Like him, love him, or, if you’re Tiger Woods, avoid him, Butch Harmon knows a few things about golf. Opinionated, with a touch of arrogance (anyone who charges $3400 for a two-day group golf lesson can’t be too humble, can he?), Butch Harmon works with some of the most expensive golf swings the world has ever known (Darren Clarke, Fred Couples, Adam Scott, Mark Calcavecchia, Justin Leonard, etc.).
Besides being a teacher extraordinaire, Harmon has recently been marketing his “Right Grip” golf gloves. For two payments of $24.99 you too can feel how most of the best players in the world grip their weapons.
The Right Grip Golf Gloves are training gloves that feature “soft bars” sewn into the palm to get your hands properly positioned on the club. The bars also limit the amount of pressure you’re able to apply on the handle, allowing you to hit straighter, longer more powerful shots.
I recently moseyed over to the range and tried on a pair of these gloves. I’ve got to admit, the words “gimmick,” “money-sucking ploy,” etc. often come to mind when I try training devices. However, these gloves, even though it felt like I had a couple new warts growing on my palms, had merit. After placing my hands on the club in the correct fashion (fairly easy to do with the “soft bars”), I hit a string of solid shots and I found it easy to relax on the club.
The verdict? Once you get over your new “growths,” these gloves can be effective training devices, especially for golfers who don’t grip the club properly. So, the question then becomes somewhat Tiger-like: Do you really need Butch’s help? As evidenced by Tiger’s recent play, probably wouldn’t hurt – especially if you’ve got $50 burning a hole in your pocket.
