Golf Pride's legendary Tour Velvet grip to now include Align reminder technology

Golf Pride’s Align technology, a high-tech upgrade to a secret idea tour players have been using on their grips for years, now is moving into the model grip most played on tour.

Available at retail starting last week, the Tour Velvet Align ($9 per grip, $9.50 for Midsize) joins last year’s MCC Align and MCC Plus4 Align as Golf Pride expands the technology of placing a channel in the back of the grip to promote proper placement of the hands. The Align feature, which is activated on the grip when it’s installed, uses a slightly raised ridge on the back of the grip with a firmer texture and diamond pattern to help players return their hands to the same place more consistently.

The Align idea grew out of the old-school idea of grips that had an internal reminder rib that gave players a similar sensation. According to Golf Pride, which is used by 80 percent of the players on the PGA Tour, a third of those players use a grip with a reminder rib, something most average golfers would rarely even have the opportunity of considering. The Align technology takes that idea and makes it both more effective and available. With the Tour Velvet the grip played by half the players on tour, it makes the Align technology more likely to find its way into the hands of tour players, as well as regular golfers.

“Last year, we had a countless number of players request that we make Align Technology available in other models,” said Jonathan Neal, global head of marketing for Golf Pride Grips. “While this sounds easy, bringing the product to market required state-of-the-art material development along with innovations in our manufacturing processes to ensure premium performance and quality. Our R&D team worked rigorously in the lab to ensure that a player would keep the same feel and texture they have come to love in the Tour Velvet with the added benefit that Align Technology delivers.”

Click on the following links to shop Golf Pride's Align grips at Dick's Sporting Goods and Golf Galaxy.