JUST another viewer happy you posted this video i didnt want to spend $30. for a tool just to do 1 grip on my putter & it was quick, and i had on hanger and electric tape in the garrage.
I an a golf pro of 40 years. I have used needles air but never this method. I look forward to using it. needless use a lot of fluid and air can really mess up a grip. Thanks and good video.
Thankyou Randy, I had watched videos of the $40 tool and I liked the concept, just not the design and cost. The design width is harder on the grip getting it started and the fluid funnel is only on one side. The wire has a open trench that gets the fluid more efficiently to the tape with less liquid use. Also the wire when bent gives it a nice narrow rounded tip to get under the grip. The wire I used came from a old hay bale spool I had from many years ago. Coat hanger wire is to flimsy and bends easily. Will work, but harder. I have not damaged a grip yet using this method. Obviously a old wore out grip would be a different story.
I love the fact that this gentleman saved the grip and save six or seven dollars per grip times 9 irons and maybe saved two or three wood clubs (medal wood clubs) as well. 💵
I do bicycle repairs and I use liquid hand sanitizer. It really works well to remove old grips that are very hard to take off. Since the grips are shorter I use an ice pick and shove it in the grip and shoot some hand sanitizer in there. It comes right off.
Thanks David! After doing about 5 clubs and how easy it was, I decided to ask my wife to video the process. No rehearsal, no editing, no music, no big headlines, just a rough video that got to the source. When I say rough, we didn’t even know we should have turned the phone sideways to video for RU-vid. Lol My 1st video and never dreamed a poorly made video such as mine would be so noticed so fast. Glad it has and helping fellow golfers save a buck! ⛳️😎
@@billcuster1341 Credit to your wife Bill, she did a great job! Will definitely be making one of those rods and will be using your technique of putting the club in the vice at an angle…. Cheers again mate, all the best from Wales… 🏴 👍
@@davidgent188 Thanks David, I will let her know your kind words! That vice has been on my garage work bench for 35 years and has helped me with many, many projects. I only angle the club down when removing a grip to help with getting the lighter fluid in the grip and easier to work the rod. When I’m regripping, I level the golf club and line up the face of the club to the edge of the work bench until the club is completely regripped. That vice is a life saver.
@@billcuster1341 Excellent advice, thanks Bill…. I will be using this method next time I attempt to remove some grips… I’ve never used lighter fluid only grip solvent… I will try this also… 👍
Let me know how it works out for you. Wire strength can be a game changer. Wire cloths hanger in my opinion is to flexible and bends to easily. Watched one video a guy used it and he fought it. I was lucky I had this laying around the garage and it was perfect. Old hay bailing wire I think.
It’s a shaft clamp. Can be found on Amazon, EBay and most golf shops. It’s hard rubber with metal sides. I’ve had the same one for over 25 years and have done hundreds of clubs with it. The video was split second decision while replacing the grips. No rehearsal or editing. It’s pretty rough! Lol My wife was using my phone to video and I didn’t realize the phone needed to be turned sideways for videos on RU-vid. My 1st time. Rookie mistake! Thanks for the kind words and glad you liked it!
@Bill Custer you bet, that's probably the best tutorial on this I've seen yet! Did you just use some #9 wire for the tool, and do you use the lighter fluid for reinstall also? Last questions I promise lol. Thanks a ton my friend
@@chrisinkansas1362 Not sure on the gauge of wire. After watching a few videos on RU-vid, I didn’t want to spend $40 for the tool they used. I’m pretty handy with fixing and making things so I decided to see what I had laying around. I found the heavy piece of wire in my garage and my brain kicked in. Bent the wire in my vice to make the channel and bent the other end for the handle and put gorilla tape on the handle. In my opinion it’s better than the expensive tool because the wire channel gets more fluid to the tape under the grip to break it free. Lighter fluid is the only fluid I use for grips. Removing and regripping. I only cut grips off when replacing old grips.
@@chrisinkansas1362 On point questions, Bill! My thoughts as well. Watched many videos on grip removal without destroying (new/used grips) unless necessary but never saw suggestion using lighter fluid. Wire concept I understand. Great questions, thanks.
Do you remember what gauge wire that is for the tool you made up? I was thinking about buying the actual tool from Golf Works, but for a few dollars I will try this.
