Equipment
Can a golf grip really help you gain distance?
Lamkin makes the claim that with more traction and comfort, leading to a lighter grip pressure, golfers can actually gain speed and distance by using its new Z5 grip. But what makes this promise of “better traction and more comfort” any different than any other grip on the market?
Well, the Z5 grips have 5 different sections, or “zones,” each of which have different designs and are made with different materials. The rationale here seems to be that since each hand has a different function during the swing and setup, and they have different needs from a grip, that the grip shouldn’t be uniform from top to bottom.
Zones 1 and 2, the top two zones of the grip, have a cord weave and a horizontal pattern that’s said to provide traction in all weather conditions. And since most golfers wear a glove on their top hand, the cord probably will not put the hand in danger of discomfort.
From left to right: Zones 1, 2 and 3.
Zone 3, the middle zone, has what Lamkin calls “FingerLock panels,” helping to secure the thumb of the golfer’s top hand by having both the corded, horizontal pattern like the first two zones, but surrounding it with a “simulated rope texture.” According to Lamkin, this will give the golfer a feeling of control that allows a lighter pressure.
For those who don’t like the feel of Zone 3, the grip can be installed with its logo down, which effectively rids golfers of the feel of this zone and extends Zones 1 and 2.
Zones 4 and 5 have what the company calls a “shallow microtexture,” which is softer on the lower hand, since most golfers do not have a glove on that hand. The V-shape dividing line between the colors is there as a reminder for golfers where the proper placement of their fingers should be. This is said to promote control and consistency.
Zone 4 of the Z5 grip.
Lamkin’s new Z5 grips, made from a proprietary compound, are available in both standard (50 grams) and midsize (60 grams) in three colorways: Black/White, Blue/White and Red/White.
Cameron Young’s WITB from his win at the 2025 Wyndham Championship. Cameron is a Titleist staff player but his bag is definitely filled with some unique clubs. Here are the clubs he used to secure his first PGA Tour win!
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K White 80 TX
Hybrid: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus HB Black VeloCore+ 10 X
Irons: Titleist T200 (4), Titleist T100 (5), Titleist 631.CY Prototype (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F, 52-12F, 56-14F @57), WedgeWorks (60-K* @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold X7
Putter: Scotty Cameron Phantom 9.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Prototype
- Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Titleist GT3 (10 degrees, C2 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Project X Denali Blue 60 TX
3-wood: Titleist GT3 (15 degrees, A1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 7 X
7-wood: Titleist GT2 (21 degrees, D1 SureFit setting)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus TR Blue 8 X
Irons: Titleist T150 (4, 5), Titleist T100 (6-9)
Shafts: True Temper AMT Tour White X100
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F, 56-08M @57, 60-04T @62)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400
Putter: Scotty Cameron Studio Style Fastback 1.5 Tour Prototype
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Ball: Titleist Pro V1x Yellow
We’re proud to once again partner with 2nd Swing Golf to bring you GolfWRX Members Choice 2025! 2nd Swing has more than 150,000 new and pre-swung golf clubs available in six store locations and online. Check them out here.
What is the best driver in 2025? At GolfWRX, we take great pride in our online community and the cumulative knowledge and experience of our members. When it comes to the best driver of 2025, we want to know what our forum faithful think.
Since our founding in 2005, the bedrock of GolfWRX.com has been the community of passionate and knowledgeable golfers in our forums, and we put endless trust in the opinions of our GolfWRX members — the most knowledgeable community of golfers on the internet. No other group of golfers in the world tests golf clubs as frequently or as extensively, nor is armed with such in-depth information about the latest technology.
Below are the results of GolfWRX member voting for the 2025 best driver, along with the vote percentage for each club.
Best driver of 2025: The top 5
5. Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond: 6.02%
Callaway’s pitch: “For golfers looking for a fast, forgiving, yet workable driver, the Elyte Triple Diamond features a tour-inspired shape and is the preferred model by most Callaway tour players.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond here.
4. Ping G440 Max: 6.86%
Ping’s pitch: “The most forgiving G440 model, MAX has a hotter face to generate speed and distance, and a lighter overall system weight with a longer shaft (46″) for faster clubhead speed, higher launch and longer carries. The Free Hosel and Carbonfly Wrap crown save weight to create our lowest CG ever and increase forgiveness while contributing to a more muted, pleasing sound.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 Max here.
3. Ping G440 LST: 9.53%
Ping’s pitch: “LST is an especially good fit for faster swings, offering less spin and more control with a penetrating trajectory. A hotter face, lighter overall system weight and longer shaft (46″) deliver more speed and distance while maintaining tight dispersion.”
@phizzy30: “Not a fan of Ping drivers in general, but 440 LST takes the cake. It’s super forgiving across the face for a low spin head, looks and sounds good and the ability to make it play neutral or slightly fade biased through the hosel settings is very appealing.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Ping G440 LST here.
