Slippery, worn-out golf grips are costing you strokes, and paying shop fees to replace them adds up. The good news is that changing your grips at home is a straightforward, satisfying project that can give you a better feel for the club and more confidence over the ball. This guide will walk you through exactly what you need and every step of the process, a few practical tips included.
Before we get our hands dirty, let's talk about why you're doing this. Your grip is your only connection to the golf club. When a grip becomes hard, slick, or worn down, your natural reaction is to squeeze it tighter. That tension is a performance killer. It travels up your forearms, into your shoulders, and restricts your ability to make a fluid, powerful swing.
A fresh, tacky grip lets you hold the club with light, confident pressure. This frees up your wrists to hinge properly and allows the club to release naturally through impact. It’s one of the simplest and most effective equipment changes you can make to improve feel, control, and ultimately, your consistency on the course.
Having the right tools makes this job clean, safe, and surprisingly quick. You can buy these items individually or find them packaged together in a regripping kit sold at most golf supply stores. Here’s your checklist:
Find a well-ventilated space, like a garage or patio, lay down some old newspaper or a towel to catch drips, and let's get started. We'll do one club from start to finish to get the feel for it, then you can assembly-line the rest of your set.
Place the rubber shaft clamp around the shaft, about six inches below where the old grip ends. Now, place the clamped shaft into the vise. Tighten the vise just enough to hold the club securely so it won’t spin or move. Do not overtighten - you're just holding it in place, not trying to crush it. For best results, position the club so the face is perpendicular to a reference line, like square to the floor. This makes aligning the new grip much simpler.
If you don’t have a vise, you can still do this. You’ll need to brace the club against your body or a sturdy corner. It’s a bit more awkward, especially when removing the old tape, but it can be done. Just be extra careful when using the knife.
This is where the hooked blade really shines. Hook the blade under the bottom edge of the old grip (the opening nearest the shaft). Pointing the blade away from your body, pull it firmly and smoothly up through the grip material toward the butt end of the club. The grip should peel open easily. Once you have a clean slice from bottom to top, you can peel the old grip off the shaft.
This is easily the least glamorous part of the job. The goal is to remove all remnants of the old tape and adhesive to create a clean, smooth surface for the new tape. Start by peeling off as much of the tape as you can with your fingers.
For stubborn, crusty bits, a little bit of solvent on a rag can help break down the old glue. Some people use a plastic scraper or even the blunt back-edge of their utility blade, but be gentle. You want to remove the tape, not gouge the shaft material. A little heat from a hairdryer can also help loosen stubborn adhesive.
Take a strip of double-sided grip tape. You want it to be about a half-inch shorter than the length of your new grip. Peel off the backing from one side and apply it to the shaft, running it lengthwise from the butt end down. Leave about a half-inch of tape hanging over the butt end of the shaft.
Smooth the tape down firmly around the shaft, avoiding any bumps or wrinkles. Now, take the overhanging piece of tape, twist it, and tuck it neatly into the hole at the butt end of the shaft. This creates a seal so solvent won't run down inside your shaft. Finally, peel off the waxy paper backing from the top of the tape.
Time for the main event. Grab your new grip and place your finger over the small vent hole at the end. Pour a generous amount of solvent into the open end of the grip - fill it about a third of the way. Cover the open end of the grip with your thumb and shake it for a few seconds to coat the entire inside surface.
Now, pour the solvent from inside the grip out over the entire length of the double-sided tape you just applied. Be liberal with it, there’s no such thing as too much solvent. Make sure the tape is fully saturated.
Working quickly before the solvent begins to evaporate, take the grip and guide its opening over the butt end of the shaft. With a firm, continuous motion, push the grip all the way onto the shaft until the butt end of the grip is snug against the end of the shaft. It should slide on relatively easily. If it gets stuck halfway, pull it off immediately, apply more solvent to the tape and inside the grip, and try again.
Before the adhesive sets, you have about a minute to make final adjustments. Look down the shaft from the butt end to the clubface. Rotate the grip so its logo or alignment markings are positioned exactly where you want them relative to your square clubface. This is why setting the face square in the vise earlier is so helpful.
Once you’re happy with the alignment, give the club a final wipe-down with a paper towel to remove any excess solvent. Then, just set the club aside and let it dry. While it may feel set in an hour or so, it's best to wait at least 8-12 hours, or ideally 24, before using it on the course.
Regripping is simple, but a few small habits can turn a good job into a great one. Here are some pointers I share with my players:
Changing your own grips is a simple and rewarding DIY project that gives you a more direct connection to your equipment and can genuinely improve your feel and performance on the course. It takes the mystery out of a common piece of club maintenance and saves you a few dollars in the process.
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