Grip — Golf
Guard-Tex builds custom golf grip thickness under any grip — layer by layer, club by club. Zero adhesive touches your shafts. Zero residue when you change grips. The club fitting secret that costs less than a sleeve of balls.
Grip size is the single most overlooked variable in a golfer's bag. Too thin and your hands overwork through impact — wrists roll, the clubface closes, and you fight hooks all day. Too thick and your wrist hinge dies — shots push right, distance drops, and short game feel evaporates. The difference between "too thin" and "too thick" is often less than 1/16 of an inch.
Golf manufacturers offer four standard sizes: undersize, standard, midsize, and jumbo. That's four options for the infinite variety of human hands. If your ideal grip circumference falls between two sizes — and statistically, it almost certainly does — your choices are to settle for "close enough" or pay a club fitter to build up with tape that leaves adhesive residue on your shafts every time you change grips.
The real problem isn't finding the right grip. It's the inability to fine-tune what's already close — adding an extra 1/64" here, tapering the lower hand there, building each club to match its purpose rather than forcing every shaft through the same sizing chart.
Zero Adhesive
Guard-Tex uses cohesive technology — the tape sticks only to itself, not to whatever it touches. That means zero residue on graphite, steel, titanium, or multi-material shafts. Pull a grip off six months from now and the shaft looks factory-new. No scraping, no solvent cleanup, no damage to finishes.
Guard-Tex is a self-adhering gauze tape — originally developed for industrial workers who needed finger protection without bulky gloves. Club fitters discovered that the same properties that protect a machinist's hands also solve the grip sizing problem: precise thickness control, zero shaft damage, and clean removal through dozens of grip changes.
Each layer adds approximately 1/64 inch to grip diameter. Four layers gets you roughly one standard size increase. Six layers, a size and a half. But the real advantage isn't full-size jumps — it's the in-between adjustments that standard sizing can't touch. Add three layers for a grip that's exactly between standard and midsize. Build up just the lower hand for a taper that matches your natural grip pressure. Run different builds on your driver versus your wedges because different clubs demand different feels.
"I've been fitting clubs for twenty years. Guard-Tex gives me thickness increments no build tape can match — and the shaft stays clean when the customer comes back for new grips. It's the best-kept secret in fitting."— Rick D., PGA Master Fitter, Scottsdale
Because there's no adhesive, the entire process is reversible. Pull a grip, peel the tape, start fresh. Try a thicker build on your putter for a few rounds, then strip it back if it doesn't feel right. Experiment with taper profiles you can't get from any stock grip. When you find the exact build that locks in your swing, it stays put under the grip — invisible, stable, and clean.
Most golfers cycle through the same progression: different grip models, then build-up tape from the pro shop, then masking tape in desperation, then giving up and settling. Here's how the options actually compare:
| Guard-Tex | Double-Sided Grip Tape | Masking Tape | Oversize Grips | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Precision thickness | ✓ 1/64" per layer | ~1/32" per wrap | Inconsistent | ✗ Fixed sizes |
| Zero shaft residue | ✓ | ✗ Adhesive residue | ✗ Sticky mess | N/A |
| Zone-specific builds | ✓ Any zone | Full shaft only | Crude at best | ✗ Uniform |
| Safe for graphite | ✓ | Risk with removal | Risk with removal | ✓ |
| Different build per club | ✓ Easy | Tedious | Impractical | Buy 14 different grips |
| Reversible | ✓ Peels clean | ✗ Residue cleanup | ✗ Residue cleanup | Requires regripping |
| Cost per full set | ~$8 | $15–30 | $3 (and regret) | $70–140+ |
The entire process takes about 20 minutes per club. You'll need one roll of Guard-Tex (3/4" or 1" width), grip solvent, and your grip of choice.
Remove your old grip and clean off any existing adhesive residue. You want a clean shaft surface — graphite, steel, or multi-material. A little rubbing alcohol and a rag gets you there. This is the last time you'll deal with adhesive cleanup if you switch to Guard-Tex.
Decide where you need thickness. Full-length for an overall size increase. Lower hand only if you want to adjust the taper profile. Fingers-only for targeted feel without changing palm contact. For arthritic hands, focus extra layers on the lower hand to reduce the grip pressure required. Mark your zones with a pencil — they'll be invisible under the grip.
