Lamkin UTx

GIVEN the rather up-and-down English climate right now - yup, good ol' Great British summer - I thought there was no better time to pull in the pits for a grip change and slip on the new Lamkin All-Weather UTx grip.

Now I know what you're thinking... a grip is a grip. Well yes, you're right, but not really.

Standard grips that just get chucked onto clubs aren't anyway near as dense, tacky or as comfortable as ones from a specific golf grip manufacturer. The more complex the weather conditions - particularly apt for the UK golfer - the faster grips degrade and so you therefore need something that's going to stand the test of time.

Welcome to the Lamkin UTx.

Following a day of testing and two rounds with the standard black version featuring a neat blue and white tip - one of three new colour choices including red and blue - in varying weather conditions, I was left in no doubt that the UTx is the most exciting grip to fly out of Lamkin Towers.

PGA Show Interview: Lamkin

Now I'm not going to bore you about all the new key technologies that the UTx brings, but here's a quick rundown...

In short, the key behind the new All-Weather UTx is the utilisation of Lamkin’s ACE 3Gen material is that it has an incredible amount of tack, durability and vibration dampening traits.

Both the inner and outer layers of the grip consist of the ACE 3Gen tech, with the base layer being a softer version to help comfort and the outer layer a firmer version to relieve tension in the grip. Tying the outer and inner layer together is the moisture wicking fabric that allows for more playability in a wider variety of weather conditions.

Verdict

I enjoyed excellent grip confidence in varying weather conditions and an enhanced comfort with a softer, tackier foundation than I was receiving with my standard grips. I love the fresh looks, and although not testing the more radical blue and red versions, I found the black with blue/white tip model to be very pleasing to the eye. I felt as though my hands and particularly my fingers felt less rough after my first round of 18 - testament to changing grip for the first time in a long while. At no point did my hands slip from the club when the rain poured and I felt as though I had an even greater feel on the 'feel' shots around the green and out of sand. My driving and long iron play also appeared to gain a little better accuracy from the low torque design and I enjoyed some decent distance control with my scoring clubs. It will be interesting to see how the grips perform over the next few months but for now, I'm chuffed. I would 110% recommend getting involved with the Lamkin UTx grip this season.