If you've ever swapped out a putter grip and immediately felt like a different golfer on the greens, you know how much that little piece of rubber matters. I've been testing putter grips for the better part of a decade now, from SuperStroke's oversized options to the Lamkin Sinks, and I've learned one thing the hard way: the grip is the only connection you have to the putter, and most of us completely ignore it. So when Golf Pride dropped the Zero Taper Putting Grip earlier this year, I cleared my schedule, threw it on my gamer, and headed to the practice green with one question: Is this the putter grip that ultimately nails the balance between feel and control? After weeks of testing across multiple rounds and countless practice sessions, here's what I found.
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The moment I pulled the Golf Pride Zero Taper out of the packaging, two things hit me. To start, the texture. I gave it a squeeze, and honestly, it was squishier than I expected from Golf Pride. This is a company that's built its reputation on firm, tour-quality rubber compounds, so this softer polyurethane construction caught me a little off guard. It felt almost like a stress ball, soft, tacky, and immediately comfortable in the hand. Secondly, the shape. This isn't your traditional round putter grip, and it's not trying to be. The parallel design with a flat front paddle gives it this horseshoe-like cross-section that you notice right away. It's subtle enough that it doesn't look weird sitting on the putter, but distinct enough that your hands immediately know where they're supposed to go.
I tested the medium size in black, and the overall aesthetic is clean and understated. The uniform dimpled pattern covers the entire surface, giving it a textured look that's functional rather than flashy. If you're the kind of golfer who likes their equipment to look purposeful without screaming for attention, this grip nails it. Available in black, red, and blue, there's a colorway for pretty much every putter setup. But looks aside, what I really wanted to know was whether this grip could actually improve my putting. Let's dig in.
Here's where the Zero Taper really starts to separate itself from the pack. The name says it all, zero taper. Unlike traditional putter grips that are thicker at the top and taper down toward the bottom hand, or even the Reverse Taper design Golf Pride introduced in 2024 (which does the opposite), this grip is completely uniform from top to bottom. Your top hand and your bottom hand feel the exact same thing. And after spending weeks with it, I can tell you that's a bigger deal than it sounds.
Think about your putting stroke for a second. If one hand feels a thicker grip and the other feels a thinner one, there's an inherent imbalance in how you apply pressure. You might not notice it consciously, but your hands are constantly making micro-adjustments to compensate. The Zero Taper eliminates that entirely. Both hands get the same diameter, the same surface texture, and the same feedback. The result? A much more synchronized stroke where neither hand is trying to dominate the other.
But it's not just about the parallel profile. What really impressed me is how the flat front paddle works with the complete shape. That horseshoe-like cross-section gives you a built-in alignment reference. When you set your hands on the grip, the flat portion naturally orients your palms, and you can feel exactly where the putter face is pointing without looking down. I've tested grips with similar flat-front designs before, but Golf Pride has modified the depth and the proportions here in a way that feels intuitive rather than forced.
I noticed this most during pressure putts, those six-footers where your hands want to get twitchy. Having that consistent shape under both hands gave me an anchor point I could trust. I wasn't thinking about my grip. I was thinking about the line. And honestly, that's what a great putter grip should do: get out of the way and let you putt. This is especially important to get right, considering the putter grip is the most used grip in your bag, accounting for roughly half of your strokes during any given round.
Let me address something that worried me initially. When I first felt how soft the Zero Taper was, I had a concern. In my experience, softer grips tend to mute feedback. You get comfort, sure, but you lose that critical sense of what the putter head is doing through impact. I've played softer grips before that felt great in the hands but left me guessing whether I caught the ball on the sweet spot or the toe. That's a tradeoff I'm not willing to make.
So I was genuinely surprised, and I mean genuinely, when the Zero Taper proved me wrong. Yes, the polyurethane material is soft. Yes, it's tacky. And yes, it has that squishy quality that makes it comfortable to hold for extended practice sessions. But Golf Pride has somehow managed to preserve an extraordinary amount of responsiveness through the deeper side profile of the grip. The sides are slightly more pronounced than the top and bottom, creating a channel of sorts that transmits vibrations from the putter head directly into your fingertips.
