Tour players change drivers most seasons. They test shafts for months. They will swap a wedge mid-season over two degrees of bounce. Grips are different. Most pros settle on one model early and stay with it for a decade or more, and a large share of the field lands on the same handful of models.
That consistency is worth paying attention to. These are players who can feel a gram of head weight, and they are not choosing grips on price or looks. They pick what holds up over 30 rounds of tournament pressure in every kind of weather, then build it to a size that matches their hands. Look at what they use, and a clear pattern shows up, and most of it is repeatable for a weekend golfer.
Golf Pride grips are used by roughly 88% of the top 100 PGA Tour players. Tour Velvet is the most played model, followed by the MCC hybrid and Tour Velvet Cord. Most pros use standard or slightly built-up sizes.
What the Tour Numbers Show
Golf Pride holds around three-quarters of the overall grip market and an even bigger share of professional bags. Recent research into the top 100 PGA Tour players found 88% playing Golf Pride, with Tour Velvet the single most used model, MCC next at about a fifth of the group, and Tour Velvet Cord behind that.
The same research turned up 21 different grip models in use across those 100 players. So the brand is close to settled, but the model is personal. That is the honest takeaway for anyone shopping. Copying a specific player’s grip means nothing if the profile does not suit your hands.
The Grips Pros Actually Play
| Grip type | Why pros choose it | Players associated with it |
| Tour Velvet (rubber) | Reliable feel, works in most conditions, easy to build up | Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, Jason Day |
| MCC and MCC Plus4 (hybrid) | Cord traction in the glove hand, softer rubber below | Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Max Homa |
| Tour Velvet Cord (full cord) | Maximum moisture control and feedback | Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas |
| Wrap and soft compound | Comfort and a softer feel through impact | A small minority on tour |
Bags change week to week, so treat those names as a guide rather than a spec sheet.
Tour Velvet is the default. It has been the benchmark rubber grip for decades because it does nothing badly. Good tack, good feedback, enough texture to hold up when the hands warm up.
MCC and MCC Plus4 are the modern tour favourite. Cotton cord sits in the upper hand where the glove grips, softer rubber sits in the lower hand for feel. The Plus4 version builds up the lower hand to reduce taper, which is exactly what pros have been doing manually with extra tape wraps for years. The Align variant adds a raised ridge down the back so the hands find the same position on every shot.
Full cord is the heavy-sweat, heavy-feedback option. It is firm and abrasive, which is why it appeals to players with strong hands and a glove on.
The Detail Most Golfers Miss
Tour players rarely play a grip straight out of the box. They add tape.
Extra wraps under the lower hand build up the taper, which quiets the trail hand and helps the face stay square. This is the single most common build in tour vans, and it is why the MCC Plus4 exists as a stock option.
Grip size on tour is mostly standard or standard plus one or two wraps. Very few play jumbo in the full swing. Putters are the exception, where oversize is common.
The other habit worth copying is frequency. Many pros re-grip every four to six weeks. Most club golfers go years. Traction fades long before a grip looks worn out.
How to Apply This to Your Bag
- You want the safest all-round choice. Tour Velvet in the size your hands measure to.
- Your hands sweat in humid summers. MCC Plus4 or a full cord model.
- You struggle with hand position. An Align model with the raised ridge.
- You want comfort and less shock. A soft wrap or CPX-style grip. Fewer pros use them, but pros are not playing with sore joints and a 12 handicap.
- You pull shots left. Try building up the lower hand with an extra wrap before you change anything else.
Common Mistakes
Copying a player instead of a profile. Rory’s grip suits Rory’s hand size and stroke.
Buying by feel in the shop. A grip feels tacky on a dry showroom hand. Judge it after nine holes in the heat.
Ignoring size. Too small and you squeeze, too large and you lose release. Get your hands measured once.
Mixing models across the set. Different textures in different clubs make pressure inconsistent.
Leaving grips on too long. If yours are more than two seasons old, that is your first upgrade.
FAQ
What golf grips do most PGA Tour pros use?
Golf Pride, by a wide margin. Tour Velvet is the most played model across the top 100 players.
What grip does Tiger Woods use?
He has long played a full cord Golf Pride grip, which suits players who want maximum traction and feedback.
Do pros use oversized grips?
Rarely in the full swing. Most build up standard grips with extra tape instead. Oversized is common in putters.
How often do tour players change grips?
Many re-grip every four to six weeks. Club golfers should aim for once or twice a season.
Are tour grips different from retail ones?
No. The models are the same. The difference is the build-up tape and precise sizing.
