Best tape to build up own grips

[slugoo]

Hey guys,

 

Looking at Amazon Canada for the best 'tape' to use to build up grips. 

 

Sorry for such a simple question. Just want to make sure I don't use something that doesn't last over time (does normal masking tape work and the double sided tape and grip secure fine to it?)

 

Thanks in advance. 

[Mikey_HACKilroy]

I used GolfWorks Double Sided Grip Tape with the appropriate solvent. It's essentially a thicker double sided masking tape. More resistance to breakage than normal masking tape, and will do the job.

Just don't forget to shake a liberal amount of solvent around in the grip before pouring it over the tape. 😄 Assuming you know that, but just in case.

 

Once the solvent dries the tape is basically sealed to its environment and your grips won't go anywhere.

[AzRoger]

Pretty much any masking tape will work for build ups, I like to use the Scotch 3M brand that is 1.88" wide. Add as many layers as needed to get to the buildup that you want then finish it off with the double sided tape mentioned above as the last layer. 

[SEP1006]

16 hours ago, slugoo said:

Hey guys,

 

Looking at Amazon Canada for the best 'tape' to use to build up grips. 

 

Sorry for such a simple question. Just want to make sure I don't use something that doesn't last over time (does normal masking tape work and the double sided tape and grip secure fine to it?)

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

If you are using air to apply your grips them I use the 2" Sports Medical Tape, like they wrap ankles with. Thicker than masking tape and has texture so your grips won't slip. Also comes off very easy when needed and you can buy it anywhere.

 

 

 

 

[ShortGolfer]

Either golf tape or 3M brand tape.  3M makes really good adhesive tapes.  Been using 3M brand for forty years.

[slugoo]

8 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

 

If you are using air to apply your grips them I use the 2" Sports Medical Tape, like they wrap ankles with. Thicker than masking tape and has texture so your grips won't slip. Also comes off very easy when needed and you can buy it anywhere.

 

 

 

 

Thanks for this. I used air long ago but I guess over time the glue broke down in the cheap tape I used and I'd get slippage. Was enjoyable to change grips so fast and try new ones without having to save. 

 

 

[SEP1006]

42 minutes ago, slugoo said:

Thanks for this. I used air long ago but I guess over time the glue broke down in the cheap tape I used and I'd get slippage. Was enjoyable to change grips so fast and try new ones without having to save. 

 

 

 

 

Just an FYI, you don't need/use glue or solvent when using air. Just mix a little dishwashing soap and water in a small cup/bowl. I then suds it up real good with a small paint brush. Then brush it over the tape and slide the grip over the butt end and apply with air.

 

 

[sui generis]

2 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

 

 

Just an FYI, you don't need/use glue or solvent when using air. Just mix a little dishwashing soap and water in a small cup/bowl. I then suds it up real good with a small paint brush. Then brush it over the tape and slide the grip over the butt end and apply with air.

 

 

 

Really? If these garage builder methods were of any use the OEMs and tour vans would be all over it . . . the news is, they're not!

 

Air without adhesive tape and solvent has its uses for experimentation, but it fails far too often for legitimate club building and repair work.

[CBMC]

2 hours ago, sui generis said:

 

Really? If these garage builder methods were of any use the OEMs and tour vans would be all over it . . . the news is, they're not!

 

Air without adhesive tape and solvent has its uses for experimentation, but it fails far too often for legitimate club building and repair work.

I have some shafts it works fine on (mostly graphite driver shafts with thicker butt sections). Seems to work ok on my dg spinner shafts that came on my srixon wedges. On my modus shafts the top of my grip seems to spin no matter how much I build it up. I thought I was doing something wrong because these grips were spinning a lot at the top. The bottom felt fairly good but the top wasn't even close. I have tried and had no luck with .58 or .60 core grips. I always just give up and pull them and put double sided tape on. I might try it with 3 one inch sections of double sided tape to help support the grip because it is really nice being able to pull a grip and not have to pick tape out of it to reuse it. Usually I just throw it away because it isn't worth the time involved cleaning out the grip.

