How much is grip installation at Dick's, GG, and GS?

[craniac76]

There are some clubmakers who price the grip and already include the labor. For example about $7 for GP Tour Wrap 2G. So for 12 clubs, it's $84 excluding tax. However, there are some clubmakers who refuse to do just installing the grip (you bring the grip yourself). Probably they don't make much money doing it. Ok suppose it's $3 for a grip. For 12 clubs, it's only $36 and it could take an hour. They could make $60 an hour for fitting a person. So $36 is not worth it for them.

so you must understand the business aspect of this before judging $3 is too expensive.

[WouldRatherBePlaying]

You could always hook up with a golf buddy that changes his own grips and have him do it. Bring the grips and a 6pack and everybody's happy.

[Stuart_G]

[quote name='Hammy1808' timestamp='1425656436' post='11089797']
I guess I'll consider myself lucky that we have a local shop that will do the install at no charge if you're a rewards club member. Membership is free and you earn points to use on anything in store, so it only makes sense to sign up for this. On top of the free install if you're a member you get $1 off every grip....
[/quote]

Yes. Love Golf + Ski - great place.

[Degenerate_1]

[quote name='WouldRatherBePlaying' timestamp='1425689916' post='11093685']You could always hook up with a golf buddy that changes his own grips and have him do it. Bring the grips and a 6pack and everybody's happy. [/quote]

I'm the golf buddy that changes his own grips! lol. And a 6 pack?!? Better make that 12 buddy, cheers!

[1badbadger]

I'm not sure why you think that putting grips on should be free. If these places are going to have someone spend the time to put your grip on, then they have to build that cost in somewhere.

 

Sorry Kelco, I disagree with you. They are paid by the HOUR not by the JOB. Whether they're doing a re-grip or stocking a shelf or just watching TV, they earn the same wage. Dicks gives no discounts on the grips you can buy online for less and then charge you excessively to put them on. Using your logic, take a $12/hour employee and have him install a grip. Even if it took him 5 minutes (which it shouldn't) his time is worth $12 ÷ 60 x 5 = $1.00 and they charge 3 - 4 times that much (I actually was charged $3.99 at the time, I think).

 

I do think they should install grips for FREE because it builds customer loyalty and gives someone another reason to visit a store. I might not be as apt to order my grips online and install them myself if Dicks or other Big Box was doing this kind of work. When I order my grips, my tape, my mineral spirits and all that goes with it online because I don't want to be gouged, how exactly is that making them ANY money? They don't get the sale of the grip, they don't get a service charge of installation and they get ZERO residual business of something else I may have purchased while I was there. And businesses like them wonder why they're in trouble. I've noticed a lot of automobile references; Autozone, Advanced, NAPA, etc. will install a battery for free when you buy one from them. Just saying...

 

I understand your point about everyone's time is worth something. I don't discredit that, especially on skilled or complex tasks. I do think there are simple tasks that employees and companies can do for paying customers that foster good will though.

 

I see what you're saying. I managed a golf shop that specialized in club building and repairs for almost 7 years, and obviously re-gripping was a big part of our business. But I look at this a little differently.

 

If someone needs an item worked on, whether it's regripping golf clubs, getting your oil changed or your computer crashed, you can certainly choose to do it yourself. But some people don't have time to do it, they don't want to do it, or they don't know how to do it. When you look at other types of businesses that do repair work like electricians, plumbers, auto mechanics, computer techs...they can get pretty expensive. It's not unusual for their rates to be around $75-150/hr or more. When I had an electrical problem at the house a while back, I called an electrician. I was charged for a service call (just for him to show up), an hourly rate plus parts. He found the issue right away, determined what needed to be replaced, had the part on his truck and fixed it in about 20 min. I believe the bill was around $95. That might seem high for 20 min of work, but I'm not just paying him for those 20 min...I'm paying him for his experience and knowledge which took years to acquire.

 

Now I'm not suggesting that re-gripping is rocket science, but I've seen complete trainwrecks when guys try to do it themselves, realize they didn't know what they were doing and brought the whole mess in for me to fix. I've seen grips not put on all the way, grips that are twisted, graphite shafts badly scratched from utility knives, grips put on with gasoline or lighter fluid as a solvent, ribbed grips installed upside down...you name it. I've re-gripped thousands of clubs, so naturally I got pretty good at it. When someone knows what they are doing, they make it look easy. But there are a lot of things that come up that most people don't even realize. For example, a customer might have a set of irons with Dynamic Gold R-300 shafts and his wedges have S-300. Those shafts have different butt diameters, so if you install the same grips on all of them the irons will feel smaller. Or what's the best way to remove the factory grip tape on Titleist clubs? Stuff like that.

 

And the example of the kid at Dick's making $12/hr so grip installation should be $1/per club because that is what his time is worth...that doesn't fly at all. If all employees (no matter what company) only generated revenue to cover their hourly wage, every company would go out of business very quickly. Companies have overhead, whether it's rent, utilities, insurance plus they have to pay other employees who don't generate revenue but are needed. I think most of us want golf stores in our communities. We want to go in, check out new stuff, ask questions, buy gear...but those stores need to turn a profit to stay in business. I certainly don't think $3-4/club to install a grip is out of line. What I do feel is ridiculous is how much some shop charge to cut down a shaft. I used to charge $1/club. I see places charging $4-5/club to shorten a shaft. I can cut down an entire set of clubs in 5 min if the grips have already been ripped. It takes less effort to cut down a shaft than to re-grip a club, but, it is worth something. Knowledge and experience are worth a lot.

[Thayneil]

I cut my old grips off with a utility knife, add a new piece of tape over the old tape, put some solvent into the grip, swish it around and then pour it on the tape, and slide the grip on. It's literally about as complicated as putting legos together. I've done probbaly a couple hundred grips over the years, and it's never an issue.

 

your grips will be getting bigger over the years

 

should always take the old tape off and start over

 

It is possible to remove the double sided tape only,then use new tape

[mjforn]

My local golf shop is closing their retail store, going completly on-the-line. Just ordered some tools to do it myself, not real comfortable with the local Dicks. With my new graphite shafts.

 

Next question how often do you guys change them?

 

.

[Stuart_G]

Next question how often do you guys change them?

 

That can depend on what grips you use and how frequently you use them. How often you clean them can make a difference too.

 

I personally do it at least once per year (but we only have a 6 month golf season up here).

[Hack Daddy]

Unless you just like to tinker as a lot of people do, I look at this as akin to changing your own oil. Sure you can do it yourself, but is it really worth it?

 

Grips absolutely, oil... hell no.

[bazinky]

Changing my grips is actually one of my favorite spring rituals. Usually pick one of the first nice, sunny afternoons and move my set-up out of the garage and have a few beers while putting on my new grips.

[Pi5seeker]

Pondering changing mine for the 1st time but I'd like to save the grips I put on about 10 rounds ago.

[Hack Daddy]

Pondering changing mine for the 1st time but I'd like to save the grips I put on about 10 rounds ago.

 

Any golf grip remover tool will work.

 

The key to success is lubrication. Get some initial solvent in the beginning of the grip. Then start working your tool in. I like to work in halves. One I get halfway down, pour more solvent down the opening where the tool is, and you'll find you'll be able to get down to the butt easier.