338: Garsen Grips: How Motocross, Modeling, & 85 TOUR WINS Built Golf's Most Innovative Grip Designer

Bernerd Garsen's journey to becoming one of golf's most innovative grip designers reads like a Hollywood script. After racing motocross professionally and suffering career-ending injuries, a chance encounter led him to an eight-year modeling career across Europe and South Africa. It was during this time that his passion for golf reignited, eventually leading him to create Garsen Grips – a company now boasting over 85 professional tour wins, including Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medals.The creation of his first grip came from pure necessity while working as a golf instructor. Noticing how students struggled with conventional grips when attempting to position their hands properly, Garsen cut apart three existing grips and glued them together with shoe glue to create his first prototype. This DIY approach led to his patented Edge Grip design, featuring edges for optimal thumb placement that puts the hands in a more neutral position.What truly sets Garsen apart in the equipment industry is his commitment to performance over marketing hype. Unlike larger competitors who pay players, coaches, and even offer luxury watches as incentives, Garsen has earned every one of his tour wins organically. Players like Henrik Stenson (British Open), Tony Finau, and Lydia Ko (Olympic gold) choose his grips purely for performance. This authenticity hasn't come without challenges – Bernerd candidly describes competitors attempting to copy his designs, spreading rumors about his company failing, and even trying to interfere with his manufacturing relationships.The market has validated his approach. Beyond his impressive tour statistics, Garsen now partners with major manufacturers and boutique putter companies for custom co-branded grips. His technical innovations have expanded from the original Edge Grip to the popular Max Grip, Quad Tour, and specialized designs explicitly created for top players like Lydia Ko's custom 15-inch Quad that helped her win three consecutive tournaments.Bernerd's story is one of perseverance, innovation, and staying true to his belief that genuine performance trumps marketing dollars. For anyone looking to improve their putting through technology that actually works rather than just looks different, Garsen Grips represents what's possible when passion meets purpose in the golf equipment world.Website: https://garsengolf.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/garsengolf/Support the show