Almost ten years ago, an email from Bernerd Garsen appeared in my inbox, asking me if THP would like to look at the new putter grips he’d just designed. As a writer with an admitted affinity towards small, upstart brands I was immediately interested. Better yet, the story was fascinating. Garsen had abandoned a life literally in the “fast lane” of motorsports and fashion and (at the time) was on the road, trying to get professionals to try his products at Tour events. Some may not remember, but there was a time before the aftermarket putter grip craze. It was 2014 when the market was beginning to develop, with the following decade seeing an explosion in interest and innovation.
Since then, Garsen has seen incredible growth in sales and Tour adoption, with a couple Major titles among dozens and dozens of wins. So too has the Garsen line grown. While the company started with one core product and a couple complements, they have continued to bring options to market that expand the numbers of players that might find success with their grips. Recently, we reviewed the Quad Tour TPE line, and today will be talking about the Quad Tour Pistol NT.
Garsen Quad Tour Pistol NT
The Quad Tour Pistol NT continues to build Garsen’s stable of grips in the “Tradition that Fits” line. While their first offerings were quite unlike anything else on the market, these grips’ parallelogram designs are made to appeal to the traditionalist mindset while offering many of the same benefits. The core concept to remember with Garsen is that the grips are designed to put your hands in a position to turn your elbows into your body and set your shoulders back, inhibiting wrist movement and increasing consistency.
The Pistol NT sets out to accomplish this while still retaining the very comfortable and familiar pistol shape that so many of us are used to. It’s still uniquely Garsen, with its flat top/bottom and sharp angles, but it is plain to see it is a pistol grip at heart. While the Quad Tour Pistol is already in the company’s lineup, and will continue to be, the Pistol NT is larger in diameter by almost a half-inch, with a more pronounced pistol shape at the butt end.
Even with the increased dimensions, the Tour NT comes in at 55g, right around 20g less than the original Quad Tour Pistol. This was nice to see, as it comes closer to many stock grips out there and doesn’t disrupt a putter’s balance too much after installation. Those that wish to add more weight to the butt end of their putters still have that option with any aftermarket counterweight system.
The company describes the Tour NT as “medium” firmness with a semi-tacky textured feel. It’s certainly textured in hand, with well-defined hexagons spanning the length of the grip, though not exactly all that tacky. In terms of firmness, “medium” seems to downplay the feel slightly. We’d prefer “medium-firm” to describe it instead.
Though comparisons are controversial, we did have an opportunity to try the NT Tour and SuperStroke’s Zenergy Pistol 2.0 at the same time. Though very similar in size and weight, the Tour NT’s pistol section was a bit more pronounced, it felt firmer and more textured, and more secure in the hand, thanks to the distinct edges and flat surfaces.
Coincidentally, I love the pistol shape, oversized grips, and the benefits I’ve experienced in the past with Garsen products, so it shouldn’t be a surprise to hear that I loved the Pistol NT. In many ways, this is a “Goldilocks” grip for me, as cliched as that may sound. With a left-hand-low grip, the butt end fit nicely in my right hand, and the flat top and bottom made it easy to find a stable and consistent landing spot for my fingers. Though my putting can be notoriously streaky, this review happened to coincide with two of my best putting performances of the year. I’m a believer in Garsen’s philosophy of hand and shoulder placement, and it seems to show in the stability and repeatability of my putting stroke. Those looking for a traditional, yet not so traditional, pistol grip should take note. This was an instant winner for me.
Details
- Grip diameter: 1.4”
- Length: 10 3/4”
- Weight: 55 Grams
- Core Size: .600
- Firmness: Medium
- Shock Absorption: High
- Material: High-Tech PU
- Feel: Semi-tacky Textured
- Profile: Non-Tapered Four Sided Angled
- $34.99
- The Garsen Quad Tour Pistol NT is Available at garsengolf.com
