The easy equipment upgrade most golfers overlook

Golf Digest senior writer Alex Myers is on a one-year mission to see how good he can get at golf through daily training, practice and playing. Read more from his “Late Scratch?” series here.

The Hot List is Golf Digest’s most popular issue every year—and for good reason. For one, our equipment editors do a great job delivering this trusted and comprehensive gear guide. For another, golfers are willing to dig deep into their pockets for new, shiny toys if they think buying something is going to improve their games.

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But what if I told you there’s an easier and (much) more inexpensive way of making an equipment upgrade? And it’s something that most golfers—including myself—overlook.

Get a (re)grip

That’s right, I’m talking about your grips. Maybe you’ve heard this PSA before. And maybe you’ve ignored it before. I usually have in the past considering I’ve only had my clubs regripped twice in my life and I’ve been playing golf for nearly 30 years. According to our equipment experts, I’ve been neglectful in this area.

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But I vowed to do better this golf season during my committed pursuit to find ways to lower my handicap. So when I was leaving for a family trip, I decided to drop my clubs off at a nearby PGA Tour Superstore. It was tough saying goodbye to my babies, but I figured it was the best time since I wouldn’t be using them for a few days (Don’t worry, I still kept my workouts going and went to the range with old clubs). I picked out some replacement grips and dropped them off at the front counter:

Grips vary by price, plus you pay a small fee to have them installed. Or, if you’re handy (I am decidedly NOT handy), you can do this process yourself. Anway, as my flight was taking off a few hours later I got an alert that they were already ready. (Whoops, so there really is no excuse not to do this more often.) I picked them up first thing when I returned. Easy peasy.

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When should you regrip your golf clubs?

According to our aforementioned great equipment editors, you should do this once a year or once every 40 rounds. To be honest, my grips looked pretty good, but they had about double that in terms of wear and tear. Not to mention all the extra practicing I’ve been doing of late.

Plus, things like dirt, oil, sunscreen and even sitting in your trunk during extreme heat or cold can negatively affect grips, usually making them feel slicker. Part of me still thought going through this process was unnecessary, but when I picked up the fresh batch, I could instantly feel the difference. It kind of feels like you got a new set of clubs, but for a fraction of the price.

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“Because it happens slowly over time, most golfers fail to notice it,” our E. Michael Johnson, who describes grips as “equipment for your hands,” writes of grips wearing down. “That’s important to remember because just a tiny, imperceptible slip at contact will be magnified to many yards by the time the ball reaches its target.”

It’s like an oil change every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. You should just trust the experts and do it. Yet, Johnson marvels at how few golfers regularly regrip their clubs (Here are seven signs it’s time to do this for your clubs, in case you’re wondering). However, don’t count Stephen Curry, who famously got this done ahead of the 2022 NBA Finals, among the slackers.

My trip didn’t draw quite the same level of attention, but while I was there, I also got my putter regripped. And, in a true golf sicko move, I did the same for my Stack training club. Because after a couple years of swinging that in my house, the black grip was actually starting to disintegrate in my hands. Of course, I matched this grip with the rest of my clubs for consistency:

I know Steph would approve.

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Do new grips actually make a difference?

Yes! Our equipment editors aren’t just saying you should do this just for the heck of it.

“Once a grip loses its traction you are likely to grip the club tighter—a definite no-no,” Johnson writes. “The traction that a fresh grip provides lets you hold the club normally without the subconscious fear of losing the club during your swing. This relaxed state promotes proper swing mechanics and wrist action. Meanwhile a worn grip causes you to grasp the club tighter, causing arm and wrist tension that inhibits proper swing mechanics and leads to a loss of power and control.”

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And to prolong your new grips, Mike Nicolette, a former PGA Tour pro who is now the senior director of R&D for PXG, suggests cleaning your grips. Often.

“You should be cleaning your grips every two or three rounds,” Nicolette told Golf Digest. “Put the grips in a tub with really hot water and get a little scrub brush and get after it all the way around the grip. Take a nice dry towel and dry them off completely and your grips will feel brand new. People underestimate how things such as sunscreen residue get on the grip and affect performance. And don’t worry that the grips will be damp. Guys on tour use the wet end of a towel to wipe them and then dry them with the dry end right before a shot so you’ll be fine.”

Johnson also mentions a recent study by Golf Pride that showed new grips can give golfers an average extra two yards of carry. Which doesn’t seem like much, but as I’ve pointed out before, these small margins add up.

I’ve seen other tests with similar results regarding the use of golf gloves, which is why I started wearing one again a couple years ago after going glove-less for about 15 years. I swear I’m not in the pocket of Big Glove or Big Grip, but like most avid golfers, I’m willing to do—and spend—what it takes to get better. I just prefer to start with the smaller expenditures first.

RELATED: Catch up on all the articles from our “Late Scratch?” series