Slippery Grips

Pitch & Putt
The Short Game

13th Article
Slippery Clubs

Another season is upon us. Time to break out the clubs, clean and shine up the irons, pack the pockets full of balls, tee’s, gloves and all the other paraphernalia for a round of golf. A closer look at the condition of the irons reveals there are no dents or scratches in the shafts. The heads could use a good cleaning and the grip on this club seems almost smooth. Smooth grips are great in some sports, but golf is not one of them. They need that tacky feeling to ensure a solid no slip grip on the clubs. Checking the rest of the irons, discloses they’re all in similar condition. Grips, depending on usage, should be changed every two years, assuming you play at least twice a week during a season. So how do you go about renewing them? Is it a terribly complicated procedure? No. Can you do it yourself? Yes. Do you need special equipment? No. Here’s a list of materials that will fit the bill.

Box cutter or sharp knife.
Double sided Carpet Tape.
Container of any of these products, Varsol, Coleman Camp Fuel or Mineral Spirits.
Foam 1-inch paintbrush.
One Bench Top Vise.
Replacement grips.

Replacement grips come in all different sizes, colors, shapes and costs. There is even a different type of grip for a putter. Where a normal grip is round, a putter grip will have at least on flat side. Grips can be purchase at dealers like Golf Works, Golf Smith, Wal-Mart and even Canadian Tire. They come in all price ranges, depending on how flashy you want your clubs to be. A typical 4 pack from Wal-Mart can be had for $16 to $18. To replace a typical set of clubs (3 to Pitching Wedge) will require 8 grips.

Lets get started.
First you have to protect the shafts of your clubs from being scratched by the bench vise jaws. Styrofoam packing makes a good buffer, simply cut two strips the width of the vise jaws, put one strip on each side of the club’s shaft and tighten in the vise. DO NOT OVER TIGHTEN. You want to securely hold the club but not crush it.
Using your box cutter, slice the old grip from the bottom of the grip to the hilt. Starting at the bottom, strip away the old grip. You will discover a layer of tape under the grip. This tape is what holds the grip from moving after being installed. Peel off all the old tape and clean the shaft.
Using your new grip as a guide, cut a piece of carpet tape, about 1/8th of an inch shorter then the new grip.
Lay the carpet tape (sticky side) against the shaft, allowing about 1/16th space at the end of the shaft. Smooth the tape around the shaft. The tape should come very close to a perfect fit. If there is overlap, use your box cutter to trim.
Using your box cutter or fingernails, pry off the second layer of carpet tape. The tape that is left on the shaft will be very sticky.
Using your new grip, take a golf tee and plug the small hole at the hilt end of the grip.
Wrap an old rag around the open end of your new grip to prevent spillage running down the outside of the grip. Pour a small amount of varsol into the open end. Using your thumb, cap the open end, and shake the grip vigorously for 30 seconds.
Remove your thumb and slowly pour the contents of the grip along the carpet tape on the grip. Using the foam paintbrush liberally add more varsol along the tape until covered from top to bottom. Remove the tee from the end of the grip.
Insert the open end of the grip over the shaft. Using both hands and some exertion, slide the new grip onto the shaft, keep pushing until no more of the carpet tape is visible.
10. Wipe away any excess varsol from the grip.

For those handy-man type guys who have a small compressor with an air blower attachment, step 9 can be made less strenuous. Simply insert the blower attachment into the small hole at the end of the grip and give a couple shots of air. The grip will slide on very easily. One down, seven to go.