How To Assemble Golf Clubs

Assemble Custom Golf Clubs – Have Fun And Improve Your Game!

Assembling golf clubs from components is a practical and affordable way to try the latest equipment technologies. It is easy to experiment with shaft and club combinations, so you can learn what different equipment properties can do for your game. Using our Clubhead and Shaft Playability Factor rating systems as guidelines, and our great selection of well designed clubheads and shafts, you can assemble clubs that address your specific needs. Take strokes off of your game. Regain that distance you may have lost. And enjoy a new hobby. For a more detailed guide to club assembly, you should read the Golf Club Assembly Manual (found at The GolfWorks).

You can build golf clubs that address your specific needs.

Step 1

Step 1 Begin by sorting your components on the workbench. If you haven’t done so already, trim your shaft according to the Shaft Trimming Instructions. Abrade or roughen the first 1 1/4” of the shaft tip. If a ferrule is to be installed, slide the ferrule 1 1/4” up the shaft, and then mix the epoxy.

.

Step 2

Step 2 Dip the tip of the shaft into the mixed epoxy, making sure that a small glob of epoxy remains on the tip. Insert the shaft into the club head’s hosel. Rotate the shaft while sliding it in and out of the hosel, evenly coating the shaft and hosel with epoxy.

Step 3

Step 3 Align the shaft graphics (if any) the way you want them by rotating the shaft. Then, tap the butt end of the shaft on the floor to seat the tip against the bottom of the hosel bore. Recheck alignment of graphics. Wipe any excess epoxy with a clean paper towel. The club should be set aside until the epoxy has cured.

Step 4

Step 4 Position the club in the normal playing position. Slide a 48” Ruler (RUL48) behind the club as shown. Use a felt tip pen to mark the shaft 1/8” below the desired playing length. Note: The grip cap will extend the club’s length by 1/8”.

Step 5

Step 5 Cut a graphite shaft to length using a Golf Shaft Cutter (STC), with a Graphite Shaft Cutting Wheel (STCWG) installed in the tool. A Grit Edge Blade (GREB) installed in your hacksaw frame also works well. The Steel Shaft Cutting Wheel (STCW) installed in the Golf Shaft Cutter works well for cutting a steel shaft.

Step 6

Step 6 Next, install the grip according to Steps 4, 5 and 6 of our Grip Installation Tutorial. Wipe any excess fluid from the shaft and grip, and install the shaft band (if applicable).

Need supplies or more help? Call The GolfWorks at 1-800-848-8358, visit them online at www.golfworks.com or stop in any Golf Galaxy store and stop in The GolfWorks department.

Click here to get Ralph’s Insider Emails

Back to Article Discussions

Article Discussion

  • 10:50AM - Mar 18, 2008RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #20
    Report This

    Tom, yes, but to use the more standard procedure you need a swing weight scale. Here is one method; after checking the hosel penetration for the shaft, calculate how much to trim the shaft leaving 1/8” for the grip cap thickness. Next, dry fit the shaft to the head (no epoxy) and place the ungripped club in a swingweight scale. The shaft should be 1/8” short of the end of the swingweight scale (allowance for grip cap). Let’s say you get a D-9 swingweight reading. If you are going to use a 52 gram grip (or very close to this weight) you allow 9 swingweight points for the grip. So, D-9 minus 9 swingweights equals a D-0 swingweight after the grip and the tape are installed. For a heavier grip such as a cord grip allow 10 and sometimes 11 swingweight points.

    Some assemblers simply lay the grip on top of the shaft (or rubber band it to the shaft) while the club is in the swingweight scale.

    If your question is in regard to figuring the swingweight out from the component weights and the club length, the answer is yes this can be done for an approximate or quite accurate swingweight. This however is more a consideration of the individual clubmakers experience level. After assembling so many sets with a certain head, shaft and grip, the advanced clubmaker can usually figure out very close to what the swingweight will be. There are simply too many variables to consider in making up a chart that would be accurate in determining swingweight for all combinations of heads, shafts and grips.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 4:11PM - Mar 17, 2008RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #19
    Report This

    • tom

    • tom
    • User
    • 9 Comments

    Ralph ! Is there any way to determine your swingweight of your clubs before you put on the grips? Like taking head weight, shaft weight will give you let’s say C3 and by adding a 51.5 grip will give you D2. My heads weigh from 240 gm – 291 gm ( 3-pw) and the shafts weigh 115 gm. I guess club length is aso needed? (39-351/2). 

    Thanks For The Help!

