Using compressed air to remove a grip.

[Chzbykr]

Probably many here know this trick already, but I've been a golfer and do it yourself club repairer for a long while and only learned this about a year ago. You need an air compressor and a little air gun attachment ( got a trigger on it and a small tip, find at harbor freight or many auto parts stores ) also a length of pvc drain pipe about a foot long and diameter of one and a half inches ( this you put over the grip to keep it from ballooning ). You put the shaft in a vise, but be sure to use some type of rubber to keep from damaging the shaft. Work the tip of the air gun into the hole at end of the shaft and apply air while twisting the grip with your other hand. Most times you'll here a pop as the air blows out of the shaft end of the grip, just keep twisting and pulling and the grip will come off, sometimes pretty quickly. This won't always work but I have at least an 80% success rate. These grips can then be reused without defect. The hardest ( almost impossible to blow off are the real soft putter grips as they will blow out around the hole at the end of the grip). Hope this helps someone.

[Ernest Jones]

  Chzbykr said:

Probably many here know this trick already, but I've been a golfer and do it yourself club repairer for a long while and only learned this about a year ago. You need an air compressor and a little air gun attachment ( got a trigger on it and a small tip, find at harbor freight or many auto parts stores ) also a length of pvc drain pipe about a foot long and diameter of one and a half inches ( this you put over the grip to keep it from ballooning ). You put the shaft in a vise, but be sure to use some type of rubber to keep from damaging the shaft. Work the tip of the air gun into the hole at end of the shaft and apply air while twisting the grip with your other hand. Most times you'll here a pop as the air blows out of the shaft end of the grip, just keep twisting and pulling and the grip will come off, sometimes pretty quickly. This won't always work but I have at least an 80% success rate. These grips can then be reused without defect. The hardest ( almost impossible to blow off are the real soft putter grips as they will blow out around the hole at the end of the grip). Hope this helps someone.

PURE Grips sells this one:

http://www.puregrips.com/tapeless_installation

Their grips are designed to be installed by compressor as well. No tape. No solvent. I believe some other grips on the market will work as well, but you need a high natural rubber content or they will slip. GP Niions and Lamkin 3Gen will probably work but I doubt Crosslines or Tour velvets would.

[MS256]

  Ernest Jones said:

PURE Grips sells this one:

http://www.puregrips.com/tapeless_installation

Their grips are designed to be installed by compressor as well. No tape. No solvent. I believe some other grips on the market will work as well, but you need a high natural rubber content or they will slip. GP Niions and Lamkin 3Gen will probably work but I doubt Crosslines or Tour velvets would.

For you guys that use the no tape method: I tried that for a while (since it seemed like so many people on the internet were doing it). At first I thought it was great and I could change grips at will with only the small air compressor in my truck.

One day on a particularly fast driver swing (where I was trying to drive a green) the grip slipped halfway off during the swing. After that I just didn't trust it anymore even though it may have never happened again, and almost certainly wouldn't have happened with my normal swings with shorter clubs.

Went back to using grip tape just to be safe.

[Ernest Jones]

  MS256 said:

For you guys that use the no tape method: I tried that for a while (since it seemed like so many people on the internet were doing it). At first I thought it was great and I could change grips at will with only the small air compressor in my truck.

One day on a particularly fast driver swing (where I was trying to drive a green) the grip slipped halfway off during the swing. After that I just didn't trust it anymore even though it may have never happened again, and almost certainly wouldn't have happened with my normal swings with shorter clubs.

Went back to using grip tape just to be safe.

I leave that to be addressed by someone more knowledgeable in this regard, I've never used this method but my understanding is that not all grips are appropriate for this method as there will be slippage if the composition of the grip doesn't have a high enough natural rubber content.

@MS256 , IIRC you use Avon Chamois grips which are very similar to Crosslines, from what I've heard Crosslines will slip without tape. All my knowledge on this is second hand so take it with a grain of sodium chloride.

[MS256]

  Ernest Jones said:

I leave that to be addressed by someone more knowledgeable in this regard, I've never used this method but my understanding is that not all grips are appropriate for this method as there will be slippage if the composition of the grip doesn't have a high enough natural rubber content.

