Regripped Clubs for the 1st Time!

[JackB1]

OK, I regripped 3 of my irons last night for the 1st time ever. I was removing Tour Velvets and putting on Winn Xi7's. My 1st try was comical and everything fell apart. I didn't make the vise tight enough and didn't use enough solvent, so when I started to push on the grip, I knocked the shaft in the air, it fell off the vice...solvent everwhere...etc. I tried to get everything situated quickly and got the shaft back in the vice and pushed the grip on. It was very hard to get on and I got a lot of sticky liquid pushing down the shaft.

The second try went A LOT smoother. I used a LOT of solvent and made sure the shaft was tight in the vice. I also put the shaft in with the club face pointing straight up, so if I put the grip on centered, it needed no further adjustment. This time the club slid on A LOT smoother. I guess due to more solvent and less "screwing around". Also, I am using odorless mineral spirits as my solvent.

Some observations.......
-The hook blade removed the old grip easy enough and the old spiral wrap tape peeled right off the shaft without any scraping needed.
-The rubber vice clamp is a bit of a pain, since it is loose and stays on the shaft. I am thinking of using some double stick tape and permanantly attaching the rubber to the vice, so when I am done, I just open the vice and pull out the shaft.
-You really need to SOAK THE HECK out of the grip tape before attempting to slide on the grip. I don't know if Winn grips are tighter than most, but my second try went A LOT smoother due to much more solvent.
-Have a lot of rags handy to wipe of the sticky reside that pushes down the shaft as you slide on the grip...also some will spill out the little hole on top.
-The solvent is tough to clean off your hands...next time I will try wearing some rubber gloves.

Question....Is it possible to damage your shaft my tightening the vice too tight? I was afraid of making the vice too tight, but if you don't, it can slip when you push.

[PiKapp23]

Ihave been regripping my own clubs for a couple years and, like you, I've had some minor problems, but overall it's always been fine. The one thing I learned very quickly as to use LOTS of solvent when putting new grip on. My biggest issues have been with removing the tape from old grips, as sometimes it's easy and sometimes the old tape just doesn't want to come off. One of the clubfitters I know said to try a torch to heat the glue and that did help a lot. In some cases it still took a lot of scraping (I have a grip tape stripper tool) and lots of solvent to get it all off.

I do not use a vice for the job at all. I just sit on the floor and do it that way. As long as you use plenty of solvent and douse the tape thorougly before sliding new grip on it's never a problem with irons. Woods is another story as the butt end of shaft is usually bigger and makes getting the grips started more difficult. I think a vice might help in that instance.

[JackB1]

My biggest issues have been with removing the tape from old grips, as sometimes it's easy and sometimes the old tape just doesn't want to come off. One of the clubfitters I know said to try a torch to heat the glue and that did help a lot. In some cases it still took a lot of scraping (I have a grip tape stripper tool) and lots of solvent to get it all off.

Heating the old tape makes removal easy. I have a tiny space heater and just held it on front of the heater for 1 minute. A hair dryer works too. I never once needed to do any scraping. Spiraled tape comes off easier, but the vertical 2" tape comes off easy too after being heated a bit. You are right...getting the old tape off is the hardest part of the whole process. I was a little sad whan I was done, because I was just getting the process perfected :)

[mako224]

Here is a tip for you. Hold the grip upright with your finger over the little hole in the end. Now fill the grip about half way with solvent. Put your finger over the other end and shake. Next go to your shaft which is already in the vice and take your finger off of the little hole in the end of the grip and let it dispense the solvent onto the tape then slide your new grip right on and align. Works like a charm.