A common repair that most of you will be faced with (or have been faced with in the past) is the extending of shafts. Extending shafts is a relatively simple operation that can add substantial profits to your shop. Today’s tip involves the extension of graphite shafts and steel shafts. A few tips to follow:
Extending Graphite Shafts
1. Never extend a graphite shaft more than 2″. Any more may cause premature failure due to stress where the extension is made.
2. Always use either graphite or aluminum to extend a graphite shaft. Using steel will create a shear point where the extension is made, causing almost certain shaft failure.
3. Always epoxy the extension in place, do not rely on a pressure fit.
4. Try to abrade the extension piece prior to installation to give the epoxy a better hold.
5. Saving your old graphite shafts to use as shaft extenders will save you money and will make a perfectly acceptable extender.
6. Remember that extending the shaft will make it feel a bit more flexible and that every ½” longer the shaft becomes will increase the club’s swingweight 3 points. The total weight of the club will increase equal to the weight of the extender and epoxy as well. The club’s balance point will move toward the grip end as well due to the longer length of the club.
Extending Steel Shafts
1. Never extend a steel shaft more than 2″. Any more may cause premature failure due to stress where the extension is made.
2. We recommend using a steel extender to extend a steel shaft.
Using other materials may lead to premature breakage. Wooden dowels can also be used to extend steel shafts, but these require much more work (in our opinion) than using steel extenders.
3. Always epoxy the extension in place, do not rely on a pressure fit.
4. Abrade the extension piece prior to installation to give the epoxy a better hold. This is especially vital when using steel extensions that are unplated.
5. Saving your used steel shafts to use as shaft extenders will save you money and will make a perfectly acceptable extender.
6. Remember that extending the shaft will make it feel a bit more flexible and that every ½” longer the shaft becomes will increase the club’s swingweight 3 points. The total weight of the club will increase equal to the weight of the extender and epoxy as well. The club’s balance point will move toward the grip end as well due to the longer length of the club.
Extending shafts is a common and profitable repair. Following the above common-sense rules will make the repair practical and safe.
by Jeff Summitt
Hireko Technical Director
jsummitt@hirekogolf.com
August 27, 2007 at 2:58 pm
Do I need to apply epoxy to the exterior of the butt/extender joint? I’ve installed graphite extenders ( length <2″ ) and note decided movement in a couple clubs, maybe I didn’t allow enuff setup time before instlaling grips. I’ll remove the grip and try roughting up the extender per this tip.
rgds
S
September 23, 2009 at 3:13 am
How do I remove steel extensions that are a few years old?
August 27, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Sam:
It is probably best to use the same 24 hour shafting epoxy and allow it to cure the full length. You want to apply the epoxy the the stem of the extender and rotate it in the butt end of the shaft to make sure that the entire surface is coated with epoxy. In addition, you may want to check the fit of the extender. Unlike steel shafts where the extenders tend to fit more precisely, graphite shafts don’t. There are a few different sizes to choose from and it is good to have some of each on hand to decide which one to use.
Sincerely,
Jeff Summitt
Hireko Golf
April 21, 2008 at 10:02 pm
jeff, i installed an extender in my driver the other day + upon playing the extender loosened up + started twisting. i have now removed the extender again + plan on installing another one again. i have roughed up the inside of the driver shaft + the exterior of the extender that will be inserted. i’ve mixed the epoxy + allowed the required 24 hour setting time. what should i do next if this installation fails? thank you for any help! michael
April 28, 2008 at 12:11 pm
The wall thickness of graphite shafts are not as universal as there is in steel. Therefore you can experience a loose fitting extender that the epoxy may not secure the gap. The black thermoplastic graphite shaft extenders we carry come in two different sizes for this purpose. Even so, there are certain shaft diameters that have existed in the past that commercially available extenders are not designed to fit. One other thing I do not do on graphite is roughen the inside of the shaft as many of today’s shafts are extremely thin and usually the inside of the shaft is rough enough.
May 12, 2008 at 8:41 pm
what about tip extensions?
May 15, 2008 at 4:45 pm
Jeff,
I am contemplating on converting one of my putters to a belly putter. It is a standard length 34″ Odyssey white hot #1. I would like to extend it to 43″. As I am uncertain as to whether I will be comfortable with this putting style I didn’t want to purchase a new standard belly putter, when I could convert one of my barely used putters. Would you suggest this direction
May 19, 2008 at 1:24 pm
Brent:
Until you experiment, you will always have that idea in the back in your mind. Luckily this is an easy alteration that can be reversed if inf fact you find that this type of putting style is not for you. The steel extenders EX58 would be barely long enough to lengthen the club by 9″. Then use one of the long one-piece belly grips available like the Karakal RKAR52 we offer.
Jeff Summitt
Hireko Golf
June 30, 2008 at 10:11 pm
Jeff,
I recently purchased a Scotty Cameron Studio putter and would like to extend the shaft from 35″ to 36″. If I extend the shaft, will there be any impact on the lie/loft of the putter and the way the balls rolls at impact?
