Thanks for info on regripping. Still have some questions

Unless you're opening up a repair shop and will be doing alot of grips, just get a rubber clamp and use a vise and a utility knife. Use extra care if working with graphite shafts.

Unless you're opening up a repair shop and will be doing alot of grips, just get a rubber clamp and use a vise and a utility knife. Use extra care if working with graphite shafts.

For the utility knife get one (or just the blade to use in your utility knife) for golf grips with the hooked blade. It's MUCH easier to use and you won't damage your graphite shafts or score your steel ones. It seems that the cone shaped part of that device is it's main function. You put the mouth of the grip over the small end of the cone. Then you run the shaft from the other end through the inside of the funnel. Looks like that thing is made to hold the grip and maybe allow you to run the shaft all the way home (but some grips are different lengths). You don't have as much feel that way (as opposed to sliding the grip onto the shaft with the shaft held in a vice) to tell if the grip is all the way on or just hung up on the end of the shaft. About the only time you really need one of those cones to get a grip started is when you're trying to get grips for a smaller butt size on a larger shaft. You can get a plastic cone from Golfsmith to do this if you have to.

Disclaimer: I'm not in the business but I've re-gripped my own a lot of times (and screwed up a few)

Thank you. I'll stick with the vise and save some money.

Thank you. I'll stick with the vise and save some money.

I strongly agree with the hook-blade utility blade recommendation. I've also had some luck with the grip tape remover tool (except with anything acushnet--they're grip tape is the stuff of legends :drinks:). One other thing that will help a good bit would be a paint pan to catch the solvent as you pour it over the taped part of the shaft, and maybe a funnel if you feel like reusing solvent.

One other thing that will help a good bit would be a paint pan to catch the solvent as you pour it over the taped part of the shaft, and maybe a funnel if you feel like reusing solvent.

Re-grip 101: (just in case you have any anxiety before the first one)

[warning -- I'm very anal with my sticks]

I use two or 3 layers of foil to make a sort of cookie pan shape for solvent catching. Goes like this:

Clamp in workmate. Zip the old grip from mouth to butt once with hooked utility knife. The idea here is to try to cut the grip completely without cutting or scoring the tape underneath (assuming it's spiraled on tape). Not important but it might make old tape removal a lot quicker/easier in the next step. You'll know what I'm talking about on your first grip. Don't worry about it.

Grab with both hands and peel off towards the butt.

Unclamp and use finger nails and thumbs to peel/roll off old tape (hardest part of job) a little solvent helps if it doesn't just peel off.

Hold grip up to shaft to find where new grip comes down to.

Start about an inch above that and spiral on 2 sided tape. I usually leave about 1/4" gap between spirals. I use the ~1/2" or ~3/4" wide two sided tape. You can buy the type that's like 1.5" wide and put it straight up the shaft and then wrap it on. Easier and quicker but you'll appreciate the comparative ease in removing the spiraled on tape the next time you re-grip it.

Go all the way to the butt and leave 1/2" to 3/4" extra hanging.

Then take off tape backing from the whole thing before wrapping the extra bit very carefully around the butt about a 1/16" on. Use a finger at the end to keep the extra part from curling up and sticking to itself when you pull the backing off that last bit.

Work around the butt folding/pushing towards center of shaft. Tape crumples up sticking to itself and seals shaft. The idea of the tape on the butt edge is to cover up any sharp edges or burrs that might catch/cut the inside of the new grip as you put it on. If you fold it in carefully you will also seal the end of the shaft to keep water out when it rains or you clean your grips. Not that important with graphites but some steel shafts will eventually rust from the inside out (not too common and not a big deal). If you do have steel shafts and they are sharp/burred/irregular on the butt edge it's nice to take a flat file and gently file them smooth after cleaning the old tape off. Sort of file towards the center like you're rounding the end of the shaft.

After re-taping I clamp the club again with the shaft almost horizontal and slide my foil pan under taped area. (My workmate puts it just below waist level which makes it easier to run the new grip on there.) I orient the club with the face vertical. Makes it easier to run the grip on with the label straight up if you care about that. If you use ribbed grips you WILL care about how it's aligned.

Now you can either cover the air hole in the end of the grip with your finger or you can stick a tee in it. Then pour solvent in it. Cover other end with finger and shake to get all of the inside wet with solvent.

Use the solvent in the grip to pour over taped part of shaft. You want to make sure all the tape gets wet. You can repeat the shake and pour if necessary (this is where the foil pan works well -- you pinch a corner and use it as a funnel to pour solvent from pan back into grip).

Start grip onto shaft about an inch by pinching the open end into an oval shape to work on.

Then use both hands, one at each end of the grip and run it onto the shaft.

NOTE: if you forgot to take the tee out or have the air hole covered with your hand the grip is not going to go all the way on.

Try to make a single motion to slide the grip all the way on until the shaft bottoms out against the end cap of the grip. Try not to squish or really stretch the grip as it goes on. You sort of pull with the lead hand while pushing with the trailing hand.

Now you have a couple of minutes to adjust a bit or get the label/rib alignment just right. Unclamp and adjust alignment if necessary. Then use a rag dampened with solvent to clean up any tape glue that squished out.

Excluding the variable of old tape removal, you should be done with a grip in less time than it takes to read all the drivel I wrote above. It's about a 2 beer job if you take your time. It's extremely gratifying and therapeutic to re-grip your own clubs.

OK.

Thanks to all of you for your help. I regripped most of my clubs today. I do have a few questions.