I don’t know the gauge of the wire. It’s much heavier than a coat hanger. Someone gave me several feet of it back in the 80’s. Looks like it might have been used for bailing hay or something. Turned out to be the perfect source for getting the fluid to the tape inside the grip because of the channel it makes when it’s bent over. Makes a nice rounded edge that makes it easy to start without damaging the grip. I used the vice to get the tight bend. Like you, I was looking at the tool but really didn’t want to spend the money for something I would only be using every once in awhile. Turns out the wire works better by not having to use very much lighter fluid because of the open trench. Wouldn’t be surprised that this design shows up somewhere in the future for sale.
nice job, clever solution, but still too messy for me using the solvent. Air from my automobile tire compressor much quicker and cleaner. Saving the grip is key and you certainly did that.
I use paint thinner and a coat hanger, works ok. I've saved about 15 grips. I'm actually in the middle of putting pulled grips onto a set of clubs I'm about to sell.
Exactly John! Any grip that has the 2 sided adhesive holding it on can be a problem. Especially if it’s been on awhile. Forcing more air on a stubborn grip will stretch, bubble and burst. Taking a grip off that had been put on with air and has no 2 sided tape is a different story. Thanks for viewing and commenting John! ⛳️⛳️⛳️
Don’t need adhesive when you blow them on with most brand of grips…I blow grips on and off all the time without damage or slippage…been doing it for years.
I have the old Golfsmith tool. What I found out is, if that tool was hollow and had some holes at the tip and you could have a squeeze ball to push solvent into the grip it would only take a couple minutes to take off a grip. I have been looking for the tubing but no luck so far.
That’s why I like the long trench made from bending the wire in half. The trench allows solvent to break down the adhesive with less pressure. Less solvent, less mess, easier on the grip.
What about the residue left in the grip such as small parts of the tape that were torn out during the removable grip. I have found that to be a problem in the past. But nice job.
I have discovered that with the lighter fluid that there is very little or no residue left in the grip. It slides off very easily and all the tape is left on the shaft. Any adhesive left inside the grip from the tape has no effect on putting it back on another shaft. If anything it helps. A friend turned me on to the lighter fluid over 20 years ago and it has been great. With the tip there is very little waist, unlike the other liquids used seen in most videos, it’s cheaper and no need to buy other applicators. Win-Win! Thank you for your kind words!
If you have a gun/pistol cleaning kit, use the wire brush attachment to clean the inside of the grip. Probably around a 40 to 45 caliber brush would work.
Hey Bill, when you put the grip back on, did you use the lighter fluid as solvent on the double sided tape two or did you just slide the grip on? This video is awesome and definitely saving the money because I will be doing all of my grips on my own.
Unfortunately your options are limited living in apartment. Especially working with flammable liquids. The heat gun I normally only use to take the tape off. Harbor Freight about $10. It was cold that night and warmed the grip to make it more flexible. If I didn’t have the work bench, I would use my Work Mate folding portable work bench. Folds flat and has its own clamping mechanism. Not as stable, but doable. Apartment living is definitely a disadvantage for working on projects. This vice on my work bench has been there for 35 years and been a lifesaver. Hopefully someday you will have a garage for projects like this one. I’m 71 and never lived in an apartment so your question is kinda hard to answer. Good luck and thanks for watching. ⛳️😊
Not sure where you heard Mineral Spirits were non flammable. It has a low flashpoint of 105 F degrees, making this solvent catch fire easily and combustible. Even when dry. Lighter fluid also has its hazards that can be harmful or dangerous. Precautions to limit breathing, getting in eyes ears and mouth are very important. As in all solvents and gasses, careful handling and use is very important. I’ve been using the lighter fluid for over 25 years and feel comfortable using it. With the very small tip cap with a flip nozzle it’s very easy to use with very little spill and a lot less liquid being used. A can of lighter fluid lasts me for a very long time. Extra precautions while using the heat gun is very important no matter what flammable liquid you use. Safety glasses should also be worn. I do this as a hobby, not a living. Thank you for your comment and concerns.