July 1, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Charlie:
Simply extending the club will not technically alter the loft or lie of the putter itself. However, since the club will be longer, you may change your stance or posture. You will either adjust to the putter or if you keep your same address position then the putter will more further from your body and the toe may be slightly higher off the ground. The reason to extend the putter is to correct for an ill-fitted putter in which you are not making enough putts. So hopefully by changing it will improve the performance. If not, then you can alway remove the grip and cut it back down to where it feels comfortable.
December 6, 2008 at 4:24 am
Could I use krazy glue instead of epoxy?
Thanks.
December 7, 2008 at 2:48 pm
It is not strong enough (shear strength) and I would not recommend it is it all. For your safety and others, use the same epoxy that is recommended for golf club assembly.
Jeff Summitt
Hireko Golf
December 16, 2008 at 12:02 am
Jeff,
Where can I pick up some epoxy so that I can extend the steel shaft of a golf club? And would I have to use a specific golf manufactured brand? Just another few pointers; when using part of an old steel shaft as suitable shaft extender, where abouts on the shaft should I cut? Should so you can get a better idea, I want to extend my 56* SW by 1″ so that it’s just under (or the same length) as my PW. I bought the wedge seperately, so the length is standard, but is 2* up. The rest of my irons are 1″ over and 3* up. So extending the SW wedge by an inch should give an extra 1* of uprightness? (If that’s a real word)
Cheers,
Matt
December 16, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Matt:
I would only recommend a 24-hour epoxy designed for golf club assembly found at any golf club component supplier like Hireko. As far as extending the club, it will not change the lie of the club, only the effective lie. The addition of 1″ in length would approximately make the clubhead 2* more upright.
Jeff Summitt
Hireko Golf
January 7, 2009 at 8:58 pm
Jeff states: “As far as extending the club, it will not change the lie of the club, only the effective lie. The addition of 1″ in length would approximately make the clubhead 2* more upright.”
However, Ping website states the opposite. It says for every 1/2″ the club is extended, the lie is REDUCED by approx .75*.
January 7, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Jim:
Ping’s color coding lie system is different than most manufacturers and very confusing to those even in the know. The lie angle on let’s say all green dot models are not the same lie angle at each length they produce them at. They start out using a flatter lie for longer length clubs because effectively it makes the club more upright by extending the length. For instance, their Maroon +1″ is not a head 5 degrees more upright than standard. It may only start out with a 3* upright (white) so with the added length it is equivalent to their Maroon. The last thing they do is put in the paint to designate the lie. I hope that makes sense…
Jeff Summitt
Hireko Golf
January 9, 2009 at 3:54 pm
Thanks Jeff….I appreciate your prompt answer and knowledge.
Yes, the lie subject makes more sense now (I think). I guess the key phrase really is: actual lie vs. effective lie, correct?
Thanks again,
Jim
January 9, 2009 at 4:52 pm
Jim:
Correct, it is the actual lie (coupled with the length) that are the two key parameters. In Ping’s case they give you the actual length, but not the lie. Their color coding system is supposedly to simplify the effective lie.
Jeff Summitt
May 18, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Jeff,
I bought irons with steel Rifle shafts (not tapered) and found out I need to add 1/2 inch in length. If I add shaft extenders (steel) will this effect the performace of the club if I then get it properly swing weighted? Thanks,
May 18, 2009 at 4:17 pm
Ben:
If they were swingweighted the same beforehand and you add the same amount to each club, they will swingweight out the same again – just higher. I assume the reason why you needed to add 1 1/2″ is that you were fitting for that length. If yes, I am sure the clubs will perform well.
June 8, 2009 at 2:08 pm
Jeff,
If I have a set of clubs that have been extended already, and i buy a new set that hasn’t, can i remove the extensions from my old set and use them on my new ones?
June 8, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Cody:
If they are graphite shafted irons, then no. But even with steel, the amount of extra time and work necessary to remove the grips, heat and remove the old extensions, you might as well just get brand new extenders. These are very inexpensive items and each steel shaft extenders will do two clubs.
Jeff Summitt
June 8, 2009 at 2:51 pm
Ok, thank you very much! They are steel shafted, so i guess i will just buy new extenders. One more question, is it possible to use the same grips that came on my new clubs once i put extenders on them?
September 25, 2009 at 11:16 pm
Hi Jeff,
Thanks for providing all the valuable info. I have a set of AP2 irons with Project X shafts that I extended 1.5 inches and I have noticed that the flight off these irons is a lot higher now. Do you know why this may be other than that the shaft plays slightly softer? Do you think it is a swingweight or balance point issue? Thank you.
September 28, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Dave:
The shaft really does not become more flexible, rather the reason for the higher ball flight is more likely your swing plane changed. By making the clubs longer, you are standing more upright than you did previously. Think of tossing a ball under hand compared to throwing the ball side armed. The under hand tossing motion will cause the ball to go higher.
Jeff Summitt
Hireko Golf
October 8, 2009 at 4:21 pm
This is an excellent guide for installing shaft extensions. I’ve done this many times and if you follow this guide, you’ll have no issues with them at all. I don’t see any reason to spend a couple hundred bucks on new shafts when you’re trying to get 1/2 more length. The extensions are the cheaper way to go for sure.