How To Regrip With an Air Compressor

After we published our How To Regrip a Golf Club article, the most frequent follow-up question was, “How do I regrip a golf club using an air compressor?”

So we immediately started working on this how-to guide to help the DIY golfer install their next set of grips using an air compressor, including the benefits and potential setbacks.

Required Tools

Unlike regripping golf clubs with the traditional method, the air compressor regripping method is relatively straightforward and simple, requiring minimal tools:

• Air compressor
• Air compressor with a golf grip adapter or pointed nozzle
• Vise and rubber clamp for holding the golf shaft
• Utility knife (hook blade preferred) for removing old grip
• Tape (masking tape or painter’s tape)

See? Simple! No solvent, no two-sided tape (though both can be used if chosen). No mess and way less fuss.

Step-by-Step Guide

Preparation Steps:

1. Gather Your Materials: Before you begin, ensure you have all the necessary materials listed above. Having everything ready will make the regripping process smoother and more efficient.

2. Remove the Old Grip: Use the hook knife to carefully cut through the old grip and peel it off the club. Once removed, clean the shaft with a towel or cloth to remove any residue.

A heat gun can help remove old tape. Apply consistent low heat for 15-20 seconds to the golf shaft and tape so the adhesive loosens and the tape can be removed easily.

3. Clean the Shaft: Thoroughly clean the shaft to remove any remaining adhesive or dirt. This step ensures a clean surface for the new grip to adhere to. It also ensures that when the new tape is applied (again, if chosen), there will be no bumps, creases or other imperfections.

4. Apply Tape If Desired: Wrap the tape around the shaft, ensuring it covers the entire length where the grip will be. Prior to applying, mark the length of grip on the shaft to avoid excess tape hanging out of the grip. Two-sided tape can be used but it is significantly more difficult and will likely require solvent. Masking tape can also be used to build up.

If going with no tape under the grip, it is still recommended to apply a two-inch strip (one inch on the shaft, one inch overhanging), followed by twisting the end and covering the butt end of the shaft. This will help with the air compressor installation and avoid ripping or tearing of the new grips.

Air Compressor Steps:

5. Prepare the Air Compressor: Set up your air compressor in a well-ventilated area. Attach the air compressor nozzle with an adjustable regulator. Many (myself included) use 45 PSI. However, different nozzles and different DIY golfers may find other sweet spots for the desired install pressure.

6. Install the New Grip: Place the tip of the grip on the butt end of the shaft, ensuring it aligns correctly. Hold the club in a vise or a club holder to stabilize it during the regripping process. A short, quick blast of air will help get the grip started. 

7. Apply Air Pressure: Insert the nozzle of the air compressor into the small hole at the end of the grip. Turn on the air compressor and the grip will expand, making it easier to slide onto the shaft. Do not use too much pressure as it may damage or pop the golf grip.

Do not choke the air from flowing through the grip. Allow the grip to expand and press forward. The grip will often make loud squeaking sounds.

Finishing Touches

8. Final Adjustments: Once the grip is in place, remove the air compressor nozzle from the grip hole. Rotate the club in the vise to ensure an even distribution of the grip. Ensure the grip is all the way onto the butt end of the shaft without any loose tip.

Benefits to Using This Method: 

First and foremost, it is simple with less mess and fuss without solvents or two-sided tape. It is also fast, as shown in the video above, taking literally seconds.

The use of single-sided tape or no tape also means the removal process is simple. Want to change out a grip? Make a small mistake and want to rearrange the grip? Easy.

Turn the air compressor back on, apply to the grip and allow the pressure to expand the grip and flow back off the golf shaft.

This method works on all golf clubs and shafts—steel, graphite, hybrids, wedges, irons, fairways, drivers. 

Finally, because regular or no tape is used, the grips can be reused more easily.

Potential Drawbacks: 

Not everyone has an air compressor. Also, there are grips that are better for this method than others. Star Grips (or Pure Grips) has created their grips for use with this method. The walls are a bit thicker, more even and are built for tapeless installation.

Other grips can have flaws where air pockets can form. If this happens, a bubble will appear and can pop the grip. Using a small plastic tube over the top of the grip (mainly for grip removal) can prevent this. This is the largest drawback to this method, not to mention potentially dangerous.

Once again, not all grips are made for installation without the use of two-sided tape. While not entirely common, grip twisting and slipping can happen as the grips are not secured by the use of two-sided tape.

Re-use of Grips: Quality of grip matters. Each time a grip is blown on or off a golf shaft, it expands a little, making it a little looser. The exception I have found is the Star Grips which are built specifically for this regripping process. 

For some stubborn grips, a grip removal tool may be required. 

Nozzles: Depending on your air compressor, you may need to purchase a new nozzle. If this is the case, I would highly recommend the Star Grips nozzle. It has made the process a lot smoother and more secure. Others work but losing air pressure due to poor fit makes the process more difficult.

Putter Grips: While possible, the construction of putter grips makes this extremely challenging. 

Would I Recommend This Method? 

Yes. As someone who changes clubs, grips, and shafts fairly frequently, this saves time, materials and cost. I like being able to reuse grips and change grips on the fly. This gives me that freedom without having to cut off old grips or often remove old tape (my biggest regripping pet peeve).

It also gives me a little added freedom in adding layers of tape to the bottom hand or different areas to find my perfect feel and thickness.

Final Thoughts:

 If you are a DIY club builder and looking for a simpler, easy way to install and remove grips off your golf clubs or for others, the air compressor regripping method is one to try! Not only can you avoid grip solvents and the sometimes stubborn two-sided grip tape, but also the mess that comes along with the traditional method. Add in the ability to remove and adjust grips easily and this is a winning method. Just be cautious to avoid bubbles in grips that can over-expand and pop!