Lamkin has made believers out of Golf Tips testers over the past couple years, and its two latest offerings — the semi-tacky Sonar Tour for every club except the putter and the brand new Sink Fit putter line — only make the company’s grip on us even firmer. Not tight, mind you … firm, as in solid, but not too solid. Does that make sense?
Whatever. Let’s just say the materials and design technology infused in these all-important connectors between body and club are truly at the cutting edge of what, admittedly, can be a ho-hum product category.
The new Sonar Tour is a slightly firmer version of the existing Sonar line, designed, says the company, to “specifically to resist torsion in higher swing speeds.” So less twisting, and that’s good. But what matters to most of us is pure and familiar feel from club to club, which begets confidence, which allows a certain level of relaxation at address and through the swing. It’s just a smidgen less tacky than predecessors, but still “molds” to the hand quickly and comfortably. The Sonar Wrap, meanwhile, is somewhat tackier with higher “traction” than its sibling, but in a wrap style. The Tour is currently only available in standard size while the Wrap is in both standard and Mid Size-plus.
Lamkin’s new Sink Fit putter grips feature a unique profile contour to promote proper wrist alignment and hand positioning for a more controlled, consistent putting stroke. Models include traditional Pistol, Skinny Pistol or a Straight shape, and all are made with Lamkin’s new Genesis material for a fine combination of feel and surface traction, applied in what they call a “Fingerprint” pattern of intricate, dense textures.
We tried the slightly oversized Straight model — flat top for easy thumb alignment down the shaft, a rounded underside to promote a light touch — and found it had just enough “give” to produce good feedback through the hands, help keep the wrists stable and afford a slight release through impact. Solidifying that hand-putter connection while keeping the pressure soft is one key to great putting on any green speed, and that fact was born out on surfaces ranging from slow (around 8 on the Stimp) to 11 or more. Flatter breaks to Donald Ross-level undulation: Didn’t change our ability to keep the hands soft and the feedback true. Hence, more rolls in the bottom of the cup.
The Straight and The Pistol are also available in an ultra-lightweight polyurethane material; all grips come in a variety of two-tone color schemes.
Sonar Tour $8.99/Sink Fit $19.99 | www.Lamkingrips.com
