LAB DF3 Grip Change

[boomboomfred]

Posting because I debated making a grip change for weeks and couldn’t find any info on others making a similar change.

 

i took off the white lab press pistol grip and replaced with a pingman blackout. Result for me is that the putter swings much easier and more freely. Feel is a bit softer and strike seems more consistently middle for me.

 

here’s my rationale for the change:

 

fat grips help quiet the hands, engage the “big muscles” and swing the putter by rocking the shoulders. Xander is a good example of this kind of stroke. His hands are fairly rigid to control the torque of the putter.

 

with a LAB putter, we don’t need to quiet the hands to control the torque because the balancing has already accomplished that. Instead, we need to free up the stroke to let the putter head swing. For example, we do the thumbs off drill to help loosen the rigidity of our hands and free the putter head. Fat grips work against us with a lab putter.

 

A lab putter in the hands of someone that strokes it like Xander probably isn’t as beneficial as for someone who strokes it like Cam Smith. A free flowing stroke like Cam is more prone to face rotation/squareness issues - something a LAB putter can greatly improve.

 

visually, the straight on ping grip is cleaner to my eye than the press grip and the black out grip looks sweet overall.

[cocolamb22]

Were you able to pull it off or cut it? I’d like to pull mine, but it seems pretty difficult to do

[StoutKing]

Doesn't a standard grip feel funny with the shaft press?  I also putt better with slim grips.

[boomboomfred]

Was not able to pull the grip and it had to be cut.

 

i actually find the blackout easier to look at than the press grip because it’s straight on the shaft. I didn’t find that the face felt like it was floating in front or anything. Basically anything you think would be weird about it, I didn’t find weird at all. Played a full 18 with it today and found it much more comfortable and I putted great with it.

[Wonderboy]

It is likely out of balance due to the weight difference of the two grips.  The putters are balanced with the grip in place before they leave the shop. 

[Grape]

How is the lack of forward press playing out?  At setup does the putter default to "right" position, or do you have to mess with it a bit?  

[boomboomfred]

Putter is not out of balance. Still torque free. Grip was the same weight as the Press grip and I checked with LAB before making the switch. Said it likely wouldn’t be an issue and it isn’t.

 

no issues with setup. I still setup the same as with the Press grip, so the shaft lean/press is there. 
 

biggest change is that I find the head swings easier and more naturally with the thin grip. Also find my strike is more consistent but marginally so.

 

I love it and miss nothing from the Press grip.

[Underdog1924]

I think you have convinced me to change.  I have never liked the fat grips and use the same Ping blackout on other putters.

[wattage]

I replaced the press grip with the small Rosemark on my DF2.1 and B2. I also preferred the smaller grip but did have to use a bit of forward press at setup. I've kept the Pistol Press on my DF3 for now but do have a Rosemark and extra Pistol Press in case I get frisky again. With the LAB putters I putt better using my hands/arms as I normally do, as opposed to using a shoulder only stroke.

Edited July 2, 2024 by wattage

[5yddraw]

This is interesting to me.  I sold my DF 2.1 and DF3 because I could net get comfortable with the press grips.  

[Phebus]

I’ve been playing my DF3 left hand low and I’m putting much better vs a conventional grip. 

[boomboomfred]

Couple weeks in with the grip change and putting better. 
 

Not a knock against the press grips, but for me the grip change has helped me swing the putter head more and “steer” it less.

 

 

[TUCKITIN]

Yeah I'll be selling my Mezz because I can't get used to the press grips either

[ChaosTheory]

I think a lot of people hang the LAB putters straight down, which defeats the built in lean, and adds loft.

[SwingBlade]

What type of putter grip size and shape  we each prefer is purely a personal issue unless perhaps it defeats the fundamental objective of the overall club design.  
 

Tiger uses the relatively tiny Ping blackout grip because it enables him to precisely make minute hand or wrist motions that are far beyond the abilities of us mere mortals and he also has relatively small hands.   But, that  doesn't mean the rest of us shouldn't consider using one for our own purposes.  For example, I have a Ping blackout on my Original Bullseye because it just feels right to me even though I wear XL or XXL gloves.
 

Now I may be wrong, but I agree with the poster who said that fat grips help quiet the hands and wrists.  But then someone said that's not necessary with the LAB because there is zero torque and I'm just not certain that is true.  Yes, there is zero torque, but one of the most evident problems is that many folks simply can't relax their hands and wrists and unlearn the putting release skills they have sought to master for their entire golfing lives.  
 

I truly do welcome correction, but it seems that one does not "grip" a LAB DF3, one "cradles" it.  It would therefore seem that for zero torque to have the tangible benefit one is paying for, there must correspondingly be absolute zero hand and wrist motion.  Hence the thumbs-off open handed practice technique.  
 

Also, it seems the forward press grip is an essential component of the most optimized DF3 technology?

 

Curious to hear other thoughts on these aspects of LAB grip tech. 

[ChaosTheory]

3 hours ago, SwingBlade said:

 

 

Also, it seems the forward press grip is an essential component of the most optimized DF3 technology?

