Getting a Handle
on
Changing Grips
Ever wonder what it takes to re-grip your
golf clubs? Here are some tools of the trade
and best practices |
by ARTHUR UTLEY | Illustrations by CHRIS PHILPOT
H
ank Klein and
Andrew Hodson
learned how to
re-grip golf clubs
as youngsters in the
1970s from Hodson’s father,
Peter, who was the head PGA
professional at Willow Oaks
Country Club in Richmond.
These days, re-gripping
clubs is one of many services
offered by Hodson Golf, a
business for which Andrew
Hodson has earned national
recognition.
Meanwhile, Klein, a business
owner and the 1990 VSGA
Amateur champion, maintains
his status as a do-it-yourselfer.
He re-grips his own clubs and
even does it for some fellow
golfers at Willow Oaks.
HOW IT’S DONE
Klein does it not to save
money, but because “I’m going
to do it the way I want it,” he says.
Martinsville’s Keith Decker,
the commonwealth’s premier
amateur for years, is like many
of today’s golfers: he prefers to
have someone who has the skill
and the right equipment to put
new grips on his clubs.
Why wouldn’t he? The
Japan One grips he’s discovered
this year cost $15 each.
The golf shops at several clubs
throughout the commonwealth
do a booming business with
grip replacement. Several golf
shops stock a variety of popular
grips, but not the plethora of
exotic grips that are out there.
Most staffs share re-gripping
chores. Some clubs farm out or
send members elsewhere for
grip service.
The big box golf retail
stores such as Golf Galaxy and
Golfsmith will install grips.
Grips have become more
expensive. If you do your own,
you can keep costs down. If
someone else does it, the cost,
including installation, ranges
from $7 to $28.
Saving a few bucks is at the
heart of why some, like me, learn
how to re-grip their own clubs.
A handyman’s guide to putting on new grips
DOUBLE-SIDED, SOLVENT
ACTIVATED GRIP TAPE: The most
used tape size is two inches wide. It comes
in a roll, a dispenser or 10¼ pre-measured
strips, which is preferred. Apply the grip
tape to the shaft, leaving about a half-inch
of overhang at the open end without having
to measure the length of the grip. Wrap
the tape around the shaft, peel off the tape
backing, tuck the overhanging portion into
the shaft to seal off the hole from water and
dirt. The club is ready for the grip.
3.
BOX CUTTER OR UTILITY KNIFE
TO CUT OFF THE OLD GRIP: You
can use a straight edge razor blade for
steel shafts, but you need to use a rounded
hooked blade for graphite shafts so you
don’t cut into the shaft. The bottom of the
hooked blade rides along the shaft while
the sharp edge of the hook cuts the grip.
1.
LUBRICATE THE GRIP TAPE:
Empty the fluid that is inside the grip
over the tape.
5.
SLIDE THE GRIP ON: The grip is slid
onto the shaft until it is firmly landed
onto the top of the shaft. Pull the tee out
of the top of the grip carefully so you don’t
get sprayed with solvent. Tap the top on
a hard surface to make sure the grip is
on completely. You have a few minutes to
make any alignment adjustments. Let the
grip set for an hour before you use it, but
clubs that don’t have anything special done
to them are ready to go in 30 minutes.
6.
A GOLF TEE, GRIP SOLVENT
AND A NEW GRIP: Stick a tee
in the small hole at the top of the grip,
bend the grip some to take out stiffness
and stretch the hole at the bottom of the
grip to help with sliding it onto the shaft.
Thereafter, pour or spray a portion of grip
tape solvent into the end of the grip to
moisten the inside of the grip. Use plenty
of solvent. Do not skimp.
4.
SCRAPING TOOL TO REMOVE THE
OLD TAPE: The club’s grip tape is
carefully sheared off using an object with a
flat, stiff edge. The tape residue will need
to be removed with Goo-Gone or acetone.
Some use their fingernails to peel off the
old tape. It takes longer, but you most likely
won’t have to worry about tape residue.
2.
w w w. v s g a . o r g
A longtime sportswriter for the Richmond
Times-Dispatch, author Arthur Utley is a
regular contributor to Virginia Golfer.
J U LY / A U G U S T 2 0 1 4 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
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