Ok, i have been thinking of buying some new rods. I want a split grip. Now, i have fairly smaller hands for a guy. When i palm my REVOS, my fingers wrap around the reel, and have no contact with the blank. I mainly fish jigs and crankbaits. So, my QUESTION IS: Is the foregrip really that important? I mean, the PT rods from quantum have a very small foregrip. My finger cant even reach the blank on a rod with no foregrip anyway, so should i consider buying rods with a foregrip? DOES A FOREGRIP MAKE THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE?

I think the reason that some rods are made w/out foregrips is because the cork dampens the vibrations of the blank, reducing sensitivity. What i make of it is that even when you are holding the blank under the reel seat, it is still more sensitive because the cork of the foregrip did not dampen the vibrations. The reargrip is not a problem because your hand is ahead of it, so it cant dampen the sensitivity until after it has reached your hand. In my opinion, if it makes the rod more sensitive, its worth it.

I just bought a Tommy Biffle 6'10" and it's my first rod without the foregrip. I honestly don't even notice that the cork isn't there. The rod does seem to be more sensitive but it is also supposed to be for deep water jigging. Maybe that's why. I haven't had it long enough to really say if it not being there is making much of a difference.

My one thought on the issue is that without the cork the rod must weigh slightly less. I do realize that much missing cork is not much of a weight reduction but if I don't miss the grip hey, all the better.

I'd say if it feels good with your reel go for it. I have slightly smaller hands too and some combos because of the rod or reel just don't feel right.