Starting at one end of your build zone, wrap Guard-Tex in smooth, overlapping passes. Each complete wrap adds roughly 1/64 inch to grip diameter. Four to six layers for a noticeable size increase — roughly one standard grip size. Eight to ten layers for a two-size jump. Keep the wraps even and flat — lumps under the grip will create inconsistent feel.
Apply grip solvent directly over the Guard-Tex — pour it on generously, just like you would on bare shaft or standard build tape. Slide your grip on as normal. The Guard-Tex provides a smooth, stable base that actually makes installation easier than fighting bare graphite. Let the solvent cure for 24 hours, then test your feel on the range before committing to the rest of the set.
Most Popular for Golf
One roll builds an entire 14-club set with material to spare. Disappears under any grip color. The same tape trusted by PGA fitters, industrial workers, and athletes since 1935.
Shop Now"My hands are between standard and midsize — been fighting that for years. Four layers of Guard-Tex on every club and the grip feels like it was molded for my hands. Best eight bucks I've spent on golf."— Tom H., Naperville, IL, 12 handicap
"I build up the lower hand extra on my driver for stability and keep my wedges thinner for feel. Can't get that from any stock grip. Changed my short game overnight."— Lisa W., Scottsdale, AZ, 8 handicap
"Arthritis made my grip pressure inconsistent. My pro suggested building up the grip with Guard-Tex so I could hold lighter. Three rounds in and my hands don't hurt by the 14th anymore."— Frank M., Hilton Head, SC, senior tour player
"I regrip my clubs twice a season. With the old build tape, cleanup was a nightmare on my graphite shafts. Guard-Tex peels off clean every time. No residue, no scraping, no damage. I'll never go back."— David K., Austin, TX, club champion
Golfers who discover Guard-Tex for their clubs tend to find other uses on and off the course. It works anywhere you need grip, protection, or padding without adhesive:
Wrap a blister mid-round and keep playing — Guard-Tex stays put through sweat and won't pull skin when you remove it. Protect tender spots on your hands before they become blisters on those 36-hole days. Senior golfers use it for ongoing hand care that doesn't interfere with feel. It's the same tape used by tennis players for racquet builds and baseball players for bat handles — same zero-adhesive principle, different sport.
One roll. One product. Every club in your bag dialed in, blisters managed, and not a trace of adhesive on anything you own.
No. Guard-Tex contains zero adhesive — it bonds only to itself through cohesive technology. It removes completely clean from graphite, steel, titanium, and multi-material shafts. No residue, no sticky film, no damage to finishes. Your shafts stay factory-clean through dozens of grip changes.
Each layer adds approximately 1/64 inch (0.4mm) to grip diameter. Four to six layers creates a noticeable size increase — roughly one standard grip size. Eight to ten layers for a full two-size jump. You can fine-tune to any increment between standard sizes, which is the whole point.
Not at all. Apply grip solvent directly over the Guard-Tex and slide your grip on as normal. The tape creates a smooth, stable base that actually makes installation easier than bare shaft. Grips slide on cleanly and cure normally. Standard double-sided grip tape goes on over the Guard-Tex if you prefer that method.
Absolutely — that's the advantage over stock sizing. Many golfers run thicker builds on their driver and woods for stability, medium builds on irons for consistency, and slightly thinner builds on wedges for maximum feel. Each club gets its own custom profile without buying different grip models for every club in the bag.
Standard double-sided grip tape uses adhesive that bonds to shafts and leaves residue during grip changes — especially problematic on graphite. Guard-Tex uses zero adhesive. It bonds only to itself, gives you finer thickness increments (1/64" per layer vs ~1/32" for standard tape), and removes completely clean every time. Your shafts stay pristine.
The 3/4-inch width is ideal for most golf grip builds — wide enough to wrap efficiently, narrow enough for precision zone work and tapering. The 1-inch width works well for full-shaft builds where you want even coverage faster. One roll of either width is enough for an entire 14-club set with plenty left over.
Wraps anything. Sticks to nothing. American made since 1935.
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