What Do You Need to Regrip Golf Clubs?

Worn-out golf grips are costing you shots, but the good news is you can replace them yourself with just a few simple tools and a bit of know-how. Slippery, hardened grips force you to squeeze the club tighter, creating tension that ruins your swing and sending shots offline. This guide will walk you through exactly what you need to regrip your own clubs, from the essential supplies to the step-by-step process, so you can restore that tacky, confident feel and get your gear back in prime playing condition.

Why Bother Regripping Your Clubs?

Before we gather our tools, let's quickly cover why this is one of the most impactful pieces of equipment maintenance you can do. It’s not just about looks, it’s about performance.

• Feel and Confidence: There’s nothing like the feel of a fresh, tacky grip. It allows you to hold the club with lighter pressure, which gives you better feedback from the clubhead and frees your hands and arms to swing naturally. A secure connection to the club breeds confidence over every shot.
• Better Performance: When a grip gets old and slick, your subconscious reaction is to clamp down on it to prevent it from twisting during the swing. This death grip creates tension that restricts your rotation, slows your clubhead speed, and often leads to a hook or slice as you try to manipulate the face at impact. Fresh grips help you maintain consistent pressure and make a more fluid swing.
• It's a Sign of Wear: As a coach, I tell my students the general rule is to regrip once a year or every 40 rounds, whichever comes first. If you practice a lot, you might need to do it more often. Look for the tell-tale signs: shiny, smooth patches, cracks, or visible wear spots where your thumbs rest. If they feel more like hard plastic than tacky rubber, it’s time for a change.

The Essential Toolkit: Everything You Need to Regrip

Gathering your supplies beforehand makes the entire process smooth and easy. You don’t need a professional workshop, just a few key items. Many of these can be bought together in a convenient regripping kit.

The Main Components

• New Grips: The most important part! There are endless options, but they mostly break down by size and material. Sizes typically range from Undersize/Junior to Standard, Midsize, and Jumbo. If you have larger hands or find yourself gripping too tightly, a larger grip can feel much more comfortable. Materials range from classic rubber to firm cord for wet conditions and soft, tacky polymers. Choose what feels best for your hands and your game.
*

This specialized tape is what secures the grip to the shaft. It’s a 2-inch wide strip that has adhesive on both sides. Don’t try to substitute this with regular duct tape or masking tape, it won't work properly.
• Grip Solvent: This is the liquid that lubricates the inside of the grip and the tape, allowing you to slide the new grip on. It then evaporates, leaving the adhesive on the tape to bond the grip to the shaft. Mineral spirits from a hardware store work just as well and are often cheaper. In a pinch, some people use paint thinner or even lighter fluid, but be extremely careful with these flammable materials and always work in a well-ventilated area away from any open flames.

The Tools of the Trade

• A Utility Knife with a Hook Blade: This is a non-negotiable for safety. A straight blade can easily skate off the grip and badly scratch - or even damage - your graphite or steel shafts. A hook blade is designed to cut through the grip and tape without ever touching the shaft itself. Always, always cut away from your body.
• A Bench Vise and Rubber Shaft Clamp: Can you regrip clubs without a vise? Yes, but it’s much harder. A vise provides a stable "third hand" that makes a huge difference. The rubber shaft clamp is essential, it protects your shafts from being crushed or scratched by the vise jaws. Never put a club directly into a vise.
• Rags and Paper Towels: You will have solvent drips and old adhesive bits to clean up. Have plenty on hand.

Optional but Helpful Gear

• A Tape Scraper: While you can use your utility knife (carefully) or an old credit card, a plastic or metal tape scraper can make removing the old grip tape much faster.
• A Heat Gun: A little bit of gentle heat can help loosen stubborn old tape, making it peel off more easily. A hairdryer on its hottest setting can also work.
• A Drip Pan: Placing a small pan or old paint tray under the club will catch excess solvent when you pour it over the tape, keeping your workspace clean.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Regrip a Golf Club

Once you have all your tools ready, the process itself is pretty simple. Your first club might take you 15-20 minutes, but once you find a rhythm, you can do a whole set in about an hour. Let's get started.

Step 1: Secure the Club

Place the rubber shaft clamp around the shaft, a few inches below the old grip. Position the club in the vise so the clubface is pointing up and appears perfectly square to your eye - as if you were about to address a ball. Gently tighten the vise just enough to hold the club steady. Over-tightening can damage even a protected shaft.

Step 2: Safely Remove the Old Grip

Take your hook blade knife. Start at the bottom (the thin end) of the grip and insert the hook under the edge. In one smooth motion, pull the knife firmly upwards toward the butt end of the club, cutting a slit all the way through the grip. Remember: always pull the knife away from yourself. The old grip will peel off easily once it's been cut.

Step 3: Scrape Off the Old Tape

This is often the most tedious part of the job. Some old tape will peel right off, other tape will fight you every inch of the way. Use your scraper or a blunt edge to remove all of it. If it’s really stuck, apply a little solvent or gentle heat from a heat gun to soften the adhesive. Your goal is a perfectly clean, smooth shaft. Any leftover lumps will be felt through the new grip.

Step 4: Apply the New Double-Sided Tape

Take a strip of your double-sided tape and hold it against the shaft. It should run from the butt end down to just short of where the new grip will end. Peel the backing off and carefully apply the tape lengthwise along the top of the shaft, avoiding wrinkles. Let about a half-inch of tape hang over the butt end of the shaft. Peel the outer waxy paper layer off the tape. Twist the overhanging half-inch of tape and tuck it down into the open butt end of the shaft. This creates a seal that prevents solvent from getting inside.

Step 5: Load the New Grip with Solvent

Place a finger over the small vent hole at the end of your new grip. Pour a generous amount of grip solvent inside - about an ounce or so. Cover the open end with your other thumb and swish the solvent around vigorously to coat the entire inside surface of the grip. Don't be shy with the solvent, more is better than not enough.

Step 6: Activate the Tape and Slide the Grip On

Now, act quickly! Place your drip pan under the club. Pour the excess solvent from inside the new grip directly over the entire length of the double-sided tape on the shaft. This fully "activates" the adhesive.

Take the grip and, aligning its logo or pattern with the square clubface, start sliding it over the butt end of the shaft. In one smooth, firm, continuous motion, push the grip all the way on until the butt end of the grip is flush with the butt end of the shaft. It might feel tight, but don’t stop until it's all the way home. Give it one final, firm push to make sure it’s fully seated.

Step 7: Final Alignment and Curing

You have a short window - maybe a minute - before the solvent starts to set. Look down the grip and rotate it as needed to ensure the logo and any alignment patterns are perfectly straight and square to the face. Wipe down the entire grip and shaft with a rag to remove any excess solvent.

Now for the hardest part: waiting. The club needs to sit for at least a few hours, but it’s best to leave it overnight before hitting any shots. This allows the solvent to fully evaporate and the tape to cure, creating a powerful bond.

Final Thoughts

Regripping your clubs is a straightforward and truly satisfying DIY project. With the right supplies - grips, double-sided tape, solvent, and a hook blade - and a little patience, you can give your clubs a new lease on life. You’ll be rewarded with better feel, more confidence, and ultimately, better performance on the course.

Just like having the right feel in your equipment is fundamental, so is having the right knowledge for every other part of your game. That's where we come in. Whether you're wondering how grip size affects your shot shape or need on-the-spot advice before you take on a shot from a nasty lie in the trees, Caddie AI provides instant, expert answers. It’s your personal golf coach, ready 24/7 to help you understand the ‘why’ behind the ‘what,’ so you can play with more confidence from tee to green.