How to Regrip Your Golf Clubs

Regripping your own clubs sounds like a job for a shop, but it is genuinely one of the easiest and most satisfying things you can do to your own gear — and for a senior switching to softer, bigger grips, doing the whole bag yourself saves real money. All in, a club takes a few minutes once you have the hang of it, and the tools cost less than a couple of grips. Here is the whole process, start to finish.

Before you start, decide what you are putting on. If arthritis or sore hands are the reason you’re regripping, this is the moment to size up — our best grips for arthritis roundup and the grip size guide will help you choose a soft, bigger grip before you buy the set.

What you need

• New grips — one per club, all the same size and model so every club feels the same in the hand.
• Double-sided grip tape — the two-inch-wide roll made for the job. Extra wraps of this is also how you build up the diameter (more on that below).
• Grip solvent — the fluid that activates the tape and lets the grip slide on, then dries to lock it in place. Mineral spirits are a common substitute.
• A hook blade or utility knife to cut off the old grips.
• A vise with a rubber shaft clamp if you have one — helpful but not essential. A steady table edge and a towel will do in a pinch.
• A tray or bucket to catch solvent, and a rag.

Step 1: Remove the old grip

Secure the club, then run the hook blade up the length of the old grip, away from your body, and peel it off. On a graphite shaft, cut carefully so you don’t score the shaft — a hook blade cuts the grip, not the shaft, when it is angled right. Peel off the old tape too, and use a little solvent to rub away any stubborn adhesive so you start with a clean shaft.

Step 2: Tape the shaft

Wrap fresh double-sided tape along the length the grip will cover, leaving a little hanging past the butt end; tuck that overhang into the hole in the butt of the shaft so the solvent can’t pool. One layer is standard. This is also where you build up size: adding extra wraps of tape under the grip increases the diameter a small, even amount — a cheap way to nudge a grip toward oversize, as covered in the grip size guide. Peel off the tape’s backing so the adhesive is exposed.

Step 3: Solvent, then slide

Cover the tape’s open end and pour solvent generously over the tape, then pour a little inside the new grip and swirl it to coat the whole interior. Work quickly — the solvent is what lets the grip slide, and it starts drying at once. Push the new grip onto the shaft in one firm motion until the butt of the shaft seats fully against the cap of the grip. If it stops short, more solvent and another push; don’t force a dry grip.

Step 4: Align and set

While the grip still slides, square it up — line up any logo or pattern with the clubface so it sits straight when you address the ball. You have a minute or so before the solvent grabs. Wipe off the excess, set the club down, and leave it to dry. Most grips are ready to play in a few hours; overnight is safest before you take a full swing.

Doing it without solvent or a vise

You can regrip with water and a bit of dish soap in place of solvent in a pinch, though it is messier and the working time is shorter. And you don’t strictly need a vise — bracing the club against a padded table edge works for a whole set, it is just slower. The one thing worth not skipping is fresh tape on every club; reusing old tape is a false economy that leaves grips loose.

How often to regrip, and when to pay a shop

A good rule is to regrip once a season if you play regularly, or when a grip feels hard, slick or shiny — a worn grip makes you hold on tighter, which is exactly what a sore hand should avoid. Soft senior grips wear a little faster than firm rubber, so keep an eye on your most-used clubs. If a shaft is graphite and you’re nervous about the blade, or you simply don’t want the job, any golf shop will regrip a set for a modest labor charge — there is no shame in it. But most seniors find that once they’ve done one club, doing the rest is easy, and it makes trying a new size on a single club almost free. If you’re still deciding on that size, midsize vs jumbo grips and a lighter setup from best clubs for seniors are the next reads.