How To Lengthen Golf Clubs
The beauty of being able to extend your own golf clubs is that you won’t ever have to worry when buying second hand clubs.
We all know the importance of having the right length golf club for your height but when you buy used clubs, you’ll be using something that was made for someone else which could affect your performance.
What’s more, if you are just getting into golf and want to experiment with using different length clubs, being able to extend or shorten them yourself will prevent you from having to make lots of investments.
Why Do I Need To Extend My Golf Shafts?
One thing that is obvious when playing golf is that if you don’t play with clubs that offer a good fit, your performance will be affected.
And not in a good way. You may notice that you don’t get as much distance from your driver or that using the clubs isn’t as comfortable as it should be owing to the fact that they are too short.
Now, you could have the entire shaft replaced with a much longer one but this is a costly option. Instead many golfers rely on a shaft extender which offers a more affordable and less complicated way of increasing the length of their clubs.
These extensions fit into the grip end of the club and can increase the shaft length by as much as two inches.
Will I Affect The Performance Of The Club If I Add Shaft Extenders?
One of the first things you will need to keep in mind when adding a shaft extender to your clubs is that it is going to make the club a little heavier.
This may feel a little strange if you’ve been playing with a shorter club for a while.
When the extender is added, you’ll notice a difference in weight but it shouldn’t be so much that your swing is affected.
That said, it is important that the shaft extender is installed properly.
If it is not then this might affect how well the club plays.
If you are in any doubt as to how to do this then we would recommend taking the club to a professional fitter who will be able to do it for you.
When done correctly, you shouldn’t even notice that there is an extender in place at all; it will be seamless.
Things To Consider When Extending Steel Shafts
This gives you far greater consistency.
- If you use other materials, this could lead to breakage. You should not extend your steel shaft by any more than two inches. If you do this then the club’s lifespan may be shortened due to stress where the extension is placed. That said, you can go a little more when working with a steel putter.
- Don’t ever rely on a pressure fit, an epoxy should always be used to secure the extension in place.
- Before installing the extension, you should abrade it as this will allow the epoxy a much better hold. While important in any case, this tip is even more essential when working with unplated steel extensions.
- If you have old steel shafts then you could use these instead of a purpose bought extender if you are looking to save money.
Things To Consider When Extending Graphite Shafts
- A graphite should never be extended by more than two inches. Doing this will put too much pressure on the extension point and will cause the shaft to break prematurely.
- When working with a graphite shaft, we would recommend only using a nylon or plastic extension. Steel shaft extenders will cause the shaft to fail thanks to the shear point created where the extension is in place.
- Much like steel shafts, you should never rely on a pressure fit and should always use an epoxy to secure the extension. Abrading the extension will also give the epoxy a better hold on it.
- You can save old graphite shafts and use these as an extender if you are looking for a more affordable option.
How To Install Golf Shaft Extenders
To start, you will need to remove the old grip and you can do this using a utility knife.
You’ll need to take off any old tape from the shaft with the knife as well.
You can now fit the extension into the end of the shaft.
You’ll find that you don’t need to use a lot of force to get it in but it will have quite a snug fit.
Now you will need to mark the extension at your desired length.
Now remove the shaft extension and put the shaft into a vice and now carefully cut it to your desired length.
You can use a hacksaw for this but make sure that the blade is sharp and when you’re done you’ll need to remove any leftover material with a file to ensure a smooth edge.
Next, you will take a small amount of epoxy which you’ll need to apply to the bit of the extension that goes inside the shaft.
Push the extension into the shaft but make sure that you wipe away any excess epoxy.
Now give it time to set before you move on to the next step.
Once the epoxy has set, you will need to put the club back into a vice and secure it.
You can then take some grip solvent on a clean rag and remove any tape residue that is left over before applying the new grip.
Conclusion
If your golf clubs are too short then you may have considered investing in a new set but there really is no need.
Whether you have purchased used clubs that need fitting to your size or have had enough of your favourite set underperforming because they’re too short, a shaft extender is the easiest and most affordable solution.
We have also written an article on how to shorten your shaft in you golf club.
If you are just starting off you might want to read our article on how to choose golf clubs, and check our other article on Does golf club size matter for beginners?