@MS256 , IIRC you use Avon Chamois grips which are very similar to Crosslines, from what I've heard Crosslines will slip without tape. All my knowledge on this is second hand so take it with a grain of sodium chloride.

Yeah, some grips may have no chance of slipping. I don't know for sure. Funny thing was that everybody in our group that day also decided when that happened that they weren't going to ever risk it either.

I had been playing with no grip tape for quite a while with no problem but that one shot not only caused an OB shot but could have been a little dangerous if it had come completely off.

I would just say to be aware that it possibly could happen.

[Harmonious]

I don't have a compressor so I used a tire inflator to remove a grip. I didn't have the right size nozzle so I jerry-rigged one with (what else?) duct tape. It worked OK, but I suppose if I were to reuse a whole set of grips, I would buy a nozzle that fits snugly in the hole in the bottom of the shaft.

[Ernest Jones]

  MS256 said:

Yeah, some grips may have no chance of slipping. I don't know for sure. Funny thing was that everybody in our group that day also decided when that happened that they weren't going to ever risk it either.

I had been playing with no grip tape for quite a while with no problem but that one shot not only caused an OB shot but could have been a little dangerous if it had come completely off.

I would just say to be aware that it possibly could happen.

I'm guessing that you can still blow them on and off with dbl sided tape? Eliminates the solvent anyway...

[Harmonious]

  Ernest Jones said:

I'm guessing that you can still blow them on and off with dbl sided tape? Eliminates the solvent anyway...

You can remove the grip. But unless there is a way I'm unfamiliar with, you'll still need some sort of solvent to install with tape on a new shaft. I don't think the grip will slide over the tape with just air.

[MS256]

  Harmonious said:

You can remove the grip. But unless there is a way I'm unfamiliar with, you'll still need some sort of solvent to install with tape on a new shaft. I don't think the grip will slide over the tape with just air.

I think it would probably be pretty hard to do, although I've never tried it. I think the best shot would be to put the tape on leaving the top inch or two bare so the grip could start on with no obstruction, and maybe slide the rest of the way on with the air (but I'm just guessing).

[WUTiger]

For airgun removal, GolfWorks recommends putting a safety tube around the grip in case it bursts. You don't want to catch a clump of high-speed rubber in the eye.

[96p993]

  Harmonious said:

You can remove the grip. But unless there is a way I'm unfamiliar with, you'll still need some sort of solvent to install with tape on a new shaft. I don't think the grip will slide over the tape with just air.

  MS256 said:

I think it would probably be pretty hard to do, although I've never tried it. I think the best shot would be to put the tape on leaving the top inch or two bare so the grip could start on with no obstruction, and maybe slide the rest of the way on with the air (but I'm just guessing).

Ive been blowing grips on and off for years...My way of doing it (not the only or possibly the proper way) is to use regular masking tape (painters blue tape)...When I blow a grip on I use a mix of water and iso alcohol, this is a solution that will evaporate quickly and leave no residue. The mix gives enough lubrication to slide the grip on and gives plenty of time to re align if needed...

[LuciusWooding]

If you're removing a grip, I've found those installed with tape tend to balloon up/explode when using air pressure. I was able to get them off but they were so stretched they were garbage. And as WUTiger pointed out, they are easy to burst. Best to use a blade and whatever solvent you choose to get the tape off, then stick with the compressor method.

Personally, I like the Pure grips a lot but we'll see how well they wear vs cords. I don't like the (DTX?) model they bill as a cord replacement, it feels distracting due to all the texture going on and it plays a bit narrow to size. I haven't tried installing other brands of grips with air though, but if I can get the Golf pride NDMC or Z cords on with air it'll be the best of both worlds; there's conflicting info as to how well it works with other brands though. Personally I only keep tape and solvent for putters now, though they're both cheap enough I have 3 years worth anyway.

[96p993]

  LuciusWooding said:

If you're removing a grip, I've found those installed with tape tend to balloon up/explode when using air pressure. I was able to get them off but they were so stretched they were garbage. And as WUTiger pointed out, they are easy to burst. Best to use a blade and whatever solvent you choose to get the tape off, then stick with the compressor method.

