived my whole life with eczema and really dry skin. It's not nearly as bad now as an adult as it was as a kid. Of course living in a dry desert dust bowl like AZ does not help at all. 

I do however find that when my skin is getting extra dry and starting to crack, or I'm having an eczema outbreak, the solution isn't so much what I put on my skin, as much as what I put in my body.

One thing that I've found out, and this may or may not be your case, is that I have overly acidic skin and body chemistry. High acidity can cause my skin to dry out and crack really easily and the acidity overpowers anything that might superficially moisturize my skin. I also get severe leg cramps if I'm not minding mineral intake because the lack of PH in my blood slows down circulation.. from what I've been told . 

I've found that by keeping my PH/alkalinity in check with things like alkaline water, baking powder, Trace Mineral drops, and low acid foods, my skin becomes more resilient and the eczema goes away. Another more obvious thing that is important to go with the minerals, is water intake. I have to make a point to drink at least a gallon a day. It's especially harder in the winter because I just don't crave water like in the summertime so I have to be extra conscious about trying to drink. 

Not sure if any of that was at all helpful but maybe it wouldn't hurt to look at this from a different angle. If it's severe enough to be getting in the way of living your life, see what a professional recommends. Do some blood work see if maybe it's something internally. It hasn't solved all of my problems but at least I know how to get a handle on things when they start to slip. 

 

Good luck man! 

[silver & black]

My hands dry out badly in the Winter... crack and peel the whole season. I work in a cabinet shop and I'm always in dust, stripper, stain and chemicals of different kinds on a daily basis. I use a product called Working Hands. It is not greasy at all and it works wonders when used every day.

 

[Kansas King]

This is an interesting thread. I have occasional bouts of eczema I have to fight through during the winter/spring and the Cetaphil Pro Eczema lotion is a near cure when I remember to apply at least twice a day. The stuff is a little expensive but it works. I would be curious to know if you found any definitive solution to your dry skin @TR1PTIK. 

I'm guessing the ultimate solution is two gloves. I'm guessing cord grips would be far to abrasive, even if they worked with lotion. If there is a lotion worth looking into for use during golf rounds, it may be the oil free stuff they sell for facial care.