This week I had two clients request some help with their golf clubs in terms of putting "extenders" in the end of their iron shafts. One client purchased a new set of clubs but knew they would not be the right length, and we identified the best length clubs for him. The other client had recently bought a set of clubs and had extenders put in, but they are coming loose - so he has asked me to repair this problem for him.
Extending the length of golf clubs is a fairly easy clubmaking operation to do. We purchase extenders from many club component companies, and there are different size and type extenders for different shaft sizes and shaft types. It is important to determine the right size extender, I would not put a small extender into a shaft and hope that it would epoxy together well. And there are a few "tricks" that I have picked up to make SURE that the extenders will fit snugly into the shafts, and that they will not come loose when they have been epoxied into the present shafts.
As a near term improvement, extenders are a great option for getting golfers into the right length clubs. This is particularly true for a golfer who does not play a lot of golf - say once a month or less.
If you play a LOT of golf, and really care about having clubs that truly fit your game, then you should be aware of the pluses and minuses of extenders. Definitely the plus is that they can help you be playing the right length clubs, and achieving more square impacts with your irons should improve your ballstriking.
Adding extenders will increase the swingweight of the clubs - about 2 to 3 swingweight points for each 1/2 inch of extender. My recommendation would be that if you want to extend your clubs much more than 1/2 inch in length, and you are really serious about your golf, then you should consider the option of playing with lighter shafts or shafts with different balance points so that the longer clubs will not feel too heavy for you. FEEL is a key element for all golfers - your clubs need to feel good to you for you to play well.
Bottom line - playing clubs that are the right length should be a given for any golfer. Using extenders is a great low-cost option for changing the length of your clubs so that they are the right length. In some cases, there may be a change in feel of the clubs that you do not like and if you so you should consider getting a professional clubfitter to help you find the right shafts for your clubs to get you the right length, swingweight/MOI, and shaft flex for your game. And for sure - if you do get extenders put into your clubs - make sure the job is done right; it is no fun to play with clubs that have shafts that twist at the end!!
MORE ON THE CLUBS WHERE EXTENDERS NOT WORKING.... After I finished writing my initial post, I went downstairs and pulled a grip for one of the clubs. Very interesting! Actually, the extender had NOT come apart. But what the person who put on the extender did was to put grip tape over the old grip tape rather than stripping all of the old tape off and starting with a clean shaft.....SO the grip end of the shaft with tape on was not the same diameter as the other part of the shaft....and the grip slipped at the end. In addition, the extender on this club was 2 inches - WAY too much, the swingweight of the gap wedge was E1, very high. Hopefully I have enough ammo to help this player find a better shaft option for him!
Tony
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