The quality of the grip on a golf club can be the deciding factor between a bad and a good game. Every golf club has a rubber grip at its top end, which gets worn out with usage and needs to be changed from time to time. This article gives a step by step guide to the procedure of replacing the grip of a golf club.
A proper grip is very important to get a good swing. There are three essential requirements for this: a good glove, a proper hold of the club, and ensuring that the rubber grip on the shaft of the club is not slippery. Worn out grips can result in your hands slipping, thus resulting in errant shots. It is recommended that you periodically replace them irrespective of whether your club set is old or new. This is very necessary since the grip is the only part that is in direct contact with you.
A worn and decaying grip can cause the club to wobble and become unwieldy in the hands of even a skilled player. If the condition is poor enough, it can cause the club to slip out of its grip during a swing. Regular use, heat, moisture, and even time spoil the grip. Replacing them at the appropriate time is the best way to ensure that your clubs will feel solid and secure.
How to Check if the Grip Needs a Change
Examine your grips so as to determine if they're in need of change. Begin with a visual inspection to check for signs of wear and tear. Take a few practice swings after the visual inspection to see how the clubs feel in your hands. If the clubs feel somewhat loose, the grips should be replaced as soon as possible. Also, if the finish outside isn't gripping your hands well enough for you to be able to swing the club while holding it loosely, they're ready for replacement. Keep a log of the replacements throughout the season. One should change them after one year or 40 rounds, whichever comes first.
Selecting the New Grip
Proper re-gripping of your clubs involves you to make out the core size that you require and the size of the grip that best fits your hand. They come in standard core sizes; small, medium, large, and jumbo. To decide the core size, just measure the diameter of the butt of the shaft and select accordingly.
Most golfers will be inclined to take their clubs to a professional for re-fitting, simply because they feel they do not have the equipment/tools to carry out the task on their own. Therefore, the first thing to do is to get hold of a few basic tools and solvents. Once you have the basic equipment in hand, you can proceed with the task on your own.
Tools/Equipment required
- A utility knife (preferably with a hooked blade)
- Mineral spirits (odorless preferred)
- A vise (that clamps on a table)
- Double-sided grip tape (from a golf store)
- A soft rubber clamp
- Solvent
- Replacement grips of your choice (again, from a golf shop)
Steps- Hold the club firmly with one hand, using the other for the work. You can use a vise, but ensure you protect the club with a rubber holder so it is not damaged.
- Cut off the existing grip using the utility knife.
- Remove the old tape with a tape scraper. If you do not have a scraper, you can try a small kitchen knife. Be careful not to damage the shaft.
- Use a rag and an adhesive remover or solvent to remove the leftover tape and stickiness. Any good solvent can be purchased from your local store.
- Wash the shaft with soap and water and dry it completely. Put the middle of the shaft in the vise and clamp it.
- Measure where the new grip will fit: Take the new grip in one hand and hold it alongside the bare shaft. Align the butt with the end of the shaft. Use your other hand to make a pencil mark on the shaft where the opposite side of the grip ends, toward the head of the club.
- Remove a piece of double-sided tape from the roll, and place one end at your pencil mark. Smooth down the length as you stick the tape along the shaft to its butt end.
- Trim the tape off the roll at the shaft's end. Thereafter, carefully wrap your piece around the shaft, overlapping the tape's width as necessary.
- Take the new grip and plug one end by placing a tee in the little hole at its butt. Now pour some solvent inside the grip.
- Place a finger or thumb over the open end, leave the tee-plug at the bottom and shake the entire grip. This allows the solvent to spread throughout the interior.
- Pull the tee out, then slide the grip onto the shaft over the tape. The longer you wait, the harder it will be to do this. If it's hard to slide it on, use more solvent, either inside or on the tape.
- Remove the club from the vise.
- Hold the club as if you were hitting a shot. Adjust the grip gently so that it's straight on the club, making sure any pattern is not twisted around the shaft.
- Work your hands up and down the shaft, pressing the grip firmly against the club to seat the adhesive.
- Let it dry for about 10 hours before using.
All serious golfers understand the importance of equipment maintenance. One's enjoyment of the game can be optimized by taking out time to ensure that the equipment is in good condition. As the grip is the only part of the club one uses to initiate the swing, it makes sense to replace it, enabling a confident swing. This process can be done with ease at home, and the equipment required is a minor expenditure in comparison to a professional's charge.
