When we play and practice so much, our clubs become almost like an extension of our bodies. We get so used to their feel, that we might not realize that they’re no longer in their optimal condition. Over time, clubs wear down. It all starts with the grips.

Many claim that the golf grip (how you hold your hands) is the most crucial part of the swing because it’s the only place where your body and the club make contact. And that point of contact is a rubber, leather, or synthetic tube that adorns the top of the club shaft. Over time that material wears down, and also becomes slick with dirt and body oils. When this happens, we can subconsciously lose confidence in our swings because the grips no longer feel quite right. That causes swing compensations that can have a very negative effect over time. If you’re thinking about your grip during the swing or if it’s just not “comfortable”, that’s a sign of trouble.

Grips should be periodically cleaned with warm, soapy water and toweled off to get rid of any gunk that has built up. A time will come when that won’t be enough anymore and there will be sufficient wear to the point where they need to be changed. It hit me this past weekend that I’m at that point. It’s starting to affect my swing, so I’m going to regrip, post haste.

If you aren’t a hands-on person, then you can have your clubs professionally regripped. Check your local pro shop or golf retailer to see if they offer clubsmith services. If you’re more adventurous, you can do your entire set of clubs yourself in an hour or two. Here’s a good regripping tutorial at Golfsmith. It’s easy to learn but a little tedious. The benefit to doing it yourself is that you’ll learn a little something technical about clubs. These are the things that make or break our golfing lives, after all.

However you choose to proceed, keep in mind that you’re altering your clubs. You need to be aware of what size grips work best for your hands. Plus, you’ll need to decide what grip style works best for you. There are advantages to a very soft grip for senior players or players who may suffer from arthritis. Advanced players may gain benefit from playing a firmer grip. Also keep in mind that grips vary in weight and so they affect the weight of your clubs. Changing the swing weight dramatically can affect the trajectory of your shots. All these things are very specific to each player so don’t be afraid to check with your golf pro or a clubsmith if you need help understanding what will work better for you.

I have a day off work tomorrow, so I’ll be spending time at my parent’s house in my dad’s shed regripping my clubs. Have a look at your own grips and if they’re getting slick or worn, get some new ones on there. Playing with worn grips can most definitely lead to some bad shots. Get those grips replaced and you might just save some strokes.

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