During testing, I could clearly distinguish between a center strike and an off-center hit. On a pure strike, the feedback was smooth and solid, that satisfying "click" you feel more than hear. On a mis-hit toward the heel or toe, I felt a slightly hollow, uneven vibration that told me immediately something was off. That level of feedback in a grip this soft is impressive. I've tested the SuperStroke S-Tech, which is also a softer compound, and while it's a fine grip, the Zero Taper gives me noticeably more information about what's happening at impact.
The tackiness factor is worth mentioning separately because it directly affects performance in real playing conditions. I tested this grip during early spring rounds where morning dew was a factor, and during warmer afternoon sessions where my hands got sweaty. In both cases, the grip held firm without any slipping. The polyurethane surface maintained its tackiness consistently, which meant I wasn't re-gripping or adjusting mid-stroke. That kind of reliability builds confidence over time, and confident putting is good putting. Period.
Let's talk about those dimples. When Golf Pride says "uniform dimpled pattern," they mean it; the texture covers the entire grip surface without any breaks or smooth patches. And while it might seem like a minor design detail, the traction this pattern provides is one of the grip's standout features in practice.
I've used putter grips with multiple texturing approaches. Some use raised ridges, some use crosshatch patterns, and some are basically smooth rubber. The problem with most of these is inconsistency. You'll have great traction in one spot and less in another, which means your hands naturally migrate to the "grippy" zones. Over time, that can subtly change your hand position from putt to putt without you realizing it. The Zero Taper's uniform dimples solve this by making every square centimeter of the grip feel identical. No matter where your fingers land, you're getting the same level of traction.
I noticed this benefit most when I was working on different grip styles during practice. I experimented with a conventional overlap, a left-hand-low setup, and even a claw grip, and in each case, the dimpled texture performed consistently. There were no dead spots, no areas where the grip felt slick or overly textured. It's the kind of design choice that doesn't grab headlines but makes a real difference when you're standing over a putt and need to trust that your hands aren't going anywhere. It's worth noting that Golf Pride designed these traction elements and visual cues specifically to cater to different gripping styles, so this versatility is very much by design.
What I also appreciated is that the dimples work in conjunction with the soft polyurethane to create a grip that almost molds to your fingers under light pressure. You don't need to squeeze hard to feel secure. The texture does the work for you, which naturally promotes lighter grip pressure, and as any putting instructor will tell you, lighter grip pressure is one of the fastest paths to a smoother, more consistent stroke. It's a small thing, but after hundreds of putts, I could feel the difference in my forearms. Less tension, less fatigue, better results.
Golf Pride supplies the Zero Taper in medium and large, and while that might seem limited compared to brands that offer four or five sizes, I actually think two well-calibrated options is the right call here. Let me explain.
The medium is going to suit the majority of golfers. If you wear a medium or medium-large golf glove, this is your size. It fills the hands comfortably without feeling bulky, and it preserves the most feel and feedback from the putter head. During my testing, the medium was my preferred choice because I like to feel the putter head working through the stroke, and the slightly slimmer profile let me maintain that connection.
The large, on the other hand, is designed for golfers with bigger hands or those who prefer an oversized grip to quiet down wrist action. I tested both, and the large noticeably reduced my wrist hinge through the stroke. If you're someone who fights the yips or tends to get handsy on short putts, the large size could be a pivotal improvement. The key detail here is that Golf Pride has kept the weight profile consistent across both sizes, which means switching from medium to large won't change your putter's swing weight or throw off the sweet spot. That's a critical engineering decision that a lot of companies overlook, and it means you can genuinely choose based on feel and fit rather than worrying about altering your putter's performance characteristics.
My recommendation? If you're on the fence between sizes, go to a retailer and hold both. The difference is noticeable but not dramatic, and it comes down to personal preference and stroke style more than hand size alone. Players who use a lot of wrist action and want to maintain it should lean medium. Players who want to stabilize and reduce small-muscle involvement should lean large.
