The grip on your putter is just as important as any other club in the bag.
If your grip is slippery or worn, it will impact your stability at impact and the way the ball rolls off the face. The good news is, regripping a putter is not difficult.
We will go through a step-by-step process of what it takes to regrip your putter and whether you are capable of doing this on your own.
What You’ll Need to Regrip Your Putter
To regrip your putter, it’s best to have a small setup in a garage where you have a workbench and a vice. However, if you don’t have this, you can improvise, but it’s quite a bit more difficult. Here are the materials you will need and the cost that you can expect.
- Vice or workbench to hold the putter in place while you work
- Hook the blade to pull the old grip off
- Rubber shaft protector for vice
- Grip tape
- Solvent
- The new golf grip
- Towel
The best way to purchase the equipment to regrip your putter is to buy a regripping kit. These kits are very affordable and have everything in them that you will need; in addition, you can use the kit repeatedly as you regrip more of your clubs.
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Most of the time, the cost to regrip a putter will just be around $8-$12 for the grip, but the extra supplies can run you close to $20 the first time you regrip the club. Once you have the supplies in place, you can do dozens of grip changes and not pay anything extra.
How to Regrip Your Putter: Step-by-Step Instructions
Following a step-by-step process for putting a new golf grip on your putter should only take a few minutes. In addition, it will probably cost you about half the price to do this on your own. The only thing to remember here is that we are concerned with both how the new grip comes out and your safety.
(If you’re looking for a video tutorial of how to regrip your putter, you can find one at the end of the step-by-step instructions below)
Step 1: Prepare The Workspace
When you use grip solvent during this process, it can get kind of messy. I like to work on a floor in a garage where I’m not worried about what will happen to it. Putting down scrap paper or something is another good alternative; just be prepared that you may get a little messy.
Don’t wear your favorite golf shirt; wear an old t-shirt in case you get grip solvent on you.
Step 2: Choose a Grip
There are hundreds of different grip options for golfers to choose from. You may want to replace a grip with exactly what you have on or change things up. Believe it or not, the grip you choose will impact the way you putt.
Most golfers like something with a flat panel on the front, as it allows hands to be positioned in a variety of ways. Remember that a traditional putting grip is slightly different from a standard golf grip.
Step 3: Remove The Old Grip
Taking the old grip off of your club is the most dangerous part of this process. A hook blade or box cutter is the best tool to use. Make sure that the golf club is securely positioned in the vice and that there is no club movement.
In addition, always be sure that you are at a safe distance from the hook blade as you pull it up. There is no way to save this grip, so if it is coming off in pieces, that is fine, but it’s best to pull the blade fully up and then peel the grip off.
Step 4: Clean Up The Shaft
The inside of the grip, combined with tape from the previous grip, will likely leave your golf shaft a bit of a mess. Sometimes you can scrape this off with a utility knife, but be careful not to damage the shaft. Other times a heat gun and some mineral spirits can be used to remove old tape remnants.
Step 5: Add Tape
Once the grip is cleaned up, you can start to add the layers of tape that you want under your grip. You must use double-sided tape, and I like to put the tape on in a spiral direction, moving up the shaft.
Be careful as to where you start the tape, as you don’t want excess overhang of the tape down below the base of the grip. The more layers of tape you add, the thicker the grip will be. However, you won’t want to add so many layers that it’s hard to get a grip on the club.
Typically between one and three layers is standard; you will need at least one for the grip to adhere properly. When you feel you have a sufficient amount of tape, you can then peel off the backing of the double-sided so that it is exposed.
Step 6: Prepare The Grip
Next, you will take the new grip that you are going to put on the club and putt the grip solvent into the inside of the grip. There is a hole on the butt end of the grip that you will need to hold closed with your finger.
Once you have your finger in place, put some grip solvent in the grip and then put your other hand on the other side. Move the grip around in a spiral motion so that the solvent coats the inside of the grip.
Once you have done this, take the solvent that is left over in the grip and pour it on the tape that you have prepared on the shaft. Holding a small cup or bucket under the shaft while you do this will contain a good portion of the mess.
Step 7: Slide The Grip On
Now that your grip is prepared and the shaft is prepared, you can slide it on. I like to hold the butt end of the club with a towel as I slide the grip on. This allows excess solvent to go into the towel instead of all over me!
As I slide the grip on, I always try to position myself behind the grip so I can ensure that it is going on squarely. It’s possible to adjust the grip a bit when you first put it on, but it’s not easy to do.
Sliding the grip into place at the right angles is important and will help ensure your consistency on the golf course with a square putter grip. The bottom line here is that the grip should allow the face of the putter to be square to the target at setup.
Step 8: Clean Up and Wait
Once you have the new grip on, it’s time to wipe down the grip to take off any excess solvent. In addition, you will want to wait a little bit before using the grip. If you use it too soon, it can turn a bit, and that’s a problem.
Most of the time, for a set of iron or driver regrips, we say to wait at least 12 hours, but for a putter grip, since you won’t swing a putter with the same force, an hour or so after regripping, you should be ready to use the putter on the course.
How Often to Regrip Your Putter
For avid golfers, a putter regrip should be done at least once a year, and sometimes even more often. Putter grips do not wear down quite as quickly as the other clubs in your bag simply because they are not held as tight when you swing.
However, when your putter grip is slippery and doesn’t allow you that traction and tackiness that you need in your game, it can result in some missed putts.
Regripping a putter should also be done when you want to change the grip style. Many people are switching to an oversized golf grip to ensure their hands and wrists are a little less active in the putting stroke.
Alternative Options if You Don’t Want to Regrip Your Own Putter
If you don’t want to regrip your own putter, you can bring it to a local golf shop or club fitting center, and they will do it for you. It’s important to remember that this will likely cost a bit more, but it can save you the project of having to deal with regripping the putter yourself.
Most of the time, a putter regrip like this is going to cost anywhere from $10 to $40, depending on the grip you choose. Sometimes larger putter grips are expensive.
Brittany Olizarowicz
Britt O has been playing golf since the age of 7. Almost 30 years later, she still loves the game, has played competitively on every level, and spent a good portion of her life as a Class A PGA Professional. Britt currently resides in Savannah, GA, with her husband and two young children.