Grips: Grips are the final area of club care that we will cover. Grip care may be the most neglected aspect of golf club maintenance. The majority of golf shops that offer regripping will tell you as a matter of course that you need to regrip at least once a year. If you want to change every year that's all right. For the cost of a set a grips (about $40-$50), you just might want grip every year. But for the average golfer once a year is not necessarily needed. For the once a week golfer, you most likely can get away with every year and a half to two years. Grips should be changed when they are cracked, slippery, or worn. There are ways that you can extend the life of your grips. Cleaning is the number one way in keeping a grip in like new condition. Clean your grips no less than once a month. The only tools you need to clean grips are your stiff bristle brush (from club cleaning), liquid dish soap, and a towel.
NEVER PUT YOUR CLUBS INTO A BUCKET OF WATER GRIP FIRST! Doing this will cause the accumulation of moisture around the butt end of the shaft, and will cause the shaft butt to rust. The rest of your club can look brand new, and be well taken care of, but will be ruined if the shaft is eaten away by rust. To clean grips dip your brush into water. Put a little dish soap on the brush and scrub the grip. Rinse with clean water, and towel dry. If the grip is hard with a crusty type covering, you may be able to bring them back to life. Take medium coarse sandpaper, or other abrasive, and "sand" the grip lengthwise. After the sanding step, you need to clean the grip as previously described. If the sanding step doesn't work, you need to regrip. This can be time consuming, so you should decide if it's worth the effort.
In conclusion, whether you spend $200 or $2000 for your new clubs, if you follow these simple steps you can extend the life of your clubs for years. You'll also increase your enjoyment of the game.
Steve Passarell is the owner of Custom Club Creations, a golf club fitting and building facility. He has over 15 years of experience and has had extensive training by some of the industries best experts. His philosophy on custom clubs is to offer the best quality products at prices that all golfers can afford.
