Putter Grip Not Straight - how to easily fix it [2024]

You may have had your putter for a while or just got a new grip installed and noticed your putts always seemed to go one way. The putter grip should always be installed square to the clubface, but there are times when the clubfitter installs it off a few degrees. I know I had this happen once in my younger days when I installed a putter grip by myself with no vise.

The 2 grips above were installed incorrectly. The closed putter grip will cause you to miss putts to the left while the open putter grip will cause to push putts and miss them to the right.

Even if a putter grip is only off by a degree or two, that could be the difference between making a par putt and having it lip out. It’s very important to have a straight putter grip, you want to maintain a consistent putting stroke with a square clubface at impact as much as possible. For more grip related issues and topics, check out our complete golf grip buying guide!

So how do you fix a crooked putter grip? You can do the following if your putter grip is not straight, each option has its own pros and cons:

Putt with it the way it is
Try to remove the grip and reinstall it
Cut off the grip and install a new one
Bring it to a clubfitter to have him reinstall the old grip or install a new one

Don’t fix grip, keep using it as is

Honestly, this may be the right choice if this happened on a grip you have been using for a while. If it’s only a few degrees open or closed you have subconsciously altered your grip or putting stroke to square the clubface at impact.

If you notice you consistently miss putts to one side, it may be a good idea to get the grip realigned. It’s also a good idea to get the grip realigned if you notice a twist in the grip or it seems your hands have excessive movement trying to square the clubface.

There are a few golfers out there like major winner Jim Furyk who prefers a crooked grip on his putter. His grip is rotated 45 degrees towards the target, but he says it feels good and gives him confidence. So if you’re putter grip is visibly off but yet you have extreme confidence over putts and are making a good amount, keep the grip where it’s at.

Adjust the Grip Yourself and reinstall it

This is the most economical option and is not too difficult to do if you got the right equipment. If the grip was previously installed with no grip tape and an air compressor, you will be able to shoot short bursts of air into the grip hole to adjust the grip.

If the grip was installed with grip tape, there are 2 methods of adjusting the grip without taking it off. You can use a plastic syringe and squirt solvent into the top grip hole and adjust it as necessary. DO NOT use a syringe with a needle as golf solvent is extremely nasty and can severely damage your muscle/skin if it finds it way into an open wound.

Another nifty trick I found on GolfWRX is a good alternative if you do not have a plastic syringe handy. This trick will also work for golf grips that do not slide all the way on and are most likely stuck due to lack of solvent.

Take a coat hanger, unbend it and twist it into a tight “U” shape.
Stand the club up on its butt end, insert the curved end of the “U” between the grip and shaft as far as you can.
Squirt solvent into the space until the solvent comes up to the top of the grip. Let it sit for 15-20 seconds while the solvent settles between the grip and shaft.
Coat hanger tool in the same position, grab the club shaft and rotate it, pushing the coat hanger down into the grip as far as you can go.
Squirt in more solvent, repeat steps 3 and 4 until you get it loose enough to adjust it to your liking.

Doing these 5 steps should allow you to adjust your putter grip without ruining it and having to buy and install new grip. To guarantee the grip is aligned correctly, I do the following.

Have a piece of aluminum angle (mine is 1.5″x1.5″ x 3′) from any hardware store and attach it to the corner of your work bench. After the putter grip has been readjusted in step 5, press the flat side of the putter grip against one side of the aluminum angle. The putter face should be facing the floor.

You can now easily see if the flat side of the grip is perpendicular to the putter face. It will look off and you will be able to easily tell if the putter head is not parallel with the floor. Adjust grip as needed to get grip where it needs to be.

Cut off the grip and install a new one

If the above methods do not work or you just want to get a new grip on, it’s a lot easier to just quickly cut off the old grip with a grip removal tool or a pocket knife. Be careful not to cut into the shaft, especially if you have a graphite shaft!

Palmbird Putter Grips have a great video if you’re interested in seeing how they remove and install a new putter grip. It comes down to the following steps:

Remove existing grip with utility knife
Remove existing grip tape
Clean shaft with mineral spirits or any solvent alternative to remove glue from old tape
If shaft diameter is .580″, additional build up of grip tape is suggested.
Apply golf grip tape or any alternative, leaving 1/2″ overhang at the top.
Coat inside of grip with golf grip solvent. (hold finger over air hole and base of grip to evenly distribute solvent)
Pour out excess solvent from grip onto tape. (have bucket or tray catch extra solvent)
Push grip onto shaft
Make final alignment adjustments (using steps above with an angle bracket)

Have clubfitter reinstall the old grip or install a new one

If you don’t feel confident in installing the grip correctly and are willing to spend the money, this is the best option. Your local golf club or certified club fitter should be able to adjust the old grip or install one quickly and easily. It will most likely cost you $10 for the grip installation and another $20-$30 for the grip itself.