How to Make Golf Clubs

By Bill Herrfeldt

With the price of golf clubs going through the roof, many people now are making their own clubs. Not only are they saving a lot of money, they are also able to fit themselves and their games, which translate to lower scores. Club manufacturers must fit the "average" player, so off-the-rack clubs may not be right for you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Step 1

Make your driver. Most amateurs look for a driver that is 45 to 46 inches long, but the average touring professional uses one that is 44.5 inches long. Remember that your accuracy will improve with a shorter driver. Grip one of the shafts and make believe you are about to tee off. When you begin to feel comfortable with the length, make a mark on the shaft at the heel of your top hand. Using a measuring tape, account for the club head by marking 4.5 inches from the original mark that you made. Then simply measure the length of the shaft from the second mark to the bottom of the shaft. Eventually, you will do the same for all the other clubs you make.

Step 2

Rough up the shafts so that the club heads and the epoxy can adhere to them tightly. If you have chosen steel shafts, a file or sandpaper is all you need for this job. If you are working with graphite shafts, use a belt sander to remove the shaft's outer coating. Then carefully use the sandpaper finish. Because graphite shafts can easily be ruined, you must be careful in preparing them. If your shafts do not fit into any of the heads, use a wire drill bit to ream the inside of the hosels, or the sockets in the club heads that receive the shafts, until the shafts fit nicely inside.

Step 3

Coat the outside of the shaft and the inside of the hosel with the epoxy, and then put the two together, rotating them to ensure that glue totally covers where they meet. Tap the butt end of the club against a hard object to ensure that the shaft is all the way in the club head.

Step 4

After the epoxy has hardened, shorten the shafts. For steel shafts, saw them to the correct length with a hacksaw or a band saw. For graphite shafts, first wrap where the cut is to be made with about three layers of tape to keep it from shattering, then cut it with a band saw.

Step 5

Put on the grips. Clean the area first with the grip solvent, then apply double-sided tape to the area. Totally soak the tape with the grip solvent, and slide the grips all the way onto the shafts. It takes 10 to 15 minutes for the grip solvent to dry, which will give you plenty of time to adjust your grips.

Tips & Warnings

Buy either steel or graphite shafts. Graphite shafts are more expensive than steel shafts, but they are lighter, so more of a club's weight is concentrated in the head. Choose a shaft with the correct flex based on your age, height, conditioning, ability and swing speed. All shafts must be cut to fit based on the club you are making.

Buy either steel or graphite shafts. Graphite shafts are more expensive than steel shafts, but they are lighter, so more of a club's weight is concentrated in the head.

Choose a shaft with the correct flex based on your age, height, conditioning, ability and swing speed. All shafts must be cut to fit based on the club you are making.

Resources

About The Author

Bill Herrfeldt specializes in finance, sports and the needs of retiring people, and has been published in the national edition of "Erickson Tribune," the "Washington Post" and the "Arizona Republic." He graduated from the University of Louisville.

Not a Member?

Join Now - It's FREE!

Member Sign In

Email Address

Password

Keep me logged in

Forgot your password?