@@petegarro6024 Yeah, Mineral Spirits seems to be the most used. When I 1st started doing my own grips, a co worker showed me how he did it. He used lighter fluid, and I’ve used it ever since. Early 90’s. I like the tip on the can and how little fluid it takes. I’ve never used anything else so I could not comment on other fluids other than what I have watched on RU-vid. All of those videos advise to use plenty of solvent. Looked like a waste and bigger mess. I’m old school, and still believe that if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it! Lol I’m still doing the spiral 2 sided tape method! 😂
@@sawyerwiles1747 It wasn’t a coat hanger. It was a heavier piece of old bailing wire I had laying around. I tried a coat hanger but it bent to easily. Just doubled it over and shaped it to what you see in the video. I used the vice to put a tight turn. Used gorilla tape on the handle part for a better hold.Thanks for watching! ⛳️
Can this work with tape wrapped in a spiral under the grip. I applied tape, spiraling down, and there are gaps between tape wraps. Did this to: 1. Save on tape. 2. Less tape = lighter club. 3 less tape = grip is ever so slightly thinner in feel.
Absolutely! I even commented in my video that I still use the spiral method for all my regripping. I’m old school! Lol I use 3/4” tape. The only reason the clubs in the video have strip tape is because they just came from Calloway. Spiral Tape tears a little more when taking it off but no big deal when you heat it.
Thank you !!! Grips in 2023 are extremely expensive !! By saving about 12 grips, at 10.00 a piece, we can save 120 !!! ... often I will try new grips for feel, tackiness, circumference. If they are not perfect then I would cut them all off, and lose over 100 bucks !!! Your video will help many many golfers save money, and most importantly lower demand for new grips. Then manufacturers of grips will learn not, NOT to be so greedy, with expensive grips. Putter grips are even worse, costing up to 35.00 a grip. People are tired of getting ripped off. Thank you. ⛳ golf on. !
Nailed it! It adds up quickly! I’ve had a few comments saying just cut it off! I’m all in for saving money, and this method saves me a lot. Passing the savings on to my friends by doing regrips for little or no cost. Grips are getting ridiculousy high as you said. Thankyou for positive comments! Means a lot!
@@billcuster1341 ...thanks.. I am a senior golf age 71... handicap 7. Used to be good when younger- played couple of PGA tour events 1975...anyway.. have old heavy irons from 1996, stiff shafts. Am looking for newer irons, 4 -W, Regular or senior flex. Very light, not heavy. Need clubhead speed. Any ideas ?? Are score shafts any good ?? KBS shafts ?? Which are lighter / better...or do I go graphite ?? Don't know anything about graphite. Only have it in driver and hybrid... any suggestions ?? Only played about 10 times last year... current irons feel very heavy ,,,,,getting old. !! 😭
@@blairsterling6141 Blair, I am also 71! Welcome to the golden years! Lol I’m at this very moment resting in my recliner, watching golf after having my 2nd knee replacement last week. Wish I could help you with choices of shafts, but I’m no expert. I just like making things and saving money. I am also a single digit handicapper. In my senior league playing from senior tees, I’m a 2. From white a 7. I just purchased a set of Calloway Rogues and absolutely love them. They gave me back the yardage I’ve lost the last few years. 10-15 yards. I stayed with steel shafts but hit a friends graphite and they were really easy to hit. Just depends on your swing speed and feel. Purchased from Calloway PreOwned, but they were new. Saved over $500. Talk to one of their fitters and they will put you in the right club.
You must not have heard in the video that the golf clubs were brand new with brand new Calloway grips. The reason for me replacing the grips was I use mid size grips. The ones on the new clubs were standard. I now have 9 new Calloway standard grips to use on other clubs for friends and family saving up to $90 @ $10 a piece. When I ordered the clubs, they did not have the size of grips I use. I cut off old worn out grips.
Thanks Mike! Been using lighter fluid exclusively for over 25 years. I’ve had zero affects of damage to the grips. Even old clubs in my shed done with lighter fluid years ago are still intact. Not putting minerals spirits down at all. I’ve just never used it since the lighter fluid has worked so well for me and never used anything else. Friend that has been golfing all of his life showed me how to grip with the lighter fluid. 3/4” 2 sided tape with the spiral method and I still regrip that way. Old school. Safety is always important using any combustible fluid. Even mineral spirits can ignite at 105 degree F even when dry. Thanks for viewing my video and input! ⛳️😊
That seems like a lot of work. Air compressor removal is the easiest with no knuckle and cloth hanger jigging. Now the heat gun is a good idea to remove the tape.
