Having new grips installed on your clubs is kind of like a new pair of shoes or a new car.
The new grips feel great in your hands, they are easier to grip correctly, and they certainly feel as though they are going to help your game.
The problem is that new golf grips don’t feel new for very long.
There are, however, ways to help prolong that tacky feeling in your grips.
In this guide, we will talk about how to get your golf grips tacky again, what you can do to keep them tacky, and when you know it is time to change out your grips.
Table Of Contents
Supplies Needed To Clean Golf Grips
Let’s get started by gathering the supplies you will need to clean your golf grips.
First, you will need a large bucket; a five-gallon pail works best if you have access to one.
You will also need some dish soap, water, a scrub brush, and a towel.
Once you have gathered all of your supplies, you are ready to move on to the next step.
Steps To Cleaning Golf Grips
Step One
Fill your five-gallon bucket about halfway with a soap and water mixture.
Although the temperature of the water will not have a huge impact, it is best to use lukewarm water.
Take all the golf clubs from your bag and put them in the bucket with the grip end down.
You may need to lean the bucket up against a wall as it tends to tip when all the clubs are in the bucket.
Let your clubs soak in the bucket for about five minutes.
Step Two
Next, you will want to grab your scrub brush (one with plastic bristles works well, steel could rip at the grips).
Holding the club firmly in one hand, use your other hand to scrub the grip of the golf club.
Make sure you get the entire grip, but the worst areas are those right in the center of the grip where your hands are most of the time.
Clean the butt end of the club as well, sand and dirt can get in those areas.
If you need to dip the club in the water/soap mixture to rinse it as you scrub, that is fine.
You are very likely going to see a good amount of dirt and grime coming off the clubs.
That is entirely normal, and you are not destroying the grips.
Step Three
Once you scrub all of the grips, you are going to want to rinse them in clean water.
You can dump your original bucket and fill it with just water, or you can just spray the clubs with a hose.
Step Four
Now that the grips are scrubbed and rinsed, they must dry.
You can just let them dry on their own, but we suggest drying them with a towel at least a little bit.
Get any of the standing water off the grips and then set them outside to dry.
When the grips are dry, they should be much tackier than they were previously.
The washing process is quick and easy, and it can prolong the life span of your grips by quite a bit.
Don’t put your golf clubs in your golf bag to dry.
When they are completely dry, you can place them back into your bag.
Why Do Golf Grips Get Slippery?
Golf grips get slippery because of the dirt, grease, and oil that gets stuck in them.
When your hands touch the golf club during your round, they are not always clean.
You very likely have sunscreen on your hands.
Maybe you had a bite of one of those hot dogs at the turn?
Or maybe you are sweating a little because it is a hot day.
Regardless of what you do to try and maintain your grips during a round, your hands get dirty.
How Can I Prolong The Life Of My Golf Grips?
There are several things that you can do to help prolong the life of your golf grips.
Many golfers worry about taking care of the club heads and the shafts on their clubs, but it is essential to maintain your grips as well.
Although this is not the most expensive part of your club, there is no reason to replace them if you can make them work for a more extended period.
One significant way to prolong the life of your grip is to wash your hands after applying sunscreen.
Most golfers are known to have this problem.
You run-up to the first tee, quickly slap on some sunscreen, grab your golf ball and a tee, and head to the tee box.
Granted, you were smart to wear sunscreen.
That is a step that you are not going to want to skip; however, we think you should change your routine a bit.
Put sunscreen on in the bathroom of your house.
When you get up in the morning, put the sunscreen on, and then wash your hands.
By simply changing this process, you could see your grips last months or even years longer.
When sunscreen gets on your grips, it gets absorbed, it builds up, and it makes them very slippery.
Another great practice to start to use is just a quick towel wipe before each shot.
If you have a towel hanging on your golf bag, wipe your hands with it before you grab the club.
This won’t keep your grips perfect, but it allows a little of the sweat or dirt to remain on the towel and not on your club.
Lastly, you will want to implement the grip washing process that we discussed above.
This is not a complicated process, and it pays to do it about once a month.
Another great time to do a grip clean is after a good practice session at the range.
If you spent a few hours hitting golf balls, chances are your grips are pretty dirty and could use a good clean.
What Happens When Golf Grips Get Too Slippery?
Besides the fact that you may find it annoying, you are probably wondering why it is so essential to keep golf grips tacky.
As soon as a golfer senses that their grips are slippery, they immediately increase grip pressure.
Increased grip pressure is terrible for several reasons.
For starters, the increase in grip pressure will increase tension in your forearms and shoulders as well.
This tension will make it more challenging to let your routine swing work as it should.
The increased grip pressure also makes it very hard for you to have the proper feel in your swing.
When your hands feel as though they are clenched to the club, your swing will tend to develop into a handsy swing.
These types of swings are hard to repeat, and they do not incorporate the larger muscles that will help you to create a reliable and consistent golf swing.
When hands are gripping the golf club too tightly, you will also have a difficult time releasing the golf club.
Releasing the golf club is what allows you to stop slicing the ball and square the clubface at impact.
It may seem a bit over the top that a slippery grip could cause all of this trouble, but it is, without a doubt, the truth.
Golfers on the professional tours are very careful about grip pressure and clean hands and grips.
You will notice how often they wipe their hands, and their caddies work to make sure the grips are always in top condition.
You must remember that the grip of your golf club is the only connection you have with the club.
If you want your swing to be perfect, the connection point between you and the club must also be excellent.
How Often Should I Replace My Golf Grips?
How often you should replace your golf grips depends entirely on how much you play.
If you are playing golf every single day of the year, you will likely need new grips every six months.
If you play a good amount of golf, you probably need a grip change once a year.
If you play once a year, you may not need to replace your grips until they start rotting off your club!
Knowing when to change your grips is not very difficult.
You will be able to see them start to deteriorate in certain areas.
Start by following our cleaning process, as laid out above.
If you do this properly and feel as though your grips did not improve, it may be time to regrip the clubs.
One trick that some players use is they will take sandpaper and try to roughen up their grips a little.
If washing and the sandpaper fail to work, then it is most certainly time for a new set of grips.
Your local PGA Professional will be able to tell you if it is time to replace your grips.
You should listen to their suggestions about the latest and greatest grips on the market.
Golf grip technology changes quite often, and if it has been a few years since you have changed your grips, you may be surprised by the new options.
Are There Certain Grips That Work Better For People Who Like Tacky Grips?
Some golf grips are designed for players that like a very rough and tacky feel.
If you like a grip that feels like it will stick to your hands, there are a few made by WINN under the Dri Tac brand.
These grips almost feel sticky to the touch, and that has become quite popular among some players.
Another good option if you want a grip that won’t come flying out is a cord or half cord grip.
A cord grip has a string running through it, and they will feel very rough to the touch.
If you are worried about blisters on your hands, the cord grip is not for you.
Many professionals play with the cord or half cord because it makes them feel like the golf club will remain securely in place.
Golf Pride has developed a series of grips called the Multi Compound.
These grips are a little bit of a cord only in the areas where you need them.
If you play golf in wet weather or want something that will feel tight in your hands, this is a great choice.
Final Thoughts
A golf grip needs to feel tacky, not just so that you know it is clean, but also so that your game can perform at its highest level.
Cleaning your golf grips is not a long or complicated process, and it is something you should do while you clean our your golf bag.
If the average grip costs $10-$12 each and you can prolong their lifespan by an extra six months to a year, you will save yourself a lot of money.
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