Remove Putter Grip Without Damage

[Swindon]

Hi,  I have the  Huntington Beach#4 with the oversized grip.

https://www.clevelandgolf.com.au/en_AU/clubs/huntington-beach-4-putter/MHB4.html

It's 35 inch but I need to take an inch off it.  It's almost new so I'd like to just reuse the grip - any tips on removing the grip without damaging it? (I do all my own grips so familiar with tape/solvent etc, just having trouble telling how the grip is put on this putter to work out what I'm dealing with.

Any advice appreciated, Cheers, Ben

[boogielicious]

3 hours ago, Swindon said:

Hi,  I have the  Huntington Beach#4 with the oversized grip.

https://www.clevelandgolf.com.au/en_AU/clubs/huntington-beach-4-putter/MHB4.html

It's 35 inch but I need to take an inch off it.  It's almost new so I'd like to just reuse the grip - any tips on removing the grip without damaging it? (I do all my own grips so familiar with tape/solvent etc, just having trouble telling how the grip is put on this putter to work out what I'm dealing with.

Any advice appreciated, Cheers, Ben

I’ve used the tool below. it depends on the type of grip. With plain rubber grips, it works pretty well. Chorded grips are harder. You’ll need grip solvent and be patient.

V-GROOVE GRIP REMOVER

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Safely removes grips from any golf club allowing the grip to be re-used

 

 

[Club Rat]

3 hours ago, Swindon said:

Any advice appreciated,

I remove all grips now mostly with an air tool I obtained to remove / install Pure Grips.
I think an air needle to inflate any type ball, football / basketball could possibly work.
Other types of air gun tools should also work.

 

[Adam C]

If it's a Winn, or Superstroke etc style grip with a hard tip and butt cap section (multiple materials) the slim jim style tool is difficult to use. Best bet is with air compressor or inject solvent into the grip in different spots and work it loose that way. 

[Swindon]

13 hours ago, Adam C said:

If it's a Winn, or Superstroke etc style grip with a hard tip and butt cap section (multiple materials) the slim jim style tool is difficult to use. Best bet is with air compressor or inject solvent into the grip in different spots and work it loose that way. 

It's the Cleveland Oversize 63g grip with the hard tip and butt cap shown here 

HUNTINGTON BEACH 3 PUTTER, O/S GRIP

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Introducing the Cleveland Golf Huntington Beach Collection. Inspired by the beautiful setting of Cleveland Golf's North America headquarters, these putters feature the classic designs that have been revered for generations...

 , I wasn't sure if that meant I was up against something other than just grip tape.  Will give it a go and find out!

[Adam C]

It's just tape I am sure, issue is just with that hard tip and butt section and how it connects to the softer middle. Good luck.

[MGN]

On 3/29/2020 at 2:49 AM, Swindon said:

Hi,  I have the  Huntington Beach#4 with the oversized grip.

https://www.clevelandgolf.com.au/en_AU/clubs/huntington-beach-4-putter/MHB4.html

It's 35 inch but I need to take an inch off it.  It's almost new so I'd like to just reuse the grip - any tips on removing the grip without damaging it? (I do all my own grips so familiar with tape/solvent etc, just having trouble telling how the grip is put on this putter to work out what I'm dealing with.

Any advice appreciated, Cheers, Ben

Ben - I have removed an original Odyssey putter grip for future use by just using plenty of solvent; some on either end.  Haven't used an air gun, but seen some demos on YouTube of the same.  I'm fairly certain you should be successful in removing the original grip using a solvent; let us know how it goes.  Good Luck!.

[Swindon]

Another thought I had - fill something the size of a tennis ball tin with solvent and then sit the grip in the solvent bath to ensure the tape gets thoroughly soaked.  Anyone tried this?  Any downsides I haven't thought of?

[boogielicious]

28 minutes ago, Swindon said:

Another thought I had - fill something the size of a tennis ball tin with solvent and then sit the grip in the solvent bath to ensure the tape gets thoroughly soaked.  Anyone tried this?  Any downsides I haven't thought of?

Putting solvent inside is the best way. Solvent won’t penetrate the rubber in the grip through to the tape.

[ChetlovesMer]

Okay, I've done this a hundred times. For starters you need one of these:

I've actually removed a putter grip a couple of times using a wire coat hanger; You just bend it half and then stick the bent end under the grip. However, if you've never done it before I highly recommend getting one of these.

Okay, then you need mineral spirits or grip solvent of some kind, a "ketchup type" bottle of some kind, and a bucket or pan. 

Here's what you do. 

1. Put the putter grip end down into the bucket.
2. Stick the edge of the tool under the grip as far as you can shove it. It only needs to be a fraction of an inch, but further is better
3. Use your ketchup type bottle to squirt some grip solvent or mineral spirits under the putter grip
4. Work down and around pushing the tool deeper under the grip.
5. Add grip solvent when ever you make any progress. Feel free to be liberal with the use of the solvent. 
6. Keep doing this until the tool is all the way under the grip.
7. Hold the tool and twist the putter all the way around, or hold the putter and work the grip tool all the way around, adding solvent if you feel any resistance
8. The grip will slide right off as you push down the tool. 

