Personal preference, so I will add mine. I have one bow that is stippled, but I don't use it very much, and have several with the checkering, including silvertip recurves and TallTines recurves and longbows. Essentially, I would never order one without the checkering. When I got my first Stickflinger, I wasn't sure about it, but it makes your grip much more secure when hunting in hot, humid conditions, or if you are exerting yourself. The checkering does a better job in this regard compared to the stippling, in my opinion.