SUPPLIES
- Marking pen
- Tape measure
- File
- #100 sandpaper
- Belt sander
- Drill
- Wire drill bit
- Hacksaw
- Band saw
- Epoxy
- Grip solvent
Overview
With the cost of greens fees and equipment almost beyond the financial capabilities of the average player, some people are making their own custom golf clubs. They find that they tend to play better with clubs that fit them as opposed to those that are bought off the rack. But the instructions that follow are somewhat difficult, so unless you are mechanically inclined, you should buy your next set of golf clubs at a store.
Step 1
Buy either steel or graphite shafts, recognizing that graphite shafts are more difficult to work with. When you make your selection of shafts, factor in the desired stiffness they should have based on your physique and your skill. For instance, many low-handicap players opt for stiff shafts because they are more flexible and have a faster club head speed than people with higher handicaps. Once you have selected the shafts, look for both grips and club heads at many websites that carry them (see Resources).
Step 2
Grip a shaft and assuming a comfortable position that you would have using a driver. Grip down the shaft until you are comfortable with the shaft's length, and mark the shaft with a pen where your top hand ends. With a tape measure, make a second mark that is 4.5 inches down the shaft to allow for the club head. Write down the distance from the second mark to the bottom end of the shaft. When you have done that, do it again for each of the clubs you are making.
Step 3
Rough up the ends of your shafts to ensure that the club heads will attach firmly to them. If you have chosen steel shafts, a file or the sandpaper is a terrific choice. But if you have chosen graphite shafts, you'll have to remove the outer coating of the shaft with a sanding belt before you sand it. Finally, working first with the driver, make sure the shaft is not too large for the head. To solve that problem, use a wire drill bit inside the head. It is important to note that there may be a difference between the heads of your "metals" and those of your irons.
Step 4
Attach the heads to the shafts after coating both the shaft and the inside of the hosel of the club head with epoxy. Make sure that the epoxy adheres to all areas by rotating the shaft inside the hosel of the club head. Tap the top end of the shaft on something hard to be sure it is all the way into the hosel.
Step 5
Cut the shafts to their proper length after the glue has hardened, which should take less than a day. Steel shafts can be cut to size easily using a hacksaw, but you'll need to apply about three layers of tape to the area being cut on your graphite shafts before you use a band saw to cut them.
Step 6
Put grips onto your shafts. Wrap the area where the grips are to go with double-sided tape after you have cleaned it well with a solvent. Then completely cover the tape with your solvent, and slide the grips onto the shafts to the end. Before they are firm, ordinarily in only a few minutes, adjust by hand each grip's alignment.
Resources
