Grips, Regripping and Wear on Used Clubs

Grips are the part of a used club most likely to need replacing and the cheapest part to fix, so worn grips are not a reason to skip a good club. Faces, grooves, shafts and hosels are a different story: wear there is either expensive to fix or not fixable. This guide covers how to read both from listing photos.

Judging grip wear from photos

Golf Monthly's PGA professionals list the signs to look for. Most show up in a close, well-lit photo of the grip, so ask for one if the listing does not have it.

• Shiny or glossy patches, especially where the thumbs and fingers sit. Golf Monthly calls a shiny look the most tell-tale sign a grip needs replacing.
• Smooth spots where the texture has worn away, and faded logos or discoloration from sun, sweat and oils.
• Indentations around the thumb area. Golf Monthly notes these can go far enough to make a club non-conforming under the rules.
• Cracks, splits, or frayed cord on corded grips.
• Mismatched grips through a set, which usually means some clubs were regripped or replaced at different times.
• Things a photo cannot show: hardening and loss of tackiness. Ask the seller whether the grips feel slick or firm. Golf Monthly suggests a scrub with warm soapy water can revive a grip that is only dirty.

Grip size: undersize, standard, midsize, jumbo

Grips are sold in size families, commonly undersize, standard, midsize and jumbo or oversize, and installers can fine-tune with extra layers of tape. Ping uses six color-coded grip sizes based on hand measurements, and its spec sheets list options such as Std, +1/32 inch and -1/64 inch. Golf Monthly notes that standard adult shafts share a butt diameter of about 0.580 inches, so a women's club usually gets its thinner feel from the grip, not the shaft.

Size affects how the club releases, but the effect is personal. Ping says golfers may consider smaller grips to help control fades and slices and larger grips to help control draws and hooks, while a True Spec fitter writing for GOLF.com warns that a bigger grip does not automatically cure a slice. That fitter looks at how the club rests in the lead hand: fingers digging into the palm suggest a larger grip, too much space suggests a smaller one. Golf Monthly adds that tour players range from many extra wraps of tape to stretched, thin grips, so trial and error is normal. GOLF.com's advice for used clubs: even if the grips are not your preferred model, make sure they are at least your preferred size.

How long grips last

There is no fixed lifespan. Golf Monthly reports the general consensus among PGA professionals is to regrip about every 12 to 18 months or roughly every 30 to 40 rounds, and every 6 to 9 months for avid players who practice or play several times a week. GOLF.com suggests being prepared to regrip any used clubs more than about five years old. Material matters too: a True Spec fitter writing for GOLF.com says softer grips may not last as long as firmer ones, and that popular middle-ground grips tend to last the longest. Heat and cold speed up hardening, so a set stored in a hot trunk or cold garage may need grips sooner.

Regripping: DIY or shop

Regripping is one of the easier jobs to do at home, and any club shop will do it too. The steps from Golf Monthly and GOLF.com are similar:

• Secure the club in a vise with a shaft protector.
• Cut the old grip off with a hook blade, working away from yourself. Go carefully on graphite shafts, which can be damaged by the blade.
• Remove the old tape. Gentle heat from a heat gun or hair dryer softens the adhesive, but avoid overheating graphite. Clean residue with grip solvent.
• Mark the grip length on the shaft, apply double-sided grip tape, and fold the overhang into the butt end.
• Coat the inside of the new grip with solvent (Golf Monthly's method uses white spirit), pour the excess over the tape, slide the grip on, and align it quickly.
• Let it set; Golf Monthly says about 30 minutes depending on how much solvent was used.

Consistency matters more than technique. A TaylorMade tour rep told Golf Monthly to install each grip to the same length so none is stretched more than the others, since stretching makes a grip play thinner. Extra tape layers change both size and feel.

Faces and grooves through the bag

Face wear is where used clubs genuinely lose value, and it is not always visible. A Fairway Jockey executive told GOLF.com that grooves and face materials degrade gradually and that performance loss often comes before visible wear, so "looks fine" is not a guarantee.

• Driver and fairway faces: ask for a straight-on face photo in good light. Look for dents, cracks and wear patterns. Any crack is a reason to walk away.
• Iron faces: Golf Monthly notes grooves wear down with years of use and can also be dented, both of which reduce the face's ability to channel away moisture and debris. Look for flattened groove edges in the center of the face. Forged irons such as the Titleist T100 are softer and show bag chatter and dings more readily, which Golf Monthly cites as a reason some players use iron covers.
• Wedges: they wear fastest because they are used so much. Golf Monthly's rough guideline for a 15-handicap who plays weekly is new wedges every two to three years. On a used Vokey SM9 or Cleveland RTX ZipCore, ask for a straight-on face photo of every wedge, not just one. Avoid listings that mention sharpened or re-grooved faces; Golf Monthly warns sharpening risks making clubs non-conforming. Since 2010, elite competitions have required conforming grooves. Our wedge guide goes deeper on grooves, bounce and grind.
• Putters: Golf Monthly notes insert putters wear on the face over time and metal putters can rust. On an insert putter such as an Odyssey White Hot OG, ask for a close photo of the insert for dents or a peeling edge.

Shafts: dents, rust and cracks

GOLF.com's rules are simple. For steel shafts, if they are bent or show visible rust, pass. For graphite shafts, look for excessive paint wear or cracks where the shaft enters the head, one of the highest-stress areas, because cracks there mean the shaft could be ready to break. Ask for a photo of the shaft near the hosel on every graphite club, and check that shafts in an iron set match by brand and flex.

Ferrules

The ferrule is the small plastic collar where the shaft meets the head. GOLF.com says ferrules are cosmetic, but a set with one or two that do not match is a sign those clubs were repaired, so ask why. A ferrule that has slid up the shaft away from the head can be harmless, but GOLF.com notes it can also point to an epoxy bond weakened by temperature swings and suggests having a club builder check it. When cleaning a club you buy, Golf Monthly advises soaking only the head, never the ferrule or shaft, and drying it thoroughly to prevent rust.

Photos to request before you buy

• Each grip, close up, including the thumb area.
• The face of every club, straight on, in good light.
• The sole and leading edge of irons and wedges.
• The shaft just above the hosel, especially on graphite.
• All ferrules in one shot so you can see if any differ.
• The shaft label and the grip logo, so you know what is installed.