Couple of Comfort Grip Reviews, Specs, Weights

[ChicagoJack]

Hi Guys,

Just getting rolling here, will update as time allows.

Column 1 : Weight untrimmed, backing paper or film removed, with finishing tape
Column 2 : length flat - length stretched
Column 3 : width
Column 4 : thickness

Comfort Grip Specs
11g … 44.00 - 44.75 … 27mm … 2.2mm ... Wilson Comfort Hybrid, Air Foam + Polyeurethane
21g … 43.25 - 44.00 … 00mm … 0.0mm ... Head Hydrosorb Tour, Some Kind Of Synthetic
24g … 43.50 - 44.00 … 27mm … 2.0mm ... Wilson Shock Shield, Polyeurethane + Gel Strip
39g ...40.00 - 40.00 ... 23mm ...1.0mm ... Gosen Sorbothane Cushion Grip system II

Over Grip Specs
5g … 50.00 - 55.00 … 00mm … 0.0mm ... Yonex Super Grap

[ChicagoJack]

Wilson Comfort Hybrid : Anybody looking for a slightly squishier, and much lower weight alternative to Wilson ShockShield might give Wilson Comfort Hybrid a demo. It has the same base layer of polyeurethane, but instead of the gel strip, it has an air foam layer.

I've been playing with Wilson SS for several months and really dig it, but I don't think the gel strip actually does anything. I developed this hunch a few weeks ago when I got into level 9 mad scientist mode, and carefully peeled the gel strip completely away from the base layer, (took almost a hour). The MacGyver project was to install two layers of the gel strip, since I'd noticed that stuff is way thinner that the little sample on the box would indicate. I started wrapping the gel strip on pallet, and stopped about 10 minutes into that process. That gel strip is hard as a rock! Once you have the two materials separated it becomes clear where where the comfort comes from, and it ain't the gel strip that's for sure.

So I went looking at the other offerings in the line up and saw that comfort hybrid has the same base layer. Comfort Hybrid is a little thicker at 22 mm but is less than half the weight. I guess the lower weight can be a good thing or a bad thing. I have the Donnay weight kits, so I was able to just pop on my +10 gram butt caps and I was right back in business with my preferred balance and mass. I can't sense any difference in vibration dampening, and as far as grip squeeze softness goes, it's for sure a bit squishier.

+ Positive : Does not tear easily if you need to re-wrap, the edges hold up pretty good.

+ Positive : Very easy wrap. It's pliable, so that first roll over the buttcap doesn't wrinkle.

+ Positive : Just about the softest, squishiest I've tried.

= Neutral : Light weight. Some will like, some wont. For some, a 24 gram comfort grip kills two birds with one stone.

- Negative : With all that comfort comes loss of bevel feel. I'd say ShockSheild holds the edges slightly better.

- Negative : Really don't like the super large font gold Wilson branding, yuk. Overgrip on this for sure.

- Jack

[ChicagoJack]

Reserved for review

[ChicagoJack]

Reserved space for grip reviews

[scotus]

Ok, ChicagoJack, here's my little contribution to your thread.

39g … 40 inches - should not be stretched … 23mm … 1mm ... Gosen Sorbothane Cushion Grip System II, Sorbothane




The above measurements are for the Sorbothane gel portion only. You must install an overgrip of your choice (or the one that comes in the package) over the Sorbothane gel layer. Sorbothane by itself is rather fragile.

Positives: The Best shock-absorbing grip Period. Fairly thin.

Negatives: Discontinued. Very hefty. Can easily tear if stretched. Doesn't wrap around the butt cap well.

[ChicagoJack]

Hi Andrew,

Awesome cool. Thanks for the photo, that discontinued Gosen Sorbothane is the stuff of legend. I'm sure you jumped thru hoops to get your hands on it.

Jack

[corbind]

I look forward to reading the reviews for the other grips you mentioned. Then I'll start the fun messing around with different grips this winter.

[Readers]

Originally Posted by ChicagoJack

Wilson Comfort Hybrid : Anybody looking for a slightly squishier, and much lower weight alternative to Wilson ShockShield might give Wilson Comfort Hybrid a demo. It has the same base layer of polyeurethane, but instead of the gel strip, it has an air foam layer.

I've been playing with Wilson SS for several months and really dig it, but I don't think the gel strip actually does anything. I developed this hunch a few weeks ago when I got into level 9 mad scientist mode, and carefully peeled the gel strip completely away from the base layer, (took almost a hour). The MacGyver project was to install two layers of the gel strip, since I'd noticed that stuff is way thinner that the little sample on the box would indicate. I started wrapping the gel strip on pallet, and stopped about 10 minutes into that process. That gel strip is hard as a rock! Once you have the two materials separated it becomes clear where where the comfort comes from, and it ain't the gel strip that's for sure.

So I went looking at the other offerings in the line up and saw that comfort hybrid has the same base layer. Comfort Hybrid is a little thicker at 22 mm but is less than half the weight. I guess the lower weight can be a good thing or a bad thing. I have the Donnay weight kits, so I was able to just pop on my +10 gram butt caps and I was right back in business with my preferred balance and mass. I can't sense any difference in vibration dampening, and as far as grip squeeze softness goes, it's for sure a bit squishier.

+ Positive : Does not tear easily if you need to re-wrap, the edges hold up pretty good.

+ Positive : Very easy wrap. It's pliable, so that first roll over the buttcap doesn't wrinkle.

+ Positive : Just about the softest, squishiest I've tried.

= Neutral : Light weight. Some will like, some wont. For some, a 24 gram comfort grip kills two birds with one stone.

- Negative : With all that comfort comes loss of bevel feel. I'd say ShockSheild holds the edges slightly better.

- Negative : Really don't like the super large font gold Wilson branding, yuk. Overgrip on this for sure.

- Jack

Tried Comfort Hybrid based on this review. I am also a ShockSheild user.

First thing I noticed is CH is not any thicker after installed, maybe a little thinner, but it has lot less bevel feel.

Second, I found it to be comfort but feels very different from SS, while the gel is very thin, it might work together in the SS with the PU.

Also, as you have pointed out the SS is mostly PU, the PU layer is super thick, which is not the case in CH, where it's mostly air foam with a very very thin layer of PU.

So from both feel, shape(bevel) and construction the two grips are nothing alike to me. Although both are thick and comfortable, I feel SS is the better one in almost every way, unless you need a light one.

Edit: Comfort Hybrid has one thing going for it, it's easier to install than black ShockSheild, and much much easier to install than the white ShockSheild.

[Torres]

Sorbothane is a great shock absorbing material, but the weight of that grip is just insane.

[Readers]

Which reminds, that when I weight them, Shock Shield is 26g, while Comfort Hybrid is 13g, both trimmed, but I trim off very little, esp for SS which I barely had enough length.