Thumb Caddy Golf Grip Trainer Review

THUMB CADDY Grip Training Aid

Grade: A
Teachers’ Comments: Simple, but excellent.

My first golf instructor used to emphasize that “it all starts with the grip.” Get that right, and the rest of the game comes much easier.

There are a lot of golf grip trainers on the market. Every golfer I know has a training club with one of those molded grips that force your hands into a v shape. I’ve seen grip training gloves, various clip-ons and even an elasit hand wrap. At a most basic level, most basic slip-on grips have some sort of alignment markings.

I have liked none of these, however, as much as I like the Thumb Caddy.

The Thumb Caddy is an inch-long, u-shaped piece of plastic that slips over your grip and provides a cradle for your upper hand’s thumb. It does a good job of keeping your thumb and forefinger in the preferred “V” shape. Once your upper hand is in the proper position, the lower one falls properly into place.

This position will help you keep the clubface straight at impact, making your swing more acurate.

Another benefit: With the Thumb Caddy in place, it’s nearly impossible to apply the “Death Grip” that tightens your forearms and restricts your swing. A lighter grip will enable you to hinge and unhinge your wrists more easily for more power.

I’ve tried the Thumb Caddy a few times this winter on our heated range, and have found that it performs as advertised. It’s not a cure-all, but it does work nicely on fine-tuning the grip.

Of course, the Thumb Caddy’s benefits can be ascribed to practically any grip trainer. What makes the Thumb Caddy a superior product is the ease with which it can be used with your own clubs. The Thumb Caddy takes just a few seconds to install and is remarkably unobtrusive. You won’t look like Tin Cup when practicing on the range.

Even better: the Thumb Caddy instructional video suggests—and I agree—that this is perfect for using on practice rounds. The Thumb Caddy is relatively cheap, and for forty bucks you could pick up half a dozen to put on various clubs. I plan to keep one on my driver, at the very least.