Star Grips - 2024 Forum Review

[GolfSpy BOS]

Congrats testers!  Looking forward to hearing more about these as I have never seen/used any of their grips before!

[WalterS]

Congrats to the 4 testers, can't wait to here about the Star Grips from your tests. Now get out there and start playing. Well maybe not for LeakyValve(gee where did you get that name, haha, must work in the patch) as I doubt courses are open in Edmonton yet, but maybe.

[OgDan]

Congratulations testers! Looking forward to seeing the outcome 

[Flerric]

Congrats testers. Looking forward to your feedback. 

 

Edited March 12 by Flerric

[LeakyValve]

35 minutes ago, WalterS said:

Congrats to the 4 testers, can't wait to here about the Star Grips from your tests. Now get out there and start playing. Well maybe not for LeakyValve(gee where did you get that name, haha, must work in the patch) as I doubt courses are open in Edmonton yet, but maybe.

HAHAHA. I did work in the patch for a few years. But the name comes from a history of heart surgeries from, you guessed it, a leaking heart valve. 
 

it’s getting warmer here. Hopefully not too long!!

[d0m41n]

Congrats testers and good luck/have fun! Looking forward to seeing your results!

[EugeGall]

4 hours ago, Rob Person said:

Congratulations testers!  How many will be installing them, and how many will go somewhere to install them?

Will be doing it all myself - got the gear and used to put on Pure Grips with air, come to think of it I've done this with other brands too. It's an easy process, not sure why I went back to double sided tape and solvent. Time to dust off the compressor.

[EugeGall]

3 hours ago, BallsLeon said:

Sidewinders look super promising! Curious the testers preferences on grip setup/wraps? Anyone planning to reduce taper on the trail hand?

Hopefully getting the Tour Star (already reduced) and putting Sidewinder on irons with build up tape lower hand and maybe on wedges, although not at first

[Shawn Breitzman]

Congrats Testers!  As a Pure grips user, I look forward to seeing how people like them. Also recommended to a friend to utilize Star grips and if update his grips for him.  Hopefully I get to see them first hand soon.  

[LeakyValve]

9 minutes ago, Shawn Breitzman said:

Congrats Testers!  As a Pure grips user, I look forward to seeing how people like them. Also recommended to a friend to utilize Star grips and if update his grips for him.  Hopefully I get to see them first hand soon.  

Did Pure grips stop production? I’ve used them in the past and couldn’t find anything on their site. 

[rkj427]

7 minutes ago, LeakyValve said:

Did Pure grips stop production? I’ve used them in the past and couldn’t find anything on their site. 

Pure grips went out of business earlier this year.

 

Looking forward to the comments from this group of testers.

[Shawn Breitzman]

9 minutes ago, LeakyValve said:

Did Pure grips stop production? I’ve used them in the past and couldn’t find anything on their site. 

Correct, ran deals to move the last of the product from Probably Sept/November and closed up earlier this year.   Love the neon options from them. Hopefully another company like Star will offer some neon options for those that like to pop on the course. We bought several of the current ones we use so in case they wear out we had backups. So far over a year of gaming the wrap on most of the clubs they are still in great condition.  Just switched my two wedges to their DTX combo to try. 

[scotter032]

Are they better than Winn? Lamkin? Duct tape? We are anxiously awaiting the thoughts and feels from you all..... Congratulations on being selected! 

[widget]

congrats to the chosen few...made the switch last year from PURE to STAR (have also played numerous other brands: golf pride; iomic; winn; lamkin; etc (as i do not wear a glove i am always looking for best "feeling" grip...i also like to tinker with counter balancing, shaft length, different shafts, etc so the ability to change grips without ruining them is a big benefit (which is how i found my way into "install with air" grips...now, for the STAR vs PURE discussion...STAR grips hits it out of the park whereas PURE in comparison just hits an infield fly ball...in regards to Tackiness, Durability, Ease of Installation, Appearance, & FEEL, STAR grips are better in all aspects (the Sidewinder feels same as GP tour velvet and Lamkin crossline but Star is tackier and the Tour Star+ is similar to GP wrap but Star is softer feeling between the two)...with the ease of installation i am surprised i do not see more people with Star grips (folks at my club always get a kick out of me changing grips outside using the air hose and yes they are immediately playable right after installing) BUT they are hard to find and not offered by most retailers...well that is my 2 cents (or maybe closer to 2 bucks with the long windedness )...lastly, for what it’s worth STAR was around long before  Pure (Pure grips was actually started by a former Star grip employee)…currently gaming STAR tour star+ std grips...cheers

 

Edited March 12 by widget

[sglj3]

Congrats testers, looking forward to your review. Enjoy the process

[FallenSaber]

17 hours ago, EugeGall said:

Introduction

Howdy to my fellow Spies, I'm Eugene Gallacher so you can see I got very original with my username, well to be honest my creativity deserted me the day I joined.
Firstly I'd like to thank MGS and Star Grips for giving me this opportunity to test out their range of grips. Eagerly awaiting my shipment expected this Thursday and it just happens to be my birthday, so present is on its way, woohoo!!

