OK, maybe “boring” is harsh. The Golf Pride Tour Velvet isn’t really boring so much as it’s become the standard. But when you look at other options in a grip lineup, with their bold colors, aggressive textures and flashy branding, the Tour Velvet does kind of look like the plain one in the room. In this case, there may be some real benefit to being the boring one.
30 years and barely a change
The Tour Velvet launched in 1995 and its core design has remained virtually unchanged. Golf Pride set out to solve a specific problem. Their previous flagship grip, the Green Victory, would get slick over time. The solution was a deeper, more aggressive +-sign dimple pattern that gave fingers and skin something to really hold onto.
What makes it work comes down to two things. First, the rubber compound: a proprietary blend engineered specifically for feel and performance, sitting right in the middle ground between soft and firm. That balance delivers comfort without sacrificing feedback which is why it suits such a wide range of players and swing styles.
Second, the +-sign texture. It isn’t just a visual signature. The texture creates a uniformly slip-resistant surface that holds up across different conditions and keeps traction consistent whether your hands are dry or you’ve encountered some rain mid-round.
Since launch, the rubber compound has been refined around 20 times for consistency. But the dimple pattern and firmness have never changed.
The numbers don’t lie
Twenty of the top 50 players in the world currently use a variation of the Tour Velvet, including world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, uses it, too. The Tour Velvet also accounts for roughly half of all OEM grips on off-the-rack clubs.
Aaron Rai and the PGA Championship
The most recent proof point came at the 2025 PGA Championship where Aaron Rai won using a Tour Velvet Standard.
His setup is very simple. Two pieces of tape. Golf Pride Tour rep Brett Zollman described Rai as “a super basic user” and that simplicity tells you everything you need to know. When the stakes are at their highest, one of the world’s best players reached for the most straightforward grip setup imaginable and walked away with a major championship.
The takeaway for your game
Stop overthinking your grips.
If 20 of the top 50 players in the world, including the No. 1 player on both major tours, are playing a grip that’s barely changed since 1995, that should tell you something. More importantly, a fresh Tour Velvet is going to beat your worn-out grips every single time regardless of what brand or model you’re playing. That’s the most important thing you can do for your game right now. With the season in full swing, there’s no better time to get it done.
Joe Cook
2 weeks ago
I use Winn Dri-Tac 2.0 grips and love them. I used the original Dri-Tac but the 2.0 lasts longer, I don’t like to wear a glove and don’t until the teeth of the summer which is saying something in S.C. I’ve tried many different grips and the Winn is just easier to keep from slipping when a little wet