 

As far as the tape I use, I usually look for something around 7.5 mils. Right now I am using some intertape pg48 I got off of ebay for about $4 per roll shipped (6 pack). According to the data sheet it is a 7.7 mil paper masking tape. Seems to add about 2 grams per wrap.

Edited August 25, 2023 by CBMC

[Socrates]

22 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

 

If you are using air to apply your grips them I use the 2" Sports Medical Tape, like they wrap ankles with. Thicker than masking tape and has texture so your grips won't slip. Also comes off very easy when needed and you can buy it anywhere.

 

 

 

 

 

13 hours ago, slugoo said:

Thanks for this. I used air long ago but I guess over time the glue broke down in the cheap tape I used and I'd get slippage. Was enjoyable to change grips so fast and try new ones without having to save. 

 

 

Sports tape and others like it will dry out over time and break down (literally turn to dust).  If you are one to have grips on for a couple of years, you will encounter this issue.  Lots of people attempt to cheap out and use all manner of stuff.  You can use lots of different stuff, but cloth based tapes and duct tapes are possibly the worst choices.

[ShortGolfer]

Brampton is a US manufacturer in Connecticut.  I often pass by their factory!

 

Not only have i used their grip tape and solvent but I use their 20 hour epoxy to assemble golf clubs.

Edited August 25, 2023 by ShortGolfer

[SEP1006]

11 hours ago, sui generis said:

 

Really? If these garage builder methods were of any use the OEMs and tour vans would be all over it . . . the news is, they're not!

 

Air without adhesive tape and solvent has its uses for experimentation, but it fails far too often for legitimate club building and repair work.

 

 

Well then apparently I am doing something right. Been changing

(mine and my playing buddies) grips this way for 8 years plus and have had maybe 3 grips slip. 

 

So call it what you want, but it works, it's effective and definitely easier than solvent.

 

 

 

[SEP1006]

1 hour ago, Socrates said:

 

Sports tape and others like it will dry out over time and break down (literally turn to dust).  If you are one to have grips on for a couple of years, you will encounter this issue.  Lots of people attempt to cheap out and use all manner of stuff.  You can use lots of different stuff, but cloth based tapes and duct tapes are possibly the worst choices.

 

The longest I will go is probably 6 - 8 months at best. So I will never run into this issue. When I change them the tape isn't dried out and comes off way easier than masking tape. Doesn't leave any residue either.

 

 

[sui generis]

2 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

definitely easier than solvent.

 Yep, "easy" is better than "good"? 🙄

[SEP1006]

11 hours ago, sui generis said:

 Yep, "easy" is better than "good"? 🙄

 

Okay Mr. Technical. It's EASY and GOOD.

 

 

[sui generis]

45 minutes ago, SEP1006 said:

 

Okay Mr. Technical. It's EASY and GOOD.

 

 

Sure, "good" sometimes or even mostly is good enough for the garage builder. However, no respectable club builder or repairman represents themselves as doing good work by promising that their work is "pretty good" except when it's not.🙄 

[Sons_of_Pitches]

I use the 3m rough surface tape (green color one) for my build ups and then use a brand called intertape (591 premium 2” double sided) tape for the final layer.

[SEP1006]

15 hours ago, sui generis said:

Sure, "good" sometimes or even mostly is good enough for the garage builder. However, no respectable club builder or repairman represents themselves as doing good work by promising that their work is "pretty good" except when it's not.🙄 

 

 

Well I'm not a garage builder or repairman and never claimed to be. Just a golfer who changes his own ( and friends ) golf grips using air.

 

So you can keep "yapping" all you want about club builders this and club builders that. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Socrates]

17 hours ago, SEP1006 said:

 

 

Well I'm not a garage builder or repairman and never claimed to be. Just a golfer who changes his own ( and friends ) golf grips using air.

