Okay, so I’ve been meaning to regrip my clubs for, like, forever. Finally got around to it this weekend, and figured I’d share my experience, ’cause why not? I went with the Golf Pride grips, heard good things about them.
First things first, I gathered all my junk. You know, the new grips, obviously. Also needed a utility knife, that double-sided grip tape, some solvent (I just used mineral spirits, worked fine), a vise, and a rubber vise clamp. If you don’t have a vise, you can probably figure something out, but it makes it way easier.
Getting Started
The old grips were, uh, pretty nasty. Years of sweat and grime, you get the picture. So, I clamped the club into the vise, using the rubber clamp to protect the shaft. Then, carefully, sliced down the length of the old grip with the utility knife. Be careful here, don’t want to scratch the shaft! Once I had a good cut, I just peeled that sucker off. Some were stubborn, so I had to do a little more slicing.
- Tip: Warm the old grips up a bit with a hairdryer (if you have one, don’t kill yourself). Makes ’em a little easier to peel off.
Next, cleaning up the old tape. This was the most annoying part, honestly. Just kept scraping and peeling with the knife until most of it was gone. Then I doused a rag in the mineral spirits and scrubbed the shaft until it was squeaky clean. Gotta get all that residue off, or the new tape won’t stick right.
Applying the New Stuff
Okay, time for the new tape. I wrapped the double-sided tape around the shaft, starting where the bottom of the grip would be. Make sure to overlap it a bit at the end. Then, peeled off the backing. This stuff is sticky, so be careful not to get it stuck to itself.
Now for the fun part! I poured some of the mineral spirits inside the new grip, swished it around to coat the inside, and then poured some more over the tape on the shaft. This lubricates everything and lets you slide the grip on.
Working quickly (you don’t want the solvent to evaporate), I lined up the grip and slid it onto the shaft. It took a little wiggling and pushing, but it eventually went all the way on. Make sure the grip is aligned how you want it, because once it’s on, it’s on!
Finishing Up
Finally, I just let the grips dry. I gave it a good 24 hours, just to be safe. And that’s it! Brand new grips, ready to go. Felt so much better in my hands. Definitely worth the effort, even if it was a bit of a pain. Now I just need to get out on the course and, you know, actually use them.
