golf pride
This Game-Changer Instantly Changed the Leaderboard
For over seven decades, Golf Pride has been the global leader in golf grip innovation and technology. As challenger brands gained footing in the putter golf grip market, Golf Pride requested BOLTGROUP’s assistance in introducing their next market disrupting game changer, as fast and efficiently as possible.Header Video Credit: Golf Pride
What We Did
CMF / Lifestyle Trends Research
Market Research
Consumer Research
Naming
Industrial Design
Color, Material + Finish Specification
Brand Stewardship
Visual Brand Language
Design + Documentation
Prototyping
Manufacturing Support
Packaging
Challenge
Golf Pride is the #1 brand of golf grips for tour pros and avid golfers alike. More pros use Golf Pride grips than all other brands combined. They have dominated the category for years with their precision quality, attention to detail, and superb hand feel. So, when competitors started to capture attention (and market share) with their unusual, oversized putter grips, shaking up a previously stagnant corner of the golf grip world, Golf Pride couldn’t afford to rest on their accomplishments. Although swing grips make up 92% of grips in the bag, the significance of the putter grip could not be overstated and Golf Pride couldn’t simply respond with another similar product. They were determined to disrupt the category again with the help of BOLTGROUP.
Working closely with players of all ability levels, Golf Pride’s Innovation team had discovered a unique grip shape that could be leveraged to enhance a golfer’s putting stroke. This geometry would come to be known as “Reverse Taper”: the putter grip getting larger from upper hand to lower hand instead of tapering away from the user. The enlarged lower portion of the grip acts to “quiet” the lower hand, optimizing the performance of each hand and minimizing the often over-active lower hand to improve putting performance.
Golf Pride was sure they were onto something with Reverse Taper, but they faced a challenge: how do you embody this technology into a compelling, desirable, and manufacturable product design? And how do you convince finicky golfers to try something new? They needed to make a bold statement, both with product design and brand communication, and that’s when they turned to BOLTGROUP.
CMF / Lifestyle Trends Initial Research
Solution
To begin addressing the numerous challenges, BOLTGROUP quickly immersed themselves in the history and direction of the company, while conducting research to build and provide a better understanding of the consumer, market, and product landscapes.
BOLTGROUP’s research included CMF (Color, Material, and Finish) and lifestyle trends, and a competitive audit that was reported back to Golf Pride with analysis on their current state and future putter grip opportunities.
Armed with knowledge, insights, and empathy, BOLTGROUP and Golf Pride were able to develop an innovative product from concept to launch, create new product line opportunities and VBL, and change the game for golfers around the world.
Choosing a new putter grip is not just a purchase; it’s an affirmation to the trust and performance associated with our brand. The meticulously designed Reverse Taper grip distinguishes itself amidst a crowded selection of putter grips. It’s not just the form and function that attract golfers to a new putter grip; it’s the intent—the minute details that make a player comfortable in trying out a new technology. BOLTGROUP pushed our team to not only consider the details but also to promote them in the Reverse Taper to differentiate and make a mark.
— Bruce Miller, Retail Product Manager, Golf Pride Grips
Notable Reviews
“Though bold and vibrant, the Golf Pride Reverse Taper putter grips have a tasteful aesthetic… The dimple pattern provides some additional traction without adding harshness that a more aggressive etching might create.”
Bill Bush. April 10, 2024. “Golf Pride Reverse Taper Putter Grip Review.” Driving Range Heroes
Results
The Reverse Taper Putting Grip has received glowing reviews since its very recent introduction. We can’t wait to see what happens next as we continue to partner with Golf Pride.
The BOLTGROUP’s team played a crucial role in the development of Golf Pride’s Reverse Taper putter grip. The grip’s design needed to showcase the functionality of our new technology, resonating with our customers effortlessly. By segmenting our project into multiple stages, BOLTGROUP’s team enhanced our exploration and development of branding, materials, ergonomics, packaging, and manufacturing feasibility. This comprehensive approach guided us towards the successful launch of the Reverse Taper putter grip.
— Bruce Miller, Retail Product Manager, Golf Pride Grips