Personally, I like the Pure grips a lot but we'll see how well they wear vs cords. I don't like the (DTX?) model they bill as a cord replacement, it feels distracting due to all the texture going on and it plays a bit narrow to size. I haven't tried installing other brands of grips with air though, but if I can get the Golf pride NDMC or Z cords on with air it'll be the best of both worlds; there's conflicting info as to how well it works with other brands though. Personally I only keep tape and solvent for putters now, though they're both cheap enough I have 3 years worth anyway.

I agree completely if you are talking about grips put on with tape and solvent. If you do this it really is a crap shoot if you can get them off. I have never had one balloon on me if I was blowing them both on and off. I have had several circumstances where I have had to try to blow a grip off that was installed with solvent, it has ballooned on me but I was able to bring back to normal by freezing the grip then heating it back up in hot water....

[Chzbykr]

  WUTiger said:

For airgun removal, GolfWorks recommends putting a safety tube around the grip in case it bursts. You don't want to catch a clump of high-speed rubber in the eye.

That's why in op I stated to use pvc drain pipe ( 1&1/2 "x 12" ) around the grip when you first blow it to keep it from ballooning.

[Golfingdad]

  Ernest Jones said:

I'm guessing that you can still blow them on and off with dbl sided tape? Eliminates the solvent anyway...

Yes, but ...

  Harmonious said:

You can remove the grip. But unless there is a way I'm unfamiliar with, you'll still need some sort of solvent to install with tape on a new shaft. I don't think the grip will slide over the tape with just air.

It's kind of a pain in the ass.  When I first received my set of Pures, it was on a Friday afternoon (direct delivery from Erik!) and I took them home and wanted to put them on right away.  I actually didn't even consider that I could remove the old grip with the gun, so I cut them off the old fashioned way.  I left the tape on and just blew the grips over it.  There was a heck of a lot more pushing and massaging required than I'd hoped.  I managed to get them on, but with a lot more work than the videos I'd seen made it look like.

Then when I got the GP Niions for the review and I had to blow the Pures off, a couple of them stuck to the tape and I almost broke them when I blew air in ... made a giant air bubble for a second.  Once I finally got them off, I took all of the double sided tape off and replaced it with blue painters tape.  The Niions went on ridiculously easy ... and a couple of weeks later the Niion removal, and Pure re-install were also both just as ridiculously easy.

And, @MS256 ... I've not yet had any issues with a grip slipping.  I suspect Ernest might be correct about the compounds.

[boogielicious]

I use a trigger gun with a ball needle inflation tip to install the grip with double sided tape and solvent.  I can get non-cord grips off this way sometimes, but not corded grips.

[MS256]

  Golfingdad said:

Yes, but ...

It's kind of a pain in the ass.  When I first received my set of Pures, it was on a Friday afternoon (direct delivery from Erik!) and I took them home and wanted to put them on right away.  I actually didn't even consider that I could remove the old grip with the gun, so I cut them off the old fashioned way.  I left the tape on and just blew the grips over it.  There was a heck of a lot more pushing and massaging required than I'd hoped.  I managed to get them on, but with a lot more work than the videos I'd seen made it look like.

Then when I got the GP Niions for the review and I had to blow the Pures off, a couple of them stuck to the tape and I almost broke them when I blew air in ... made a giant air bubble for a second.  Once I finally got them off, I took all of the double sided tape off and replaced it with blue painters tape.  The Niions went on ridiculously easy ... and a couple of weeks later the Niion removal, and Pure re-install were also both just as ridiculously easy.

And, @MS256 ... I've not yet had any issues with a grip slipping.  I suspect Ernest might be correct about the compounds.

It could have been the type of grip or I might have just been unlucky. The Chamois I use are rubberized grips with no apparent cord.

The most embarrassing part of the whole thing was that a few weeks before I had told one of the guys in the group that I didn't use two sided tape anymore. He asked me if I was afraid of it slipping and I told him they were fine and not going to slip.

When that happened I looked at him and he had one of those funny looking "I told you so" grins on his face. I just shook my head like well you got me, and I was wrong.