Do Oversize Grips Help Arthritis?

For a lot of golfers with arthritis, a bigger grip genuinely helps — and it’s one of the cheapest changes you can make. The Arthritis Foundation lists building up the size of your grips among the equipment changes it suggests for golfers with arthritis, so you can hold the club with a looser, less painful grip. Here’s the reasoning, and how to size up without overdoing it.

Why a thin grip hurts an arthritic hand

To keep a thin, slick grip from twisting in your hands, you have to clamp down hard — and that constant squeeze is exactly what a painful, stiff hand can least afford. The tighter you hold, the more the sore joints in your fingers and palm take the strain, and the sooner the round becomes a grind. Grip pressure, not the swing itself, is what ends a lot of arthritic golfers’ rounds early.

What a bigger, softer grip changes

A larger diameter fills the hand and spreads the load across more of your palm and fingers, rather than concentrating it in a few sore knuckles. A softer, tackier compound grabs your glove and skin so the club stays put with a much lighter hold. Put together, they let you hold the club securely while squeezing far less — less pressure, spread over more of the hand. That’s the whole idea behind an arthritis grip, and it’s why the best picks are both bigger and softer, not just one or the other.

How far to size up

Grips come in tiers: standard, midsize (about +1/16″), and oversize or jumbo (+1/8″ or more). The right size is the smallest one that lets you hold on comfortably without squeezing. Mild soreness often does well with a soft midsize; a genuinely arthritic hand usually wants oversize or jumbo. Bear in mind that a bigger grip also quiets hand and wrist action — helpful for a shaky hand, but something a player who still releases the club well may not want too much of. Our midsize vs jumbo grips guide walks through the choice, and the grip size guide lists the diameters side by side.

The sensible way to try it

Because the right size is personal, prove it before you commit: fit a single inexpensive oversize or jumbo grip to one club, hit some balls, and see whether your hands feel better. If they do, regrip the rest — it’s an easy afternoon job (see how to regrip your clubs). When you’re ready to buy, the best oversize grips and best grips for arthritisroundups rank the options, and a padded relief glove can add comfort on top — see best gloves for arthritis.