Golf Research In Play (GRIP) is a good friend of Hooked On Golf Blog and The Golf Space. GRIP offers a full line of high quality, affordable golf clubs. They’ve been great supporters of my sites and provided prizes for giveaways and of course our fantasy golf leagues. I’ve reviewed the GRIP Sweetness Putter, GRIP Wide Sole Irons, GRIP 460 CC Driver, GRIP 3-Hybrid and the GRIP 4-Hybrid so far. GRIP also has wedges and other fairway woods which I’ll hopefully soon get the pleasure of playing and reviewing.

GRIP 3-Wood, UH “3-Metal”

One of GRIP’s newest entries into the golf club market is their line of fairway woods. I’ll be covering their 3-Metal today. GRIP’s $79.95 3-Metal employs technology and design found in clubs costing several hundred dollars more.

Technology

The GRIP 3-Metal is made of H2045 Hot Steel, which is a heat treated cast stainless steel. This steel is lighter and stronger than the metals usually found in most fairway woods. The stronger steel allowed GRIP’s designers to implement a thinner face on the club which results in increased ball speed. GRIP’s 3-Metal face is 33% thinner than standard fairway woods at .2mm.

The weighting of the GRIP 3-Metal, a result of the dual weight ports and the head design, provides the player with high ball flight and low spin. Lower spin equates to more accuracy and distance. The weighting also favors forgiveness, meaning the club is easy to hit.

Looks and feel

The first thing I liked about the GRIP 3-Metal is the traditional look. The head isn’t gigantic and it has a very attractive shape, like 3-Metal offerings from Titleist and Taylormade.

The feel of the club in my hands and during my swing is wonderful. I’m aware of the club head position at all times. Shot contact with the GRIP 3-Metal provides excellent feedback in feel and sound. You know exactly where you hit the ball on the club face if you need to adjust your swing or ball position.

On the course

Like many clubs I review, I didn’t bother taking this one to the driving range first. I just put it into play. After all, I want to find out if a club really fits my swing in the heat of battle.

I played a local country club for the first time, where the Nationwide Tour stops here in town every year. The first hole is a very long par-5. I hit a decent drive but pulled it a bit into some mid-length rough on the left. I had about 270 to the green and my ball was sitting down slightly. I was also on a bit of an upslope. I’d normally just get my ball back into play with a 6-iron and shoot for the 100 marker, taking my chances with a sand wedge to the green. But this time I decided I’d hit my first shot with the GRIP.

I put a really good swing on the club, and even though the ball was sitting down the contact felt great. The ball exploded out of that rough and flew long and high. The ball landed about 10 yards short and trickled onto the front of the elevated green. Eagle putt on the way baby. I turned to my buddies and just said “wow.” They weren’t too thrilled with the shot though, because they knew I’d have the first skin of the day and I’d be one-up in all my individual matches against them. Too bad for them.

Since that first shot I’ve enjoyed playing my GRIP 3-Metal. I found it to be a good 10-20 yards longer than my other 3-Wood, with a more penetrating ball flight. Like my first shot description, I’ve found that the club’s shape allows me to dig it out of lies I wouldn’t normally attempt with a fairway wood.

When teeing off with the GRIP 3-Wood however, I have to be careful not to tee it too high because of the face being a little less deep. If I tee it too high I can hit what I call a “sky king” shot because the ball is hitting too high on the club face.

Shaft options

GRIP’s fairway woods are all available in graphite or steel in regular, stiff flex, women’s flex and senior flex.

Head cover

The GRIP 3-Metal does include a very nice and good looking head cover. Nothing is more irritating that struggling with a head cover when you’re trying to concentrate on burying your opponents. This head cover does it’s job perfectly and easily.

Critiques

I’ve given my pal Rob Blumberg, GRIP owner, some grief about their centering mark on their clubs before and I’m going to do it again. The GRIP logo has a little lightning bolt which is a ball trajectory graph. They used this mark on the 3-Metal (and other club models) as the centering mark. The mark is crooked in shape, which gives a bit of a strange alignment to the player. Worse than that though, the mark looks like a scratch. It looks like someone has put a big sky-mark in the club. An arrow or round dot (like in the GRIP hybrids) would be better for marking the club’s center. The first time I show any golf pal this club they say it’s too bad such a pretty club has a sky mark.

GRIP Photo Gallery

I have many more pictures of GRIP’s clubs in the Hooked On Golf Blog GRIP Photo Gallery. Check them out!

Conclusion

The GRIP 3-Metal is one sweet club. It’s very attractive at address, has great feedback, it’s easy to hit and it’s long & accurate.

You could go buy a big company’s 3-Metal for $200-300 or more. Or you could buy a GRIP 3-Metal for $79.95 and use the extra dough for some LESSONS. That combination will improve your game much more than a $300 club!