If the grips were installed with 1 sided tape, I would have used air. Using air with 2 sided tape the grip doesn’t release clean sometimes. It can bubble, stretch and pop if not done very carefully. I’ve had several comments about grips popping using air, needles, special attachments with 2 sided tape held grips. The video was for people that don’t have compressors, grip tables, fancy tools and saving the grip. This was a very heavy wire, not a clothes hanger. Clothes hangers bend to easily and it does make it harder.
WD 40 is more of a lubricant. I’ve never tried it because even if it helped getting the grip off you would have to clean the shaft with something or the tape and grip would slip. Also you most likely won’t be able to get the lubricant out of the grip to re use it. Lighter fluid is also cheaper and has the perfect tip for application with very little fluid loss. I’ve been regripping clubs for over 20 years using lighter fluid and have had no issues.
I’ve always used, Varsol. It doesn’t cost much and has multiple uses around the house. Great job Bill - what a way to innovate. Kids these days, (they have more money, I guess) would cut off a perfectly good and reusable grip. « Penny saved is a penny earned ».
@@gerrymcintosh4477 Thanks Gerry! I’ve had a few comments to just cut it off like I was just waisting time! Very easy process and now I have 9 perfectly new grips to put on friends and families clubs. I’m lucky that I took after my dad and have his ingenuity to make things. Got a few more that I have made to make life easier around the house. 😎 I’ve used lighter fluid to take paint and scuff marks off of automotive finishes many times.
I found that grips that have 2 sided tape tend to bubble because of the adhesive. It’s not a clean release. Some worse than others. Even when adding air in careful short bursts. Some grips even burst or break down. Safety issue. I only use this method on grips that have been put on with the 2 sided tape. Very little lighter fluid needed to break the adhesive down, unlike other videos I’ve seen where liberal amounts of mineral spirits is encouraged and messy. The tiny hole nozzle on the lighter fluid can is perfect for application with better control of fluid. 1 can lasts me a very long time.
@@billcuster1341 can still use air with two sided tape I've done it many times. Just squirt a lil solvent in the butt end hole and the air sends it up n out the inside of the shaft to the space between the outer part of the shaft n the grip. If a little stubborn twist grip a tad, add more solvent and/or apply a bit of heat, they'll pop right off
‘I was afraid I was gonna have to use the air compressor’. Lol. The air compressor will make this job 20x easier. I would be afraid I’d have to use your method and I’ve used both.
At what point did I say I was afraid? I said I thought, not afraid! Changing words for your own entertainment much! Do it your way, I will do it mine! Got a lot of positive feedback from all over the world, including pros! Maybe your 20x easier air compressor is also blowing hot air!
There is a trash can directly under the grip just in case, but very little if any even comes out of the grip hole. It looks like I’m putting a lot of fluid in the grip, but I’m not. The convenient nozzle on the lighter fluid can is very, very small so I can control the exact amount I need with very little waste. I don’t even plug the hole in the grip because there is no excess fluid in the grip. 1 can lasts me a very long time.
Haven’t tried it! If I remember right, it was more expensive than the lighter fluid. The lighter fluid can has the perfect little tip for getting into small places with very little loss and mess. 1 can lasts me for months. Thank you for viewing and the comment. Video was pretty rough for my 1st time. Lol
Yes, definitely using a shaft clamp. It’s old but has been holding up for many years. It has metal sides that help compress the hard rubber unlike some of the new cheaper ones. You can see me putting it in the vice in the video and at the end I listed it as one of the tools needed. Thanks for watching! ⛳️😎
Air compressor is much easier…I just swapped out my whole set of irons, wedges, and woods in less than 5 minutes to take off the old and put on the new…and you can use the cub immediately.
If the set of clubs were gripped with the air, it would definitely make it quick to regrip like yours. If not, air method with 2 sided tape can be difficult and can damage the grip. That’s what the video was made for, grips with 2 sided tape.
Because WD 40 is a lubricant, the inside of the grip could be a problem for a reinstall. Especially after soaking it with WD40 removing it. Could even affect the tackiness of the surface of the grip. The lighter fluid evaporates rather quickly and I’ve had zero issues with the grip inside or out.
I understand your concerns. Safety is very important. Just about every solvent used to break down the tape is flammable. Including mineral spirits that’s most used. There is very little lighter fluid used and it evaporates very quickly. I’ve been using lighter fluid exclusively for over 25 years. No issues so far. I do encourage anyone that uses it to not turn the heat gun on if there are spills or excess fluid near by. I am surprised that the saturated tape on the shaft has never caught fire from heating it to remove it. A blow dryer would be safer, just takes a little longer. Anyone that feels uncomfortable using the heat gun should definitely use a blow dryer. I do have 2 fire extinguishers on each end of my work bench.