The rubber thingie at the end of the grip, it is well attached and will stretch some, but still be careful not to pull the tool too far away from the shaft. Remember your goal is down and around not out and away. I actually just did this last week, I removed a Scotty Cameron 15" Grip, shortened the putter, added butt weight and put the grip back on with no trouble. 

Like I said, the process sounds scary, but it's pretty easy actually. I've done it a lot. As mentioned I've even done it using a coat hanger. Just let me know if you have questions. 

 

 

[CarlSpackler]

I made something like this beforeand it worked pretty well. 

The GolfWorks Air Powered Golf Grip Remover/Installer

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the GolfWorks Air Powered Grip Remover/Installer gw0103 golf grip removal

 

[boogielicious]

2 minutes ago, ChetlovesMer said:

The rubber thingie at the end of the grip

It’s an industry term.

[Swindon]

On 4/4/2020 at 7:26 PM, ChetlovesMer said:

 

I've actually removed a putter grip a couple of times using a wire coat hanger; You just bend it half and then stick the bent end under the grip. However, if you've never done it before I highly recommend getting one of these.

Okay, then you need mineral spirits or grip solvent of some kind, a "ketchup type" bottle of some kind, and a bucket or pan. 

Here's what you do. 

1. Put the putter grip end down into the bucket.
2. Stick the edge of the tool under the grip as far as you can shove it. It only needs to be a fraction of an inch, but further is better
3. Use your ketchup type bottle to squirt some grip solvent or mineral spirits under the putter grip
4. Work down and around pushing the tool deeper under the grip.
5. Add grip solvent when ever you make any progress. Feel free to be liberal with the use of the solvent. 
6. Keep doing this until the tool is all the way under the grip.
7. Hold the tool and twist the putter all the way around, or hold the putter and work the grip tool all the way around, adding solvent if you feel any resistance
8. The grip will slide right off as you push down the tool. 

The rubber thingie at the end of the grip, it is well attached and will stretch some, but still be careful not to pull the tool too far away from the shaft. Remember your goal is down and around not out and away. I actually just did this last week, I removed a Scotty Cameron 15" Grip, shortened the putter, added butt weight and put the grip back on with no trouble. 

Like I said, the process sounds scary, but it's pretty easy actually. I've done it a lot. As mentioned I've even done it using a coat hanger. Just let me know if you have questions. 

 

 

Update - success!   I used the coat hanger method, and with a lot of solvent, a lot of patience a lot of grunt to get the coat hanger all the way under the grip it eventually came off pretty easily once the solvent found it's way to all the tape and broke the bond.  Shortened the shaft, reinstalled the (undamaged) grip - good result!   Thanks all for your input.

[ChetlovesMer]

9 hours ago, Swindon said:

Update - success!   I used the coat hanger method, and with a lot of solvent, a lot of patience a lot of grunt to get the coat hanger all the way under the grip it eventually came off pretty easily once the solvent found it's way to all the tape and broke the bond.  Shortened the shaft, reinstalled the (undamaged) grip - good result!   Thanks all for your input.

👍  - Yay!

[pganapathy]

10 hours ago, Swindon said:

Update - success!   I used the coat hanger method, and with a lot of solvent, a lot of patience a lot of grunt to get the coat hanger all the way under the grip it eventually came off pretty easily once the solvent found it's way to all the tape and broke the bond.  Shortened the shaft, reinstalled the (undamaged) grip - good result!   Thanks all for your input.

I am happy that you were able to complete it successfully and that I learnt a tip that I can potentially use in the future.  However, I am just curious why gripping down an inch on the putter wasn't a simpler option

[Typhoon92]

I’ve also used the tool more times than I can count.  We have one at work.  I even use it to remove Superstroke grips, they are no harder than anything else to remove.

 

i used to use a syringe and solvent but it was tedious, blew the seal on a couple syringes because the needle didn’t get all the way through the rubber grip.

 

Just buy the tool, it doesn’t wear out

[Swindon]

20 hours ago, pganapathy said:

I am happy that you were able to complete it successfully and that I learnt a tip that I can potentially use in the future.  However, I am just curious why gripping down an inch on the putter wasn't a simpler option

I'm sure someone probably has a more technical response on gripping down on a 35" putter vs cutting it down to 34" (I'm interested to hear it if you do), but for me it feels far better balanced now that it's shortened.  I've felt that with other 35" putters too, I just doesn't feel right to me to have that much of the grip above my hands.  (Plus in CV19 lockdown it kept me busy for an hour 🙂

The grip on this Cleveland putter in particular (see photo in link in post #5 above) has a flat surface for your thumbs which tapers to a round grip the further down the grip you hold, so shortening it allows me to have more of the flat section in my hands, again this feels much better than gripping down.