1. When you pour the mineral spirits into the grip 1/3 of the way full, shake it, then pour the spirits out onto the tape, do you pour it all out, or do you try to keep some in the grip? It seemed to be pretty hard to keep the grip sliding on all the way. On a few I swore it was not going to move any more.

2. The grips I bought came in a kit with some 7" tape strips. The grips are around 9" long. With the 1/4" overlap at the butt end, it seemed like a lot of grip didnt have tape on it.

3. Is it bad to get solvent on the outside of the grip? It seemed to dull the colors. Mineral spirits were pretty much everywhere.

4. Although Mineral spirits are not as flammable as lighter fluid or gasoline, it is still flammable. Any ideas on what to do with the rags/towels that I used?

5. See the pics.

Thanks to all of you for your help. I regripped most of my clubs today. I do have a few questions.

 

1. When you pour the mineral spirits into the grip 1/3 of the way full, shake it, then pour the spirits out onto the tape, do you pour it all out, or do you try to keep some in the grip? It seemed to be pretty hard to keep the grip sliding on all the way. On a few I swore it was not going to move any more.

Yep, pour it all out. The idea of shaking it is to get the entire inside surface wet. If you've done that then leaving some in there isn't going to help and is just going to make a big mess when it squirts out the air hole on the end of the grip as you push it on (or just run down the inside of the shaft). You don't want to spend too much time after shaking before you push the grip on there. Doing it twice doesn't hurt since you want to be sure to get the tape fully wet. Pour in grip, shake, pour over tape, pour from pan back into grip, shake, pour over tape and shove grip on. When you get the grip started you want to run it all the way on with a single smooth motion. That entails keeping the butt end of the grip lined up while not covering the air hole. You lead/pull with one hand on the mouth end of the grip while guiding/pushing with the other hand on the butt end of the grip. You did remove all the old tape right? Two layers of tape would not only make your grips slightly oversized but also make them harder to get them on.

2. The grips I bought came in a kit with some 7" tape strips. The grips are around 9" long. With the 1/4" overlap at the butt end, it seemed like a lot of grip didnt have tape on it.

no problem. If you are not using tape to build up the grip then it's purpose is to provide lubricant (and it will sort of glue the grip on as well). When you shove the grip on there it will "squeege" the stuff down the shaft past the tape. Unless you grip down there often and can feel the smaller diameter then it doesn't matter. For graphite shafts may only tape about 3" down from the butt.

3. Is it bad to get solvent on the outside of the grip? It seemed to dull the colors. Mineral spirits were pretty much everywhere.

I don't think it's really bad for the grip itself to be hit once with solvent. I've always used black grips so I don't know of the effect on colors. You can probably slightly dampen a cloth with solvent to clean off tape glue residue. You'll do a really neat job next time.

4. Although Mineral spirits are not as flammable as lighter fluid or gasoline, it is still flammable. Any ideas on what to do with the rags/towels that I used?

Sure. Lay them outside to let the solvent evaporate. In the morning you can wash them or throw them out.

5. See the pics.

OMG!!! you put them on upside down!

Hahaha. Honestly though, what kind of grips are those I have never seen any like that?

They are the feel reverse taper grips. To help with turning the club over. They are written up here

http://www.equip2golf.com/reviews/reviews_...se.html~reviews

You can buy them at rockbottomgolf.com

fill the grip to the top you can never use to much solvent. let us know how them grips work im curious

kj choi's putter grip, only for irons :/

fill the grip to the top you can never use to much solvent. let us know how them grips work im curious

Are you kidding???!!??!?!?

I just put a tiny bit in. Just enough to shake and cote the inside of the grip. Then pour it out onto a paper towel, wipe that towel on the taped club and slide it on.

Why do you use so much solvent? It surely isn't necessary. All you need to do is wet it a little bit.

Yea I don't use that much either. I just put enough to wet the inside of the grip, and then spray the taped area with solvent in a spray bottle so that the grip goes on easy.

because if they stick befor going all the way on it turns into a bit**, if you have a catch basin it makes it real easy

Exactly. You want the inside of the grip to be completely coated and the tape completely wet. You can re-use the excess from the pan and just add more as needed as you go along. It's not like it costs a lot and there isn't much downside to using too much (except a larger mess if you spill).

IMO, you don't need a vise. I've changed my grips as well as others for many years, and I've done them without a use of a vise clamp. Went to a friend's workshop, and it actually hindered the process. It's really an easy task once you get the hang of it, and it'll save you money.

Thanks everyone.

I have ran out of my first batch of grip tape. it came with the Full Release grips. It was very thin and it was very hard to get the grip on using mineral spirits. I bought some more tape strips that looked more like masking tape. Here the mineral spirits let the grip slide right on.

I am wondering what type of tape I had the first time. It was almost transparent and very sticky. I really strained getting the grips on with it.

I've seen that. Mainly on clubs that have never been re-gripped. Got some in a grip kit as well and didn't use it. It doesn't have anywhere as much glue on it to be disolved by the solvent to provide lubrication. On the other hand it doesn't add any build up under the grip if you want to keep them as small as possible. Tape is really inexpensive, don't hesitate to buy some different types and widths whenever you see them and just chuck the ones you don't like so much. I think the stuff I use/used is 5/8" (maybe it's 1/2"?) wide double sided grip tape (looks like regular masking tape -- probably is). I spiral it on leaving about 1/4" gap between spirals. Makes it easier to remove the next time.