The clubs were brand new with new Calloway grips. Why waste them when it was very easy to take them off and save them to put on other clubs for my friends. 9 clubs so I saved $90 worth of grips. I use mid size grips is the reason I changed the grips.
Yes! Very few tools, low cost, grip easily slides off without damaging. Cutting it off is easier, but grip would go in a trash can instead of putting it on another club.
Not sure what your your implying? I mounted that vice on the corner of my work bench over 35 years ago. Done thousands of projects with it and works just fine. I can rotate it on the base, but rarely ever have to move it. May be improper for you, but perfect for me. Had the same set up at my previous homes clear back to the early 70’s. Thanks for watching!
Not a fan of the air process. If not done with precaution it can be a safety issue. Also in my opinion it’s harder on the grip, can take longer and grip bubbles and breaks sometimes. The method I use in the video is very easy, fast and very little lighter fluid use. Compressor was in my garage, not on. It was late in the evening and I’m sure my wife and neighbors wouldn’t have liked me running the noise compressor! Lol
Not sure what the issue is…if you use air, you don’t need adhesive…just use regular one sided masking tape, and blow the grips…been doing it for years. I constantly swap out grips to test different sizes, brands, and change them with the weather…still have grips that have been blown on and off 4 or 5 times among different sets of clubs. Most brands of grips won’t slip. There are a couple that do, but none of the major ones that I’ve found.
@@petegalindez9961 The issue is, the grips in the video had 2 sided tape so using air you would get a inconsistent grip release with possible bubbles and breakdown of the grip. Safety hazard. If the grips had been installed with 1 sided tape, air would have been the best way of removing. The video was made for grips installed with 2 sided tape. Breaking down the adhesive part of the tape to remove grip. New clubs from manufacturers come with 2 sided tape.
You saved a grip. Now it’s stretched out like any and every other pull off grip. That grip will never be the same size as it once was. Doesn’t matter the technique. They all stretch when removed. It will have the same feel now of 1-2 extra layers of tape.
These grips maintained their factory size. I measured the inside and outside of the grips. No difference. Compared them to new ones. No difference. I put 4 on a friends clubs last week and he swears they are new, never used. The wire method puts very little strain on the grip if done right, unlike the tool they sale for $40. It’s wide, harder and definitely stretches the rubber a lot more. I’ve discovered the quality of grip also affects outcome. Cheaper knockoffs grips are more likely to damage because of material. I’ve had zero issues with name brand grips.
@@billcuster1341 it’s impossible. Never in history has a pulled grip of any kind from any company or any material ever maintained the same size. You may not notice it but in the hands of a professional player it will be noticed right away.
@@jwild5360 I highly doubt that a professional player would want or need a refurbished grip. We are trying to save money for the average player that would never notice. I accidentally put the grips in the video in with new ones I had and had to use a flashlight to look inside the grip to separate them. I apologize that my video offends you in some way!
@@billcuster1341 no offense at all. Just stating the facts. Works just fine been doing it for years along with a million other people using coat hangers etc.. but it should be noted that the grip changes. For anyone picky or serious players it makes a solid difference in feel.
Not sure of the gauge. A friend gave me about 30’ of old bailing wire many years ago. That was a short piece off of it. It’s about twice as thick as a wire clothes hanger. I watched videos of others using cloths hangers and tried it, but it was to flimsy and bent easily. The bailing wire worked out perfect. Thanks for your comment and watching. ⛳️⛳️⛳️⛳️
Looks like a mess using that lighter fluid which is probably not great to breath in or get on your hands. Unless you're starting a grip museum just cut em off.
Not messy at all. Very little fluid is needed and I don’t even smell it. 1 can lasts me for months. The clubs were brand new Callaway Rogues with new grips. I was changing them to put mid size grips on. It was very easy taking them off and they were in perfect condition, ready for regripping other clubs. It would be like throwing $90 in the trash cutting them off. I’ve been using lighter fluid exclusively for over 25 years with no issues. Cheaper than most other liquids and easy to use with the built in tip. If you do your own grips, try it sometime. I think you will be surprised.