 

So you can keep "yapping" all you want about club builders this and club builders that. 

The issue comes when the "friend" goes to someone else and wants work done and then the club builder has to deal with the junk that they find underneath the grip.

 

We are just trying to educate people that there are better and proper ways to do things.

[RSinSG]

1 hour ago, Socrates said:

The issue comes when the "friend" goes to someone else and wants work done and then the club builder has to deal with the junk that they find underneath the grip.

My son owns an auto repair business and has stories galore about needing to undo the messes that shade tree mechanics leave when they do things that “work fine.” 

[Guest RobS]

Good quality masking tape, like 3m, is time tested for build up.  You can obviously use multiple layers of double sided grip tape as well.  If you want a thicker tape to reduce the number of layers, you can also use gaffers tape.  It's not cheap but it's easy to work with.  It's a cloth backed tape but it's polyethylene coated so it holds up.  Ping uses a build up tape they simply call "black tape".  Titleist has the same thing that they use for larger build ups, but they use white.  Both are gaffers tape.  Pro Gaff made by Pro Tapes is what you want if that fits your needs.  Amazon sells it.  I pick mine up locally at Guitar Center.  I use it because 2 wraps of it gives me the size I want, with less work.  I also like it because when I replace a grip, I can keep the build up tape intact.  Double sides tape peels right off of the gaff tape.  If you do have to remove the gaff tape, it peels off easily and leaves no residue.

[sui generis]

15 minutes ago, RobS said:

gaffers tape

Thanks for that! I'll not use it for build up tape, but it's qualities seem ideal for another use that I have in mind.

 

For build up, I use https://www.golfworks.com/the-golfworks-full-size-paper-build-up-tape/p/gw1118/

 

[wings02]

Nice banter between SEP1006 and Socrates. To maybe clarify things up a bit, I took SEP1006's advice and tried sports tape.  Being a podiatrist, I use sports tape all of the time. Unfortunately I never thought to use it to install grips.  I use air to install and remove grips and I have tried many different types of tape to make certain the grips do not twist over time. I started using the sports tape recently thanks to a suggestion from SEP006 in one of my posts and have been amazed how well it works.  I use a medical grade tape from J&J (Johnson & Johnson) called ZONAS. I cannot speak for store bought sports tape but the J&J Zonas will not break down. I have certain sizes that I seldom use but when I go to use them, they are still in good condition. It will never crumble or break down. The problem is, I don't think J&J makes the Zonas tape in 2" widths anymore.  I actually found a box from a seller on Ebay so I am stocked up. I'm reading that they stopped making that product in other widths also but there is a lot of product still available. 1" should work well also. 

One Caviat I have found in using air to install grips with sports tape.  The grips do not slip on as easy as when using masking or similar tape. Because of this, care must be taken to prevent the grips from bubbling when applying the air install the grip. 

[Socrates]

2 hours ago, RSinSG said:

My son owns an auto repair business and has stories galore about needing to undo the messes that shade tree mechanics leave when they do things that “work fine.” 

If I want to be stunned and amazed, I'll watch some YouTube videos on "This just rolled in."  House repairs go the same way.  A few years ago, I had the honor to try and fix some wiring the previous owner had done in the house.  I soon realized I would have to rewire the whole front of the house if I wanted it to be to code.  Ended up making it safe and called it a day.  You never know what is behind the makeup.

[SEP1006]

7 hours ago, Socrates said:

The issue comes when the "friend" goes to someone else and wants work done and then the club builder has to deal with the junk that they find underneath the grip.

 

We are just trying to educate people that there are better and proper ways to do things.

 

Just because someone does it a little differently doesn't make it wrong or right. I'll keep doing it my way and you can keep doing it the way you want. 

 

And just an FYI, I have removed grips from clubs that I haven't used in almost a year where I used the sports tape with soapy water and air to apply. Absolutely NO issues removing the old tape.

