Counterfeit grips: How to identify & avoid them
Despite Golf Pride’s daily efforts & a global team dedicated to eradicating them, counterfeit grips are still pervasive in the market.
It’s an unfortunate reality, but with a little knowledge, you will be empowered to shop smarter and ensure you’re buying authentic Golf Pride grips.
Here’s what to look for when buying grips, and a few warning signs that should make your alarm bells go off:
LOW PRICES
Golf Pride suggests a retail price for our authorized retailers with each grip model we produce, and that price rarely wavers or is discounted. If you see grips online for a price that seems too good to be true… it probably is.
Some counterfeit sellers will offer grips at 40% less than suggested retail and sometimes even more. Steering clear of extremely low prices is the best way to avoid purchasing counterfeit grips.
STRONG ODOR
A regular complaint Golf Pride’s anti-counterfeit team receives around counterfeit grips is that the grips have a powerful, petroleum-like odor.
If you ordered grips and noticed a smell that’s unlike a typical rubber odor associated with grips, it’s a strong indicator that the grips purchased are fake.
We go to work every day trying to help players improve their confidence, but counterfeiters are out there making products that will not perform to the standards you expect from a Golf Pride grip. We have a team of experts working to combat them, but in this time of heightened demand and short supply, counterfeiters are pumping out more bad products than ever before.
MOST-COPIED GRIP MODEL
The MCC is one of Golf Pride’s most popular grips at retail, and it’s our most-copied grip by counterfeiters. Steer clear of buying these from unauthorized retailers.
HOW TO ENSURE YOU’RE BUYING REAL GRIPS
The only fool-proof way to avoid counterfeit grips is to purchase your grips direct from Golf Pride at store.golfpride.com or through one of Golf Pride’s authorized retailers – a major golf retailer, your local golf shop or golf course pro shop. Visit golfpride.com/retail-locator to find an authorized retailer near you.
eBay and Amazon are not authorized retailers of Golf Pride grips, and we cannot guarantee the authenticity of any products purchased from unauthorized sellers. Some counterfeit grips are more exact replicas of real Golf Pride grips than others. At the end of the day, though, they’re still fake.
If you’re unsure of whether a retailer or website is an authorized retailer, or are unsure if you’ve purchased fake grips, you can reach us by…
- Completing the Contact Us form
- Emailing golfpridesales@eaton.com
- Calling +1 833-890-4039 (Available Monday – Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM EST)