2. Titleist GT3: 16.55%
Titleist’s pitch: “The GT3 Driver offers Titleist’s boldest combination of power and personalization through adjustable performance. Dial in the CG Track to your frequent contact location to make your biggest drives even bigger while taking total control over flight and shaping.”
@mrmikeac: “I’ve been Anti-Titleist for years and years and years (outside of Vokey, of course). With that being said, HOLY BEGEEZUS the GT3 driver is an absolute NUCLEAR MONSTER! This thing blew my G430 10K Max out of the water in every single category. Forgiveness is the biggest thing that stands out of me, the 3 model has always been one of the less forgiving models in the past but this GT3 can take bad shot after bad shot and still end up in the fairway, I think a ton of that has to do with the adjustability, it’s actually effective. Feel and sound is perfect, that solid crack is so addicting to hear and when you hit it out the screws this thing can absolutely bomb it. Titleist, I’m sorry for doubting you. You have converted me.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT3 here.
1. Titleist GT2: 22.91%
Titleist’s pitch: “Delivering impressive distance from any impact point, the Titleist GT2 Driver extracts maximum performance through a forgiving design. Get the stability and added confidence of a high-MOI driver without sacrificing speed.”
@DTorres: “The Titleist GT2 has proven to be the best driver of the year. Packaged in a classic profile, GT2 perfectly balances performance and forgiveness while consistently being a high performer across all categories.”
You can read what other golfers are saying about the driver in the GolfWRX forums, and see our launch piece here. Shop the Titleist GT2 here.
Other drivers receiving >2% of the vote
| Driver | Vote percentage (%) |
|---|---|
| Cobra DS Adapt Max K | 4.85% |
| Ping G430 Max 10K | 3.85% |
| Callaway Elyte Triple Diamond | 3.68% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 | 3.51% |
| Callaway Elyte | 3.18% |
| Cobra DS Adapt X | 2.34% |
| Cobra DS Adapt LS | 2.17% |
| TaylorMade Qi35 LS | 2.17% |
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Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
Mel Sole
Aug 7, 2016 at 8:33 am
I tend to agree with John. My experience with Lampkin grips is that they do not last. The last set lasted for about 3 months (and I don’t play a lot as I’m an instructor and teach all day) I have no more confidence in Lampkin for the future!
snowman
Jul 13, 2016 at 10:37 pm
I believe bottom line that grips are a commodity; use any quality grip that feels good to you. Properly sized Grip of any material /brand and you’ll be fine. hi tech materials, zones and such are just a marketing strategy to convince us to spend more on grips. Lots of majors won with the old boring GP green victory grips and the newer plain-jane tour velvet.
john
Jul 13, 2016 at 10:23 pm
if these are made with the same material as the utx (the top half looks exactly like a utx) then they’ll wear out before you reach the 18th green, they’ve lost their way of late
Golfer
Jul 13, 2016 at 12:26 pm
I’d like to see a comparison on trackman between these grips and other grips.
myron miller
Jul 13, 2016 at 12:11 pm
All well and good but what if your hands are arthritic and you have trouble with smaller grips and need non-tapered grips. Doesn’t seem to look like a jumbo grip.
Also it would be nice to see some actual test numbers to see if for the same club, the grip actually makes a difference in distance and clubhead speed? Or is this just advertising hype? Personally i seriously doubt it makes any difference in swing speed or distance. And why would I care for my wedges and short irons. isn’t the function for these, accuracy and consistency?
Maybe for woods/driver/long irons it might make a difference, but I’d really like to see real tests to prove this statement.
Is it actually lighter than other companies grips?
c2
Jul 13, 2016 at 8:39 am
Looks like the Golf Pride multi-compound to me, about as original as Taylormade’s composite drivers. Manufacturers copying another should at least have the decency to not act like they have invented something new.
Paul
Jul 13, 2016 at 8:45 am
Sharpro came up with the original “Multi compound” New Decade design, not Golf Pride.
dd
Jul 13, 2016 at 2:52 am
So by gripping down it eliminates the top 2 sections, thus defeating the purpose of this grip altogether. Brilliant. Now I have no idea what the grip is supposed to feel like nor where to put my hands. What would small handed player like Lydia Ko do, when both her hands are small enough that almost 2 inches of the top and bottom of the grip are not used. I’ll be sure to tell people that this is for players with giant hands only. Brilliant.
Dude
Jul 12, 2016 at 8:19 pm
What are the odds that this will cost $10+/grip? Do the benefits make it worth 3x more than a crossline?
What happens if you turn the logo down. Will your hands be in a Forbidden Zone?
Tider992010
Jul 12, 2016 at 12:06 pm
I really like Lampkin Grips. I would try these in a heartbeat.
Milo
Jul 12, 2016 at 12:22 pm
I use UTx, awesome grips.
Nolanski
Jul 12, 2016 at 6:05 pm
I’m a crossline full cord guy myself but these are interesting.