SGBGolf_Oct09_p22-23:SGBGolf_Sept09_p28 21/09/2009 11:58 Page 23
SGB Golf Special Feature
Can you give us a little background about the company? the same grips for 9 months! Grip Master expect the average competitive
For 3 generations the McConchie family have been involved in the leather club player to be able to use the same grips for 3 years. Secondly the feel is
industry, some 35 years ago, they started to design and manufacture second to none, you have the feel of cabretta leather on both your hands
handbags and belts. The business they started 35 years ago, has flourished without the need to wear a glove. Thirdly the performance in wet or humid
and is a now an industry leader in the Southern Hemisphere. Today it is fair conditions is sensational, you can put the grip into play in the worst rain you
to say that the McConchie brothers, are experts in the tanning, production, could imagine and you can still hold the club.
manufacturing and nuances of leather – grading, tanning, production and We believe the performance of the product will be the thing that will be
manufacturing of leather. In the early 90’s they opened a sales office in the main factor behind the success of the product, for golfers that are
Chicago to promote and sell their Australian fashion accessories lines in playing for a living or are serious competitors the extra edge that the
that market. In those years they became known and noticed by an product will give them in the wet will more than make up for the extra cost.
American company and in the mid 90’s were approached to see if they How often do golfers spend £400 on the latest driver that may give them an
could modify one of their leather straps to be suitable to re grip and extra few yards? If they feel that they will be able to hold the club in any
rejuvenate the old style Hickory sticks. As it happened they were able to fill conditions I think you will find the price barrier will no longer be an issue.
a small void created when the most famous US maker of Genuine Leather
grips, Nueman, closed their doors after the advent and onslaught of Is the product being used on Tour?
Rubber grips. After much experimentation with leather treatments and Most definitely, it is the number 1 leather grip on all major tours and while
formulas for the leather straps, Ian and Bruce soon realized that unless they John Daly is the official spokesman numerous other players including the
could up with some innovations to make leather grips a viable option, they winner of the US Open in 2001 and 2004 are using the product. Over the
were never going to succeed in the golf industry. In 1998 Ian developed coming months we plan to make an active push on the European tour and
and patented a unique underlisting, which enabled The Grip Master to then the guys from Australia will continue this on when they move out to
perfect an assembly system, to create and make the first fully assembled, tournaments in their region.
pre-tensioned one piece slip on Genuine Leather Golf Grip in the world!
The grip quickly was accepted on all of the tours, their success is extensive When will the product be available in the UK and mainland Europe?
and continues today. Determined to take The Grip Master to the next level, We have stock right now, however the official launch to the trade will be at
Ian and Bruce in early 2008 made the decision to focus all of their attention the Golf Europe Fair end of September. The official distributor for Germany
on The Grip Master and to move away from their other leather is Green Grass Golf (Hall 4: C20/D39) however we welcome enquires for all
manufacturing business. The result, one of the biggest innovations ever in territories.
the putter grip. Using knowledge, honed over 35 years, they have
developed a range of grips called the “Touch Series” the innovation is that What has the early response been like to the product?
they have developed a process to use leathers that have never been used In one word phenomenal, the market is just right for something like this.
before. Such as the North American White Tail Deer, Kangaroo the playable Unlike shafts or a clubhead where an average players struggles to see and
exotic Sea Snake these leathers offer, feel, touch and response that have feel the benefits of the product, with the Grip Master a 28 handicapper will
never been offered on a grip before. visibly and physically experience the improved performance that these grips
can offer. We have already shipped product into a number of accounts
This all sounds great but the grips range in price from £20 to £40 throughout the UK, Ireland as well as good sized orders going into Germany,
– do you think players will pay these high prices? Denmark and Finland. Quite simply it is just a case of our sales team getting
Absolutely, when you try the product you will want every club in your bag out and seeing as many customers as possible, most guys are willing to give it
fitted with them. Firstly they last three times as long as anything else in the a try and without exception they all want it on their own clubs!
market place – at our recent media launch at the Open Championship John
Daly, who is the official spokesman for the brand said he had been using MD Golf Tel: (++44) 02894-460333 Website:
www.mdgolf.co.uk
SGB GOLF OCTOBER 2009 23
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