grip removal tool

[RickinMA]

So I picked up one of these
Golfsmith.com: Golfsmith Spring Rod Grip Removal Tool - Golfsmith
yesterday couldn't wait to try it out

I had a few mis-matched clubs in the bag, so I figured those would be the ones I went after first.

First one was a GP TV - probably not worth the $2 or whatever they go for, but since I bought the tool, naturally, I had to try it

well, it wasn't as easy as I thought it would be, but it came off and still looks usable. I then pulled off some cheap multi-compound grips and a lamkin crossline. Like everything with clubs, it seems that once you get the learning curve behind you, it's not too bad

I'm hoping to wait for the old tape to dry, then tomorrow I'll heat it up and scrape it off. Planning to add prosoft inserts and re-apply the grips with compressed air.

Anyone ever bother with one of these removal tools before? how were the grips after? If I can save just a handful of decent grips, it'll pay for itself, plus, it kills me to cut off a relatively new grip

 

[MGP]

Yep, I've got one too. It works fine on rubber composition grips as long as they weren't stretched on tight (lots of tape wraps or stretched down the shaft to thin the grip). Doesn't work worth a piss for stiff grips or synthetic grips like Winn grips.

Still, I've found it useful for the occasional shaft adjustment when I don't want to sacrifice the grip. When I do grips for my friends I always tell them "I can probably get the grip off with no damage but no guarantees".

 

[RickinMA]

MGP, when reinstalling a grip, are you using grip tape again, or do you use compressed air?

I'm hoping to use air, but having worked this tool down into the grip and stretched it a bit to break the bond with the tape, I'm a little concerned I wont' be able to blow them on.

They still look pretty good though, so I have high hopes.

I wouldn't expect winn grips to come off nicely, but it would be great to save full cords once in a while

 

[LyleG]

I have tried almost everything on the market for removing grips (tape install) and this is the only thing that works. It works flawlessly every single time and the grips are always in perfectly reusable condition.

PRESSURIZED GRIP REMOVER

 

[MGP]

I'm a "tape and solvent" guy. :laugh:

I've tried air and it works fine but I've had a lot better luck aligning grips with tape and solvent. I'm kind of anal about grips being on perfectly aligned and also use ribbed grips in my own clubs so it's harder to precisely align the grips with air (IMO). I have a gripping station that aligns the club square and with tape and solvent I can slide the grip on (mostly) straight then by sighting down the line of the shaft and with both my hands adjust the grip to perfectly straight within a few seconds.

If I ran a commercial shop and did 100's of grips a week there is no doubt I'd use air though, at least for most of the standard grips.

 

[RickinMA]

do you gentlemen happen to have any tips for removing grip tape?

Since I'm planning to use air going forward, I didn't purchase one of those curved blades.
I've scraped the stuff off before when it was wet and gooy and this time I let it dry overnight, then applied heat.

Came off a little easier/cleaner with heat, but figured I'd ask if there's a better way

 

[LyleG]

TAPE STRIPPER


Everything else is a pain in the ass

 

[Augster]

From what I have found, there is no good way to remove grip tape.

You HAVE to use the tool Lyle cited as it makes removal a bit less terrible.

You have to heat the tape with a tape gun for a MINUTE or more. Then use the tool. And if you get REALLY lucky, the tape will come off in big long strips.

More often than not though, it'll just be a sticky mess.

MGP is right that there is absolutely no way to consistently line up a ribbed grip with air. I wouldn't even try it.

When I use air I make sure I am using a rubber flexible grip, then I align all of the markings down. When they are up, it is a fiasco to get it aligned correctly.

Mostly I just use solvent and tape if the grip is going to be on for a while. That way I know it is aligned absolutely correctly and I can wait the whole hour for the grip to dry before using it.

When I am trying out different grips on a club, then I'll put it on and off with air.

Thanks for the link Lyle to the solvent canister. I may check that out.

 

[Charlie_Foxtrot]

do you gentlemen happen to have any tips for removing grip tape?

Since I'm planning to use air going forward, I didn't purchase one of those curved blades.
I've scraped the stuff off before when it was wet and gooy and this time I let it dry overnight, then applied heat.

Came off a little easier/cleaner with heat, but figured I'd ask if there's a better way

Some tape is easier than others. Nike tape just peeled right off. Acushnet (Titleist, Cobra, et al) uses some sort of alien technology in their tape that should be used to keep the heat tiles on the space shuttle. I use a very hot hair dryer (patience is a virtue) and then scrape it off with a Golfsmith tape stripper.

 

[RickinMA]

I use a very hot hair dryer (patience is a virtue) and then scrape it off with a Golfsmith tape stripper.

I didn't have the patience - I went the Micro-torch route

I find as long as I kept it moving and at a decent distance away, I didn't set off the smoke alarm

I tried to put the grips that I pulled off back on with air - even with 3 layers of tape, it's just not going to work - going to need to build up and use tape/solvent or get new grips - stupid $6 grips...

 

[LyleG]

MGP is right that there is absolutely no way to consistently line up a ribbed grip with air. I wouldn't even try it.

I use air for ribbed grips without any problems at all. I cannot imagine using solvent anymore, its just far to much trouble with ZERO benefit imo.

Titleist tape is the worst by a long shot. That shit is hard to get off.

 

[MIKE1218]

Titleist tape is the worst by a long shot. That shit is hard to get off.

Tell me about it. I was putting a new grip on my friend's D1 last week and spent about 20 minutes scraping tape off before I gave up and told him he was getting an extra wrap.

 

[ThatCanadianGuy]

This works fine, Takes 15seconds to take a grip off, and you can put that same grip back on another club.

Have never seen a grip ruined with one.

V-GROOVE GRIP REMOVER

 

[LeftyHoges]

Are we talking taped grips?

If we are, the easiest way i've found is to inject into the grip, about where your top hand would go, with some unleaded fuel (or what you Yanks would call gas, I believe) wait for a few seconds and gently twist the grip off.

Piss easy and the grip is still completely intact, no problems.

Please tell me that you all know of this method...

 

[MatthewT]

This works fine, Takes 15seconds to take a grip off, and you can put that same grip back on another club.

Have never seen a grip ruined with one.

V-GROOVE GRIP REMOVER

I just got this tool today it is so easy to take them off. The problem I have with it is it stretches the grip, after I took one off and put it on another club and when it dried I could still twist the grip with relative ease. Was I supposed to build up the tape under the grip? Can I just keep putting layers of two way tape to build it up or should I use normal masking tape? How many layers should I use? Thanks, any help is appreciated.