Get a grip: check your clubs

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — The sun was actually out for a short time.

It was long enough for throngs of golfers to hit the links at a time when the greens and fairways weren’t covered with water.

Many pulled the sticks out from behind the lawn mower, weed whacker and deflated kiddy pool, and tossed them in the trunk.

Once at the course, the golfers strolled to the first tee box, pushed the tee into the soggy turf, and planted a ball atop it. Pulling out the driver, one warm-up swing is quickly followed by another. The ball is addressed, the club is swung in a high arc and …

The grip was like grabbing onto a cheese grater.

Or maybe the club sailed down the fairway along with the ball.

Both situations are avoidable.

Before golf season gets into full swing, now is the time to change those grips.

Old, warn-out grips can be detrimental out on the links.

“When worn grips get any type of moisture on them, they get slippery,” said Eric Ferrier, assistant golf pro at Avalon Golf Links in Burlington. “Why would you want the game of golf to be more challenging than it already is.”

Replacing your grips on at least a semi-regular basis is essential to getting the most out of your game and your equipment. Grips that are worn will slip.

This, in turn, requires more hand pressure to keep the club secure, ultimately resulting in forearm fatigue and additional strokes.

“Really (the frequency of changing your grips) depends on how much you play,” said Craig Welty, assistant golf professional at Skagit Golf & Country Club in Burlington. “If you play a lot, then you should change them once a year. If you only play five times per year, then maybe change once every five years.

“Most golfers, however, make it a point to change their grips every two years. That’s a pretty standard time for a replacement. The grip is the only thing that needs to be changed on a set of clubs. You clean your club faces and once in a while, maybe a shaft will break. That means buying a new club. But on a regular basis, the grips are it.”

Welty has seen some rather interesting grips in his time.

“I’ve changed some grips that have been on clubs for 25 years,” he recalled with a laugh. “They are slick and brittle. When you try and remove them, they just crumble off piece by piece. Rubber grips over time are not good.”

Ferrier runs a side business out of his home, specializing in, you guessed it, replacing grips on clubs. He does about 50 sets of clubs a year.

“I have a business through the shop,” Ferrier explained. “We don’t sell grips at the shop, but I do. I sell them and install them. All prices include installation.”

Ferrier has seen his share of fossilized grips.

“I’ve come across some grips that I’ve had to use something resembling a butcher knife to scrape them off,” he said. “When a club comes in with something like that, I usually put on the hard-sell for a new set of clubs.”

Grips should be changed if there are any smooth, hard or shiny surfaces. These surfaces can cause the club to slip, thus affecting the position of the club face as it strikes the ball.

“Golfers don’t change their grips often enough,” Ferrier added. “You should at least change them annually, especially if you shoot 40 or 50 rounds a year. Since most grips are made of rubber, they get hard and slick over time.”

If a grip is cracked or shows worn spots, it should be replaced.

And a grip should be just that. It should feel tacky, supplying traction for the swing.

There are about as many types of grips on the market as there are clubs. It comes down to preference. Basically, what feels good in the hands.

“Here at Skagit Golf & Country Club,” Welty said, “we offer a wide range of grips. They can run anywhere from $6 for a standard grip to $10 and over.”

Why the price discrepancy?

Well, just like everything else, grips are evolving, and the more cutting-edge the technology, the more pricey the grip.

It also has plenty to do with the grips look. In recent years, designs have become more extravagant.

“Winn grips are a synthetic grip,” Welty explained. “They are a synthetic grip with a rubber core. They (Winn) have also taken sort of a different marketing approach as well, offering a lot of different colors and designs on their grips. They have snake skin-looking grips and tie-dye. They are pretty wild.

“Since Winn has come onto the market, grips have gone up in price. Say, 10 years ago, grips used to all be $3 to $4. It’s not that way anymore.”

Ferrier said he sells grips ranging from $3 to $9.

Welty said many golfers prefer the feel of the old rubber grips.

“If a golfer is indecisive,” Welty explained, “he or she should just try one grip on one club. If they like the grip, then they can go ahead and have the whole set done. If not, then they remove it and try another. That’s an inexpensive way to find out what you like.”

In fact, Welty has rubber grips on his clubs.

“Rubber is just fine,” he said. “Besides, they are coming up with new rubber technology all the time.”

Replacing grips, whether it be on an entire set or on a specific club is not difficult or time consuming.

The first step is to remove the old grip from the shaft. Using a hook-bladed utility knife, a long slice is made down the length of the grip. The grip is peeled off the club

Once the grip is removed, the shaft is cleaned before applying double-backed grip tape. The tape is run up one side of the shaft and down the other. The tape can also be applied by wrapping it around the shaft.

Here lies another difference between synthetic and rubber grips. Rubber grips have a tendency to stretch. Synthetic grips don’t. In order to keep the rubber grip from twisting, extra tape may be necessary. That can get dicey.

“Some golfers can actually feel that extra tape,” Welty said. “That’s not good. You want a smooth feel. No ridges.”

Next, the taped shaft is snugly placed within the padded-jaws of a small vise.

The nozzle of a bottle containing odorless mineral spirits solvent is then inserted into the grip. The vent hole at the top of the grip is plugged using a finger or tee. A generous amount of solvent is then poured into the grip.

Cover the open end of the grip with a free hand and shake vigorously. The contents of the grip are then poured over the tape-covered shaft. Push the grip entirely onto the club. Make sure the grip butt is against the shaft butt. This must be accomplished while the grip tape is still wet. Align the grip pattern square to the club face and let everything dry.

“As the tape dries,” Welty explained, “it hardens, forms, and tightens up.”

Presto. New grip and hopefully a better golf game.