If your hands ache by the 12th hole, buy the Golf Pride CP2 Wrap in midsize first. It carries a 2.5-inch Control Core that cuts twisting in the grip, and the midsize weighs only 64 g, so you get a thicker handle without hauling a lump of rubber around.

That covers most people. The rest of this page is for the ones it does not: severe thumb joints, a wet climate, or a stubborn loyalty to Lamkin.

How the five compare

Award	Grip	Size and weight	Rating
Best overall	Golf Pride CP2 Wrap	Midsize 64 g, jumbo 78 g	Our rating: 4.5/5 (editorial)
Sore fingers	Karma Arthritic Oversized	+3/32 in over standard, weight not listed	Our rating: 4/5 (editorial)
Severe arthritis	Karma Arthritic Jumbo	Jumbo, weight not listed	Our rating: 3.5/5 (editorial)
Wet weather	Golf Pride MCC Plus4	Midsize 66 g, cord top, rubber bottom	Our rating: 4/5 (editorial)
Lamkin fans	Lamkin Sonar+	Midsize 57 g, oversize 78 g	Our rating: 3.5/5 (editorial)

The weight gap is the thing to watch. A jumbo or oversize grip can weigh 20 g or more above a standard one, and that sits right in your hands.

How we chose

Nobody here has handled these grips, so this is research: the makers’ own spec listings, roundups such as Fun with Golf’s arthritis guide, and the owner feedback those roundups collect. I looked for a larger diameter, a soft compound, a reduced taper and a listing I could check. A grip needed at least three of those four to make the cut.

Why bigger and softer is the whole idea

A thin, firm grip makes you squeeze to feel secure. Squeezing is what inflames sore knuckles and thumb bases. A larger, softer, tackier grip lets the club sit in your hand with less effort, which is the consistent advice across the arthritis grip guides I read.

If you are still working out where the club should sit in your fingers, our guide to gripping a golf club covers it. A lighter hold only works if the hold is right.

Best overall: Golf Pride CP2 Wrap

Golf Pride CP2 Wrap (midsize or jumbo)

The CP2 Wrap is the grip other roundups measure everything else against. Retail listings give midsize at 64 g and jumbo at 78 g, both on a .600 core, with a 2.5-inch Control Core inside that Golf Pride says cuts torque by 41 percent against the same grip without it.

Torque matters for sore hands. When the clubface twists at impact, your fingers fight it. Less twist means less fighting.

The compound is the other half. It is listed as softer than most grips in Golf Pride’s own range, with a reduced taper into the lower hand. Roundups that gather forum feedback, like this one, name the jumbo as the version golfers with thumb-base arthritis settle on.

My advice: start with midsize. Move to jumbo only if midsize still leaves your fingers aching after a round.

Buy it if you want one grip that suits most arthritic hands. Skip it if your thumb joints need something fatter than jumbo.

Best for sore fingers: Karma Arthritic Oversized

Karma Arthritic Oversized (+3/32 in)

This one is built for the job, not borrowed from the tour. Karma’s product page describes it as oversized by 3/32 in against a standard men’s grip, with a raised, nubbed micro-texture to give your palms something to feel, and thicker-walled rubber to soak up shock.

That thick wall is the point. Mishits send a sting up the shaft, and the sting is what a sore wrist notices on a cold morning.

The catch: I could not find a published weight, and the nubbed surface looks different from a tour-style grip. Some players like the grippy feel, some dislike it under a bare palm.

Best for sore finger joints and a hard-gripping habit. Skip it if you want a smooth, tour-style feel.

Best for severe arthritis: Karma Arthritic Jumbo

Karma Arthritic Jumbo

When the oversized version is still not enough, Karma lists a jumbo version of the same idea. The description on its site points to a textured surface that limits excess grip pressure, plus thick shock-absorbing rubber.

I have less to go on here: no weight, no core size and little independent coverage. That is why it sits lower in the ranking.

Check the size on the listing before you order. Jumbo on a driver also makes a club noticeably chunkier, and you will want to try it on one club before regripping the set.

