Necessary Tools

1. New grips
2. Double-sided grip tape
3. A vise
4. Utility knife - For best results use a hooked blade rather that a pointed one.
5. Solvent – Make sure you use a mineral spirit
6. Container for solvent spills
7. Golf tee
8. Rag
9. Marker (not entirely necessary)

Remove The Old Grips

Using a utility knife, cut a straight line through the grip. Make sure you cut well through the rubber, but avoiding damage to your shaft (especially if it is graphite):

Then peel the old grip off:

Safety Note: Always use common safety practices when using sharp knives, cut the grip outward and away from your body.

Clean Off Excess Tape, Glue And Residue

I have seen some people use a blow-torch/gun to burn through and decompose the tape glue, in order to ease the peeling off of the old grip, however the most effective way I found is to simply shave the old tape with a utility knife as shown in the image below. Be more careful and gentle with graphite shafts if you decide to peel the tape off using the knife approach.

Once you peeled off the tape, apply some solvent to a rag and wipe off the excess glue and residue left over from the old grip.

Safety Note: Do not attempt to use the solvent anywhere near a lit cigarette or open flame. The solvent is highly flammable.

Apply New Grip Tape

Now that your club is clean, you are ready to apply the new tape. The retaping of the club is probably the most important part of the process. There are a couple of steps you need to follow for proper application.

Measuring how much tape to apply

Take the new grip and put it beside the shaft. Allow the top tip of the grip to stick out off the top of the shaft by about 1/8 of an inch – this is far as it will actually go on the shaft once it is in. Now, mark or remember a spot about 1/2 an inch from the bottom of the grip; this is as far as you will need to go with the double-sided tape.

Now apply the double-sided tape starting from the line you marked previously. Leave about an inch of tape off the top, as you will need this excess tape to cover the hole in the shaft so as to prevent water from seeping in and rotting the shaft over time.

Tucking away the excess tape

Once you’ve secured the tape around the shaft, roll the excess tape off the top (like a candy) and tuck it into the hole of the shaft. This is necessary so that the shaft is protected from sipping water and the possibility of rot over time.

Apply New Grip

Secure the club on the vise, but not to tight - you don’t want to damage the shaft. Make sure you also line up the club head – this will come in handy and will help you align the grip when you slip it in.

The next step is lubrication of the shaft and grip.

Use the golf tee to cover the little hole located at the top of the grip (you can also use your finger, though it is messier) and generously pour the solvent into it – enough to fill half the grip.

Now cover the other end of the grip with a finger and roll the grip around to ensure that the solvent lubricates it thoroughly.

Now empty the solvent onto the grip over the the newly applied tape. Make sure your container is underneath it to catch the dripping solvent.

Now that both the grip and the shaft are lubricated, slip the grip into the shaft pushing firmly. Ensure that the grip is aligned properly and that it is pushed in all the way through. Adjust the alignment as necessary.

You can now take the club off the vise. Double check the alignment again and adjust as needed, then wipe the grip and shaft off with a clean cloth to remove excess solvent.

Allow a couple of hours to ensure sufficient drying time.