DUFF TEST: Boccieri Secret Grip

The new Boccieri Secret Grip may seem a little gimmicky at the surface, but after playing 9 holes with them on my clubs, I can safely say there is definitely a major benefit to using these back-weighted grips. When it comes to golf equipment, your golf grips are probably the most overlooked items in your bag. This is unfortunate, of course, since your grip is the only thing that connects you to the club. The Boccieri Secret Grip -- created by Stephen Boccieri, who also invented the Heavy Putter -- is a high-quality rubber grip... but with a twist.

Each grip features a counter-balance weight near its butt end to offset the weight of the clubhead. Why is that beneficial? According to the company website, you can improve your putting stroke, swing plane on full swings, and overall improvements in shot quality.

Feel and appearance

The Boccieri Secret Grip feels like your typical rubber wrap offered by other companies, with the addition of a counter-balance weight. I tested the black grips, however Boccieri offers multiple other colors in its product line. I found the grips to be rather comfortable in my hands and easy to control throughout my swing. Nothing to brag about in this regard.

Performance

Now we're talking. In the iron grips, the counter-balance weight actually made the clubhead feel lighter. I was hitting shots further, slightly straighter and everything felt effortless.

It was the damndest thing. Yay physics!

The putter Secret Grip was even more impressive. If anyone has ever used an anchored stroke before, you'll remember that the overall weight of the club was evenly distributed. The Secret Grip mimics this feeling, which led to a consistent, repeatable putting stroke with my traditional putter.

Overall Impression

I was very impressed with the Boccieri Secret Grips. They felt just like my current wrap grips, but they definitely performed well in terms of balancing out the overall weight of the club. This made my clubs seem easier to swing, lighter, and therefore increased clubhead speed. I'm not sure if this was a placebo effect or whatever, but all I know I was hitting my clubs further and my putts straighter than before.