    Respond

    Quote

  • 1:01PM - Mar 17, 2008RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #18
    Report This

    jonalsager, swingweight can be calculated by using the method I show in my book “Golf Club Design, Fitting Alteration and Repair” without the use of a swingweight scale. The problem with using it is that you must be very accurate in your measurements and have an accurate (to the tenth of a gram) weight scale. I would suggest buying an economy swingweight scale or going on Ebay and trying to obtain a used one. You really must have a swingweight scale when assembling compnents. A certain head weight is going to have different swingweights depending on which shaft you put in the club, the clubs length and also the grip and/or grip size you use.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 9:46PM - Mar 16, 2008RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #17
    Report This

    Mr. Maltby,

    I’m curious about swingweighting, in the context of assembling clubs. I’ve assembled a few in the past, mainly for myself, and never really felt satisfied with the feel of the clubs. I always suspected that the swingweight was the culprit.

    However, since I don’t have a swingweight scale, I’m not sure what to do about this issue. Do you have any advice? Do you, as a general rule, concern yourself with swing weight when assembling clubs for someone, or do you expect that good quality components will result in an average weighted club?

    With a scale, can the swingweight be approximated using the combined weight of the components?

    Thanks,

    Jon

    Respond

    Quote

  • 4:43PM - Mar 4, 2008RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #16
    Report This

    dmkonik, sometimes a little more clear finish is applied to the shaft or the finish sags a little toward the tip. The upshot of this is that the shaft outside diameter gets a little larger. You should not run into this very often. It’s simply an experience thing to get the ferrules into positon. My trick is to open them up (increase the ferrule diameter slightly with a drill bit) a little if they are at all tight and then simply making sure their is some epoxy around the hosel end to hold the ferrule firmly in place.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 12:53PM - Mar 4, 2008RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #15
    Report This

    Ralph,

    Thank you for all your tips and advice on your web site. They really help. I recently built a KE4 fairway wood with the KE4 75 graphite wood shaft. I sanded the shaft tip up to the top of the hosel. My problem occurred when installing the ferrule. I always put a little epoxy on the shaft tip then slide the ferrule as far as I can by hand then use the club head to push it the rest of the way. When the ferrule got to the non-sanded part of the shaft it became extremely tight and hard to push the rest of the way. I was using so much force the shaft was bending and I was afraid it was going to snap. I finally got it in place with a lot of pushing and twisting of the club head. When I put together some hybrids with a CER shaft I did not have this problem. Both shafts indicated a .335 tip diameter. Are the KE4 shafts a little wider than the CERs? Do you have any tips to make ferrule installation easier?

    Thank you for any advice you can offer.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 6:53AM - Feb 14, 2008RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #14
    Report This

    Ralph, I took the beginner clubmaking class at Golf$m!th on Saturday, and the instructor/repairperson said he used to work for Golf Galaxy. He knew both you and Tom Wishon, and he may have even said he played some golf with you. Anyway, I just thought that was cool.

    Assembling that SW really has me itching to start building even more than before…

    Respond

    Quote

  • 11:12PM - Jul 31, 2007RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #13
    Report This

    • Daniel

    • Daniel
    • Guest

    Where can I read about swing weight and its effect on the golf swing. I know there are countless articles on the internet; although, I am sure you know the most reputable ones.

    Thank you.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 5:36PM - Jul 31, 2007RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #12
    Report This

    Archie, this is a tough question because it’s hard to give an exact answer. Of course, this has never stopped me before, so here goes, but please use it more as a guide to what should happen when I give you some numbers on distance gained. First of all, changing to a lighter shaft (assuming the same swingweight) will require a slightly heavier head weight. The overall weight (total weight) of the club is reduced even though the head weight is heavier. This means that you should be able to swing the club faster and at impact the head will apply more force to the ball because of both the added swingspeed and the added head weight. Sort of the best of all worlds. This is the old over used in golf formula of ….Energy = Mass times Velocity Squared. The additional distance, if any, that you get by increasing the club length is dependent on hitting the ball consistently close to the clubheads face center with any club length. This of course does not usually happen, but in your case let’s assume that it does. So, my best quess is that a 1” increase in club length with a driver will get you 6 to 10 more yards. A 2” increase in club length in your driver will get you 12 to 20 yards increase in distance.

    Respond

    Quote

  • 6:19PM - Jul 30, 2007RE: How To Assemble Golf Clubs

    #11
    Report This

    • Archie

    • Archie
    • Guest

    How does swing effect distance. Example: Would changing from a CER FW 70 with a CER 851+ZO DRIVER HEAD to CER FW 55 increase distance?

    Also how mach added distance is gained by increasin shaft length 1 or 2 inches assuming that one doesn’t loose control?

    Respond

    Quote

  • 1
  • 2

Post Comment