I'm 52, married with 2 daughters and live in Brighton UK. A fun fact is I'm Scottish (Irish father), my wife is Welsh and my 2 daughters were born in England and we all have Australian citizenship. I'm an engineer by default and currently the general manager for a manufacturing company that designs instrumentation for the geotechnical, civil and structural engineering sector.

Been playing golf since I was 8 (dad was a big golf nut so must be in the genes) and played all through my school years as a junior. Work got in the way back in 2012 and so had a mad hiatus from playing up to around 15 months ago, joining my current track at Singing Hills, a lovely 27 hole course with 3 distinct 9 holes (Lake, River & Valley), north of Brighton. I play every weekend, at least once and get out for 9/18 midweek, most weeks. Currently playing off 9.
I do all my own club work, regripping & reshafting. Bit of tinkerer at heart.

1. How to test – blow on with air and give them a good bash both at the range and course seeing how they stack up against my current grips which I’ve used for years. Going Tour Star 360 on  Driver/Woods; Sidewinder 360 with lower build up tape on Irons and Sidewinder 360 (no tape) on Wedges (can always blow off and add tape).
2. Comparisons – Up against GP Tour Velvet Plus4 on Driver and MCC Plus4 on Woods, Irons and Wedges looking at feel, durability and tackiness; how do they work wet/dry. Other than actual playing numbers will use Toptracer Range to see if they effect distance & dispersion against my gamers. Interested in the softness (Star) vs firmer (Sidewinder).
3. Will they stay after testing – unless they bomb on for the season to give them a good longevity test.
4. Why did I want to test – Big fan of Pure Grips so always curious about these, and who doesn’t like a good grip test. Was about to put on GP CPX so may compare to them as well. Also at almost half price to my current keen to see if they are value for money or just cheap. See the tight Scotsman always comes out.
5. Product knowledge – Star Grips always come up when looking just never pulled the pin.
6. Expectations - high given the current reviews, but they have to be a seamless addition to my bag.

 

Anyway I'll keep you all posted..... fun times ahead.

EugeGall.

Nice start! Looking forward to the review.

 

[Prodigal Duffer]

17 hours ago, EugeGall said:

 

Beautiful course, must be a delight playing there.

I have the MCC plus on my woods and wedges right now and find that they wear down pretty quick (especially the wedges, which admittedly get the most use of any club). Interested to hear your perspective on that and how the Star compare.

[EugeGall]

6 minutes ago, Prodigal Duffer said:

Beautiful course, must be a delight playing there.

I have the MCC plus on my woods and wedges right now and find that they wear down pretty quick (especially the wedges, which admittedly get the most use of any club). Interested to hear your perspective on that and how the Star compare.

Thanks and yes it's a wonderful course to play.

I agree the MCC do wear pretty quickly so longevity will be a good test... I'm with you on the Star as I haven't played a warp for a long time, but it's the softness that I'm interested in looking at which is why I may compare to the CPX

[BreakfastBall15]

1 hour ago, widget said:

congrats to the chosen few...made the switch last year from PURE to STAR (have also played numerous other brands: golf pride; iomic; winn; lamkin; etc (as i do not wear a glove i am always looking for best "feeling" grip...i also like to tinker with counter balancing, shaft length, different shafts, etc so the ability to change grips without ruining them is a big benefit (which is how i found my way into "install with air" grips...now, for the STAR vs PURE discussion...STAR grips hits it out of the park whereas PURE in comparison just hits an infield fly ball...in regards to Tackiness, Durability, Ease of Installation, Appearance, & FEEL, STAR grips are better in all aspects (the Sidewinder feels same as GP tour velvet and Lamkin crossline but Star is tackier and the Tour Star+ is similar to GP wrap but Star is softer feeling between the two)...with the ease of installation i am surprised i do not see more people with Star grips (folks at my club always get a kick out of me changing grips outside using the air hose and yes they are immediately playable right after installing) BUT they are hard to find and not offered by most retailers...well that is my 2 cents (or maybe closer to 2 bucks with the long windedness )...lastly, for what it’s worth STAR was around long before  Pure (Pure grips was actually started by a former Star grip employee)…currently gaming STAR tour star+ std grips...cheers

 

Good to know the sidewinder is similar feel to the GP tour velvet and the Lamkin crossline. They have been some of my favorite grips to play. They looked very similar in the picture so that's why I chose those. 

Edited March 12 by BreakfastBall15

[BreakfastBall15]

I have posted my intro.

If anyone has anything specific they would like tested that I or any other tester hasn't mentioned please let me know and I'll try my best for ya!