Buy it if a thick grip is the only thing your hands tolerate. Skip it if you have not yet tried the CP2 Wrap in jumbo, which has the better paper trail.

Best in wet weather: Golf Pride MCC Plus4

Golf Pride MCC Plus4 (midsize)

Arthritic hands do not always want pure rubber. The MCC Plus4 is a hybrid: a brushed cord compound on the upper hand for stability, softer rubber on the lower. Carl’s Golfland lists the midsize at 66 g on a round 60 core, with a larger lower hand intended to lighten your grip pressure.

The cord helps when it rains or your palms sweat, and a secure club is a club you hold lightly. That is why this works as the wet-weather answer.

Roundups also warn that cord can be rough on sensitive skin. If your palms are tender, this is not your grip, so wear a glove or pick the CP2.

Best for mild arthritis and a wet climate. Skip it if bare hands are tender.

Best if you want a Lamkin: Sonar+

Lamkin Sonar+ (midsize or oversize)

People ask about a Lamkin arthritic grip, so here is the straight answer. I did not find a grip named arthritic in Lamkin’s range. The nearest thing is the Sonar+, which comes in undersize, standard, midsize and oversize, per Golf Galaxy’s listing.

Listed weights are 53 g standard, 57 g midsize and 78 g oversize, on a .600 round core. The compound is slightly softer than traditional rubber, with a reduced taper. A Golfers Authority review calls it tacky and durable.

Look closely at the listing you click: the one linked here is standard size, which is the wrong size for arthritis. Pick midsize or oversize at checkout.

Best for a lighter thick grip. Skip it if you want a purpose-built arthritic design.

What matters when you buy

• Size first. Midsize for mild stiffness, jumbo for a sore thumb base.
• Compound next. Soft rubber for comfort, cord only if your skin tolerates it.
• Weight last, but check it. Every extra gram sits in your hands.
• Core or torque control if your wrists complain at impact.

Shafts count too. A softer, lighter shaft also eases the load on your joints, and our best golf shafts guide covers that side. If you are building a whole new bag, the best golf clubs for beginners list shows what to buy and what to skip.

Regripping at home

1. Cut the old grip off with a hook blade, away from your hand.
2. Peel off the old tape and clean the shaft.
3. Wrap double-sided grip tape the full length, leaving a little over the end.
4. Pour grip solvent in the new grip and over the tape.
5. Slide the grip on in one move and line up the logo.
6. Let it dry for several hours before swinging.

Want a bigger grip without buying one? Extra layers of tape under the grip thicken it a little. It is a cheap way to test a size.

What we left out and why

• Winn Dri-Tac in oversize: roundups name it often, but I could not verify its specs or find a listing I trusted.
• Majek Super Jumbo Arthritic: described as far bigger than standard jumbo, which makes it a niche pick without a verified listing.
• Karma Velour: a full-cord grip sold in standard size. Cord is also the rougher option on tender hands.
• Tacki-mac Arthritic Serrated: the only listings I found were on eBay.

Questions golfers ask

What grip size is best for arthritis?

Start at midsize. If your fingers still ache after 18 holes, step up to jumbo. Going straight to the biggest size can slow your hands and change your ball flight.

Are cord grips bad for arthritic hands?

Not bad, but rougher. Cord gives traction without squeezing, and some golfers love it. If your skin is tender, pick a soft rubber grip like the CP2 Wrap.

Is there a Lamkin arthritic grip?

I found no Lamkin grip sold under that name. The Sonar+ in midsize or oversize is the closest.

Will a thicker grip change my shots?

It can. Larger grips tend to quiet the wrists, so a draw may flatten into a fade. Try one club first.

The verdict by golfer

• Most arthritic hands: Golf Pride CP2 Wrap, midsize.
• Thumb-base pain: CP2 Wrap in jumbo.
• Sore fingers, heavy squeezer: Karma Arthritic Oversized.
• Severe pain, thick grip only: Karma Arthritic Jumbo.
• Rain and sweaty palms: Golf Pride MCC Plus4 midsize.
• Loyal to Lamkin: Sonar+ in midsize.

By The Golfing Lad