Winn Pro X Putter Grip is a Winner on the Greens

Chris Duthie

My 20-year-old Ram Zebra putter is no Billy Baroo—that of Caddyshack notoriety—but this dented and stained mallet has been a true friend to me, often the deciding difference between shelling out or winning bets playing Skins and Wolf at the local muni.

So when it came time to remove the cracked-and-peeling rubber, I did what scores of golfers are now doing: I replaced it with one of those new jumbo grips, the kind that’s now adorning practically every putter on the PGA and LPGA tours. In this instance, I regripped with the Winn Pro X 1.32.

Good news first:

1. My playing partners hate it—because I am practically nailing almost every putt within the five- and six-foot range. As documented in so many consumer reviews, the Winn Pro X is amazingly effective in quieting those twitchy, persnickety, easily confused small muscles during the stroke, making it so much simpler to concentrate on alignment and speed.

2. I didn’t have to change my claw-style putting stroke to accommodate the super-size grip. This thing is truly massive, but even my small hands work around—and with—the girth of the Winn, which comes in a variety of comfortable sizes.

3. Because I am regaining confidence in making short money putts, it’s taking a hell of a lot of pressure off my short and mid-range approaches. When the five-footers are dropping like flies, suddenly it’s also much easier to accept a missed green. And with that, I am relaxing and notching more GIRs.

Bad news next:

1. Those same consumer reviews that dis the Winn Pro X’s long-distance “feel” are accurate, but only to a point. Long distance putting has always been about imagination—to pre-swing, calculate and “feel” how much strike to put into the stroke. In reality, the Winn doesn’t change that. I still sense the degree of metal-to-balata pop inflicted on the golf ball, yet because of the grip’s vibration-deafening qualities, just not as much as before. But with my scoring zone increased by as much as three feet, I am thus far very comfortable with a minor loss of long-distance feel.

2. The boo birds are converting. It was bound to happen. In two short months there are now three jumbo-grip putters in my foursome, with one lonely holdout. And to the man and woman, they’re all putting much better. So this is bad news only because I am winning fewer bets.

Try the Winn Pro X ($20 suggested retail) or one of its fat grip competitors. It might be the easiest, fastest and least expensive equipment change you’ve made in years. www.winngrips.com

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Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.