[GospelnGolf]

18 hours ago, GolfSpy_APH said:

Testers Announced!

One of the most overlooked items on a golf club is the grip. Yet it is our single connection point to the golf club and shaft. Star Grips is not as well-known as some of the big names but they have a long history and provide grips purpose-built for the air-compressor installation method.

About Star Grips

If you haven’t heard of Star Grips, this is what they have to say about their brand, history and product: 

“Founded in 2001, Star Grip has been manufacturing golf grips in the USA for over 20 years. Made from our proprietary StarTack EPDM compound, our grips are produced using a seamless injection molding process which results in unmatched quality, performance, and consistency with a weight tolerance of +/-1 gram. They are also unquestionably some of the longest-lasting grips in the industry. As such, we are proud to offer an unprecedented 3-year durability guarantee on every grip we make - whether purchased directly from us or from any of our dealers located around the world. If they become hard, slick, or crack within 3 years, just contact us, and we'll send you a free replacement!”

Star Grips offers four different grips for full-swing clubs: The Sidewinder 350*, which is offered in eight different colors; the Classic Wrap and Tour Star+ 360* in four different colors, and the Smoother Wrap in black. As a bonus, Star Grips also offers a free installation gun when orders exceed $100.

Please welcome and congratulate our testers!

@BreakfastBall15

@LeakyValve

@Alf. S 

@EugeGall

Congrats!!! I look forward to the review!

[LeakyValve]

Intro is up!! If anyone has any additional tests they want to see done let me know!!!

[Subdiver1]

Congrats to all the testers. Look forward to reading your reviews.

I'm interested in ease of install, performance and durability as well as weight comparison with your current gamer grips (something that effects club weight and few consider).  I love my DriTac/DriTac2 Jumbo grips, but durability is a significant drawback.  

Have fun.

[widget]

1 hour ago, BreakfastBall15 said:

Good to know the sidewinder is similar feel to the GP tour velvet and the Lamkin crossline. They have been some of my favorite grips to play. They looked very similar in the picture so that's why I chose those. 

the only thing i can say negatively (my opinion) about STAR grips is the taper which is a little to much (sidewinder)…but the tour star+ addresses this issue having a built up bottom hand (akin to the GP MCC plus)…would be nice if sidewinder had same option…cheers

[TG8]

[BreakfastBall15]

18 minutes ago, widget said:

the only thing i can say negatively (my opinion) about STAR grips is the taper which is a little to much (sidewinder)…but the tour star+ addresses this issue having a built up bottom hand (akin to the GP MCC plus)…would be nice if sidewinder had same option…cheers

Thanks for the heads up. I was planning on experimenting with lower hand build up tape anyway so it’s good to know that going in

[Bohnson]

Congrats testers enjoy the process! 

[Willie T]

Congrats to the testers - have had some small dealings with what could be called their predecessors, i.e. Pure grips….if these are like those you guys are gonna love them for a long time to come.  Will be following to see how they work out for each of your clubs…have fun while you get your grip on! 

[LeakyValve]

My experience with grips...

 

I have a bit of practice in re-gripping clubs. Take off the old one, hope the tape comes off, put new tape on, use the solution to get it all wet and slide the new one on and square it up. As for the whole "air grips" I'm a bit more limited. I'm hoping with the air gun it will be a lot easier to do with simply a vice to hold the clubs.

Some info on "tapeless" grips...

As for this type of grip it's not a new concept of having a "tapeless install". In 2020 GolfPride had a concept for tapeless grips with their "twist on concept Helix Grips". The idea was to use the "horn" on the open end of the grip and slide the grip on to the shaft. Then, using the other end of the horn, you would lock the base of the grip onto the shaft by twisting it. The grips were said to use a similar design to the popular "Tour Velvet". I'll a link below of the concept and process. I looked on the GolfPride website and couldn't find them for availability.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/erikmatuszewski/2020/12/01/golf-prides-new-grip-system-no-tape-no-solvent-and-ready-for-play-immediately/amp/

Another company that does, or did,  tapeless grips is "Pure Grips". Their install process is the same as Star Grips where you use air to install. Unfortunately I couldn't find any pricing or availability on the Pure Grips website. It appears they are no longer selling grips. My dad plays these grips and swears by them for their ease of install. He tinkers alot, more than most, with his clubs so being able to just fire a grip on a club before going out to play or practice is a big time saver. As for me, any of the times he has made me something to test I was never impressed with the Pure Grip. I think it "Pure"ly came down to the model of grip he uses. It's very bumpy and rigid.

 

If anyone has seen any other "tapeless grips" let me know!!

[BreakfastBall15]

That was an interesting read about the helix. I had never heard of it before. It sounds… complicated. But if you don’t have any tools it’s a great option. 
 

I have personally only ever done 2 grips before and one was a putter. I’m looking forward to the air install because it seems very easy.