 

 

 

 

4 hours ago, wings02 said:

Nice banter between SEP1006 and Socrates. To maybe clarify things up a bit, I took SEP1006's advice and tried sports tape.  Being a podiatrist, I use sports tape all of the time. Unfortunately I never thought to use it to install grips.  I use air to install and remove grips and I have tried many different types of tape to make certain the grips do not twist over time. I started using the sports tape recently thanks to a suggestion from SEP006 in one of my posts and have been amazed how well it works.  I use a medical grade tape from J&J (Johnson & Johnson) called ZONAS. I cannot speak for store bought sports tape but the J&J Zonas will not break down. I have certain sizes that I seldom use but when I go to use them, they are still in good condition. It will never crumble or break down. The problem is, I don't think J&J makes the Zonas tape in 2" widths anymore.  I actually found a box from a seller on Ebay so I am stocked up. I'm reading that they stopped making that product in other widths also but there is a lot of product still available. 1" should work well also. 

One Caviat I have found in using air to install grips with sports tape.  The grips do not slip on as easy as when using masking or similar tape. Because of this, care must be taken to prevent the grips from bubbling when applying the air install the grip. 

 

 

EXACTLY!!!

 

 

[J_Tizzle]

Pending how much you need to build it up, I use just standard duct tape and then a strip of 2 sided tape.  I would however, NOT recommend this on graphite shafts.

[Sons_of_Pitches]

6 hours ago, RobS said:

Good quality masking tape, like 3m, is time tested for build up.  You can obviously use multiple layers of double sided grip tape as well.  If you want a thicker tape to reduce the number of layers, you can also use gaffers tape.  It's not cheap but it's easy to work with.  It's a cloth backed tape but it's polyethylene coated so it holds up.  Ping uses a build up tape they simply call "black tape".  Titleist has the same thing that they use for larger build ups, but they use white.  Both are gaffers tape.  Pro Gaff made by Pro Tapes is what you want if that fits your needs.  Amazon sells it.  I pick mine up locally at Guitar Center.  I use it because 2 wraps of it gives me the size I want, with less work.  I also like it because when I replace a grip, I can keep the build up tape intact.  Double sides tape peels right off of the gaff tape.  If you do have to remove the gaff tape, it peels off easily and leaves no residue.

Interesting… I may have to try this as I like the idea of not having to redo the buildup tape if I want to change or update a grip.  I use 5 under wraps so this could save me some time. How long have you been doing it this way?  

[Sons_of_Pitches]

1 hour ago, SEP1006 said:

 

Just because someone does it a little differently doesn't make it wrong or right. I'll keep doing it my way and you can keep doing it the way you want. 

 

And just an FYI, I have removed grips from clubs that I haven't used in almost a year where I used the sports tape with soapy water and air to apply. Absolutely NO issues removing the old tape.

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXACTLY!!!

 

 

I’m with you on this debate.  Trying to compare grip tape methods to automobile and home electrical repairs is just ridiculous.  For comparison sake it’s not even close. Keep doing what your doing.

[DallasSteve]

On 8/24/2023 at 8:32 PM, sui generis said:

Really? If these garage builder methods were of any use the OEMs and tour vans would be all over it . . . the news is, they're not!

 

Air without adhesive tape and solvent has its uses for experimentation, but it fails far too often for legitimate club building and repair work.

OEMs have a completely different agenda than we do.  They don't plan to EVER take that grip off and couldn't care less how much trouble it is or if you have to just cut it off.  I care, because I always take them off and am always changing them out.  I use air with just a little mineral spirits to help get the grip over the butt end of the shaft; I've NEVER had one slip in 20 years.

 

I did try duct tape a couple of times, but in a hot car or garage, the adhesive turns into grey goo that runs down the shaft.  What a horrible sticky mess!  Duct tape is the absolute worst to try to remove, too.

[LeoLeo99]

I use 2 inch masking tape from the dollar store.