The Average Time To Wait After Having Golf Clubs Regripped

The game of golf is gaining more and more popularity nowadays. To play good golf, not only lessons and practices are important but also the equipment. How many golf fans, for example, do know that golf clubs need to be re-gripped from time to time? It is essential, as well as what is the average time to wait after having your golf clubs re-gripped before start playing.

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The average time to wait after having your golf clubs re-gripped is overnight or 8 to 12 hours. This amount of time typically refers to when you do it yourself (DIY), using classical methods and tools. Of course, you can use technologies that are more modern or give your clubs to a professional who uses such and reduce this amount of time significantly.

The golf club grip is the connection between the human body and the club. Just as the tire is the connection between the car and the road, the grip connects to our hands. We take care of our tires to stay stable on the road. We do the same with our golf club grips to ensure they will obey our hands when we play. Replacing golf clubs grips depends on several factors, but we should also be careful when to start playing again with the re-gripped clubs. The average time we should wait depends mainly on the technology we use to replace the grip.

Golf Club Grip And Re-gripping

The golf club grip is attached on the opposite end of the shaft from the clubhead and held by the golfer while swinging. The first grips consist of a few leather strips wrapped around the shaft. Modern grips are one-piece sleeve types made of rubber, synthetic or composite material slid over the shaft and glued to it. These sleeve grips allow club makers and golfers to customize the grip’s diameter, consistency, and texturing pattern to best fit the player. (1) More modern or not, golf club grips wear out and need to be replaced periodically.

The more advanced the materials used are to make golf club grips, the more durable they become. However, depending on the weather conditions and intensity of use, grips dry out, harden, or otherwise damaged and need replacement. The classical re-gripping requires flammable solvents to soften and activate the glue and a vise to hold the club steady while working on it. However, the newest replacement kits use double-sided tape with water-activated glue that is slippery when first activated, allowing easier installation. (1) List 1 below provides some of the best golf club grips utilized by PGA players.

Golf Pride Tour Velvet
Golf Pride New Decade Multi-Compound
Super Stroke S-Tech
Arccos Caddie Smart Grips
Lamkin Sonar Tour
Jumbo Max JMX UltraLite
Winn Dri-Tac Lite
Pure DTX

List 1 Source Note (2)

The DIY Approach

A general rule of thumb among golfers is that you should replace club grips annually. However, this rule is more valid for recreational golfers, but professionals and those who play more often should re-grip their clubs at least twice per year. (3) The purpose of considering the DIY approach is not to explore the process thoroughly but rather to use it as the standpoint of comparison. In the DIY method, materials and tools used are typically the most commonly available on the market, which affects the waiting time needed after re-gripping. List 2 below provides everything necessary to replace your golf club grip yourself.

Golf clubs
Grips
Mineral Spirits (or other solvents)
Paint Tray or Bucket
Tape (grip tape or another double-sided tape)
Shop/Paper Towels
Hooked Blade for Utility/Exacto Knife
Vise Clamp (or similar)
Rubber or Foam Shaft Protector
Eye-Protection
Latex or Rubber Gloves (optional, depending on the type of solvent used)

List 2 Source Note (3)

Specialists who use the DIY method and materials presented in List 2 above recommend letting the newly gripped clubs sit for approximately a day. It is the necessary time for the solvent to evaporate fully and fix the grip stably enough. In theory, waiting few hours before start playing again should be sufficient after such kind of manipulation. However, a few hours more for reassurance never hurt. The most significant advantage of the DIY approach for every golfer is that once he starts replacing his club grips himself, he can track the process of their wear down. (3)

Alternative Methods And Time

From the discussion above, we can conclude that the main factor that affects the average waiting time after golf clubs’ re-gripping is the drying time of the solvent or the adhesive. We have to wait long enough to ensure that the adhesive has thoroughly dried because it is the substance that fixes the grip to the shaft in the desired position. Consequently, if we use a different adhesive or other substance with different drying periods, we could decrease or increase the waiting time. There are some alternative methods to re-grip your golf club that can reduce the average time you have to wait afterward. Professionals use these methods, but with a bit more knowledge, you can use them at home, too.

Instead of traditional adhesive or grip solvents, we can use environmentally solvent alternatives such as soapy water and compressed air. Here is where the difference in waiting time comes into play. The water-based approach requires about 24-hours of drying time. The solvent-based approach needs at least 2 hours for the solvent to evaporate. The use of compressed air eliminates the drying time at all. (4)

Golf Clubs Re-gripping FAQ

How Long Does It Take For New Golf Grips To Dry?

It depends on the type of adhesive or solvent you have used to re-grip your golf club. Typically, after installing a new grip, you have to use the first few minutes to adjust it while the tape is still activated. Then, about 30 min. should be enough for the grip to dry, but specialists recommend waiting more time just in case. Depending on the type of solvent, the waiting may take from several hours to a day. If you need to play with the club meanwhile, you can always use a hairdryer, for example, to quicken the drying.

How Often Should You Re-grip Your Clubs?

Logically, how often you should re-grip your clubs depends on how often you use them. If you are a tour professional, you should re-grip your clubs every six weeks to two months. Again, these periods hinge on the conditions of use and intensity of usage. An average recreational golfer, for example, can replace his golf club grips annually. This statement does not mean that if you are such a player, you should not keep track of the status of your club grips, especially those you use more often.

How Long Do Golf Grips Last?

If you play golf once in a blue moon, your golf club grips can last a long time. However, we should estimate the golf grip’s lifespan based on regular usage. Generally, a set of grips is suitable for 40 rounds. One round is equal to one practice session. With that said, if you play regularly, your golf grips may last about a year. After that time, you will need to replace them.

Final Thoughts On Golf Grips

In golf, taking care of your gear is essential. Providing that golf grips are the only point of contact between the player and the club, they definitely deserve special attention. It is essential to know how to clean and when to replace them. Details such as how long to wait after having your club’s re-gripped complement the professional approach towards your favorite sport.

Sources

1. Wikipedia, “Golf Club.” Wikimedia Foundation, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_club#Grip Assessed May 1, 2021
2. Jonathan Wall, “Best Golf Club Grips: The 8 Best Performing, Best Feeling Golf Club Grips.” Golf, https://golf.com/gear/best-golf-club-grips-golfers-all-levels/ Assessed May 1, 2021
3. Schnurrbart, “Regrip Golf Clubs.” Instructables, www.instructables.com/Regrip-Golf-Clubs/ Assessed May 1, 2021
4. Golf.com Staff, “How to Regrip Golf Clubs: Top 4 Points to Consider.” Golf, https://golf.com/gear/golf-accessories/how-to-regrip-golf-clubs-top-4-points-to-consider/ Assessed May 2, 2021