This is the section where I have to be honest about my experience with this grip, because the benefits weren't immediate. On day one, I noticed the shape, the softness, and the tackiness. But it took about a week of consistent use before I started to feel the deeper performance benefits, specifically, improved face awareness and stroke consistency.
The flat front paddle and deeper side profile work together to create what I'd describe as a built-in feedback loop for putter face orientation. When your hands are properly placed, you can feel the flat portion of the grip sitting squarely against your palms, and you know, without looking, that the face is square. If you rotate your hands even slightly, the shape of the grip changes in your fingers, and you immediately sense that something is off. It's like having a physical alignment aid built into the grip itself.
After about two weeks of testing, I started noticing tangible improvements in my stroke data. I was squaring the face more consistently at impact, and my start lines were tighter. On ten-foot putts, where face angle at impact accounts for the vast majority of your directional accuracy, I was starting the ball on my intended line with much greater frequency. Now, I can't attribute all of that to the grip alone; confidence plays a role, and so does the psychological benefit of feeling "connected" to the putter. But the visual and tactile cues that the Zero Taper provides absolutely contributed.
The ergonomic shaping also creates natural anchor points for your finger folds, which promotes consistent hand placement from putt to putt. I found that after a few sessions, my hands automatically settled into the same position every time without any conscious thought. That kind of repeatability is the foundation of a reliable putting stroke, and it's something this grip encourages more effectively than any round-profile grip I've used.
Optimize your stroke with the Golf Pride Reverse Taper grip. Its unique slim-upper, wide-lower profile stabilizes your hands for a smoother, more consistent roll. Shop the latest technology today!
Yes, you can get the Golf Ego Zero Taper putting grip in three colors: black, red, and blue. If you're choosing the medium size, you'll have access to all three options. However, if you're going with the large size, you're currently limited to black only. Each color features a white core with your chosen accent color, and they're all priced at $29.99.
The Zero Taper grip feels softer and squishier than SuperStroke equivalents, thanks to its soft polyurethane material. Both brands minimize taper to promote even hand pressure and quieter hands during your stroke. You'll find the Zero Taper offers more grip and less slickness, while SuperStroke provides firmer rubber options with a plus pattern texture. Both reduce hand activity, but the Zero Taper's unique design includes hand placement cues for consistent positioning.
Your Golf Esteem Zero Taper putting grip falls under the Grip Guarantee when you've purchased it directly from Esteem. This coverage protects all qualifying grip products, including putter grips. If you need to make a return, you'll find specific instructions for the contiguous United States through Esteem's customer service hub. Keep in mind that certain promotional or limited edition items won't qualify. You can reach customer support Monday through Friday, 8:00 AM–5:00 PM EST.
Yes, you can install the Zero Taper putting grip at home without professional help. You'll need a utility knife, double-sided grip tape, white spirit or solvent, a vise, and a cloth. Simply remove your old grip, apply tape and solvent to the shaft, then slide the new grip on while aligning the horseshoe shape with the club face. Let it set overnight before using it.
Your Golf esteem Zero Taper putting grip typically lasts about a year with regular play, though you should replace it sooner if you play frequently. Since putter grips account for half your strokes, they wear faster than other grips. You'll know it's time when you notice slickness, fading graphics, a glossy appearance, or crumbling material. Regular cleaning with soap and water extends its life, but you can't avoid eventual replacement.
The Golf Pride Zero Taper Putting Grip is the kind of product that reminds you how much the small details matter in golf. It's not going to fix a fundamentally broken stroke, and it's not going to turn a 36-putt round into a 25-putt round overnight. But for golfers who are serious about putting consistency, who want their hands to feel connected, balanced, and aware of where the face is pointing, this grip delivers in a meaningful way.
I'd recommend the Zero Taper for mid-to-low handicap players who value feel and feedback in their putting, and for higher handicap golfers who struggle with inconsistent hand placement or grip pressure. If you've been using the same stock putter grip for years and you've never thought about upgrading, this is a great place to start. At its price point, it's one of the most impactful and affordable equipment changes you can make. Golf Pride has been the leader in grip technology for a long time, and with the Zero Taper, they've proven they're not just resting on their reputation. This one earned a permanent spot in my bag.
