The folks at Straight Aim have discovered something about grips: If they are exposed to sunlight and/or air, they become slippery faster.

While this discovery may not be quite Nobel-Prize-worthy, it would seem to be a plausible reason why your clubs might come out of winter storage with the grips feeling a bit less “tacky” that when you put them away. Another contributing factor is that the oils from your hands have had a chance to glaze over and solidify on the grips.

How to reinvigorate your grips before the season begins? Well, one could certainly spend the money to have them regripped (or do it yourself), as most low-handicap players do at least once a year. Another option is to protect them in storage, and give them a good scrub before playing with them again come spring.

Straight Aim’s new grip covers ($1 each, $11/dozen) is one way to help protect your grips. Before you put them into storage, slide on little black plastic sleeves and seal with a rubber band. Of course if you want to save the money, you could simply cut up your own black garbage bag and make similar covers yourself.

Then, when you take your clubs out of storage, mix up a bucket of warm water, dish soap, and a generous amount of lemon juice. Put your clubs in the bucket grip-end first, and let them soak for 15 minutes. Take them out one by one, and using a stiff fiber-bristle brush, give each one a good scrub. Rinse in another bucket of warm water, and dry with a soft towel. You’ll find they have returned to an almost-new state of tackiness (assuming they weren’t glassy-smooth to begin with).

Following these two tips can save you a year or two (maybe three) on regripping costs. And in this economy, every little bit helps.

Straight Aim’s new Grip Covers aren’t high-tech, but they get the job done.

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