 

 

Basically the grip lets you hold a leaned shaft with the grip vertical, not leaned as with a forward press.  And it offsets the hands forward so it’s a lot like any offset putter, as far as ball placement.  
 

There is debate about how the hands not being aligned down the shaft axis affects the zero torque that the user should experience.  I don’t think it’s big enough to matter.
 

 

[von3jack]

Has anyone tried removing the press pistol 2* for one of the other lab grips? I have an urge to try the Press 1.5*.

[scotty_2987]

Put an Iomic 60 gram grip on mine today. Been rolling putts on my putting green and love it. 

[Need4spd]

When y’all regripped yours, was there a black rubber plug in the end of the shaft? I removed it and weighed it at 6g so I’m not sure if it’s for counterbalancing purposes or not. 
 

Pulled the grip off my stock DF3 today and that’s what I found. Wanted to cut it down 1/2” to play 33.5” and put a 1.5° on it since I like the shape better.

 

The overall static weight should be virtually identical without the rubber plug since the Pistol 2.0° weighs 58g and the 1.5° 64g. 
 

I’ve probably regripped at least a thousand clubs going back to the time I was a teenager. Working on this silly thing made me nervous! 😟 

 

Just curious if anyone else found the same. Thanks!

Edited September 26, 2024 by Need4spd

[cocolamb22]

For those that have made the switch, what’s the best tip to get it on square? The offset made it much harder than I expected. Switch the pistol 2* for a Garsen quad tour NT grip. Only about a 2 gram difference

[foreright0828]

I currently have a DF3 stock version.  I am struggling with distance control (I know that no putter is going to fix this) but I feel that the press grip might be the cause because I used to put with a slightly forward press with putters before the DF3.  I am wondering if switching to the 3 or 1.5 would improve the constant leaving putts short?  

[cocolamb22]

23 hours ago, foreright0828 said:

I currently have a DF3 stock version.  I am struggling with distance control (I know that no putter is going to fix this) but I feel that the press grip might be the cause because I used to put with a slightly forward press with putters before the DF3.  I am wondering if switching to the 3 or 1.5 would improve the constant leaving putts short?  

 

I had this same sentiment. The piston 2* grip was nice, but I struggled with how spongy it felt. I switched it to a Garsen Quad Tour and it feels so much better in my opinion. I also have the TPT shaft. But the grip change has been very noticeable for me

[ilikegolf26]

Doesn’t the grip change throw off the effective loft of these putters? So if it’s built with a 2* press grip the effective loft when you put a standard grip on goes from 3* to 5*?

Edited October 19, 2024 by ilikegolf26

[Brian Mendoza]

On 9/25/2024 at 5:23 PM, Need4spd said:

When y’all regripped yours, was there a black rubber plug in the end of the shaft? I removed it and weighed it at 6g so I’m not sure if it’s for counterbalancing purposes or not. 
 

Pulled the grip off my stock DF3 today and that’s what I found. Wanted to cut it down 1/2” to play 33.5” and put a 1.5° on it since I like the shape better.

 

The overall static weight should be virtually identical without the rubber plug since the Pistol 2.0° weighs 58g and the 1.5° 64g. 
 

I’ve probably regripped at least a thousand clubs going back to the time I was a teenager. Working on this silly thing made me nervous! 😟 

 

Just curious if anyone else found the same. Thanks!

Late reply but I just noticed this also, twice. I found out the first time after cutting a df3 down from 35 to 34 without rolling it much in its OG length to really try and find any difference. 
 

With the varying weight in grips, I’m actually not leaning toward it being a counterweight thing but more towards a dampening thing. 
 

The second time I’ve noticed it was when swapping the grip off of my df3 CB. Both my reg and cb have Accra shafts in them and I think if I’m being picky, the CB feels more “thuddier” and not as firm. I could totally be wrong though, because the CB has a heavier head, overall weight, thicker grip, etc. 

 

Just wanted to throw my experience in there in case you were still wondering!

[wattage]

I changed out the Press grip on my DF3 for my old favorite the Rosemark 1.25 lite (blue/white). I don't get to play much these days but did play this week for the first time and putted really well.

[TheBoomer]

Bringing this back up !! 
 

Just seen Kim at the waste management with a DF3 and a super stroke 

 

so the question is, are we throwing these putters out of whack by changing the grip or not ? 
 

when you order a Oz or DF3 with the press shaft you only get Press Grip options

 

paging Dr Hahn !!!!!!!!!

 

update 12:22pm 

 

Edited February 9 by TheBoomer

[boggyman]

Darren Clarke had a SS on his Oz this weekend. 

[ilikegolf26]

6 hours ago, boggyman said:

Darren Clarke had a SS on his Oz this weekend. 

There are Oz with 0* shaft lean and, therefore, they have standard non press grips on them. 

[ChaosTheory]

On 9/25/2024 at 7:23 PM, Need4spd said:

When y’all regripped yours, was there a black rubber plug in the end of the shaft?

I found the same in a DF3.  Don’t know what it’s for.

[boggyman]

13 minutes ago, ChaosTheory said:

I found the same in a DF3.  Don’t know what it’s for.

What grip did you put on your DF3? Did you notice any difference?