There are a few reasons why club lengthening may be necessary, such as fixing a broken club or making it longer to improve your game. You can also do it to experiment with feel.
In this article, we will cover the pros and cons of making clubs longer and the options you have for the process.
Why Lengthen Your Golf Clubs?
The most common reasons players lengthen their golf clubs are to change their distance, hit the sweet spot more, find a more comfortable swing or if they happened to break a club.
Benefits of lengthening golf club shafts
- Extending golf shafts can help you increase distance and obtain longer shots.
- If your club plays a little too stiff, making the shaft longer will make it slightly more flexible.
- Golf club shaft extenders can help generate more clubhead speed.
- Lengthening the shaft can help with your stance and posture at address if the club was initially too short.
Drawbacks of using Golf club shafts that are too short
- Shafts that are too short can cause players to bend over too much and have back pain.
- They can create bad habits, such as pushing the ball too far to the right.
- Shorter shafts can lead to a steeper angle of attack and cause you to hit it fat.
- Short shafts promote mishits on the toe of the club leading to inconsistent shots and bad scores.
Golf Club Lengthening Options
Extension Sleeves
Extension sleeves are the standard way to extend golf clubs.
The extension sleeve is a small extender (such as the one in the link) added to the butt end of the shaft to make it longer.
We will go into “do it yourself” procedures on how to extend the shaft with a sleeve.
There are different options for both graphite shafts and steel shafts.
It’s essential to use the correct extension sleeve for each material. When purchasing the sleeves, the website or store will detail which type of material to use for the sleeve.
📋 Keep in mind: Adding length to a golf club won’t magically give you more distance off the tee or from the fairway. It depends on your swing style and if you can consistently hit it on the screws.
Replacing the golf club shaft
Another way of lengthening a shaft is by replacing the entire shaft with a longer, high-quality golf shaft. You can do this at home or in a golf store.
It’s preferable and faster to get it done by a certified professional so that mistakes won’t be made.
While at the store, you can also test different shafts and get fitted for the correct length for your swing type and height.
A club fitter will have you hit different clubs with various shafts. A launch monitor will record your statistics, and the fitter will narrow down the shafts to a few of the best options.
Splice Extension
Splicing is a 20th-century method used to extend golf clubs. We do not recommend doing this in today’s day and age.
The word “splicing” means to join the shaft to the clubhead.
In the old days, clubmakers would join a wooden shaft to the wooden clubhead without a hosel nor a socket to attach the shaft. The joint was glued and whipped.
The whipping employed in spliced joints was a tarred thread that worked. Whipping used in twentieth-century clubs was simply a plastic or fiber cable wrapped around a socketed joint.
💡 Golfible Tip: Try the splicing method if you’re into using wooden clubs like a Hickory and enjoy vintage items. Otherwise, it’s better to stick to the modern-day extension options mentioned below.
Measuring Proper Golf Club Length
Have you ever wondered how a golf club is properly measured?
A 48″ ruler designed to measure golf clubs is put down along the club’s rear, with the ruler’s tip reaching the ground next to the heel.
The final length is measured at the edge of the grip cap, not at the very top, which is done for putters.
In putters, the shaft is not situated at the heel; this strategy is used in all scenarios.
Custom fittings will feature this method, and you’ll be measured, along with the clubs, for a match.
Getting Club Lengthening Done By Professional
Advantages of having a professional lengthen your clubs:
- The likelihood of an error occurring is extremely low compared to if you try it yourself.
- You’ll save time by having a professional do it.
- All materials, such as the shafts, grips, and extenders, are provided at the store as well as the tools needed for the extension.
- The professional can recommend different extenders or shafts and explain the specs of each one.
Many golf stores and websites, such as PGA Tour Superstore, offer repair services.
You can have services performed such as regripping, shaft extension, shaft installations, loft and lie adjustments, and groove sharpening on irons.
Cost of using a professional
To extend your clubs, most golf shops will charge around $10 for each club, plus the cost of a new grip. Prices vary depending on the store.
Reshafting with an entirely new shaft can cost around $25, depending on which brand you select.
You can save money on new grips if you preserve your old ones, but you’ll have to pay a “save grip charge” of about $10 per club.
💡 Golfible Tip: You can save money by preserving your old shafts. The materials can be cut and used to make shaft extenders rather than buying new ones at a shop.
DIY Tips On How To Lengthen A Steel Shaft
It’s vital to remember when lengthening a shaft, the club will feel heavier the longer you extend it. The club’s balance point will also shift closer to the grip area the longer it is.
Materials such as epoxy and sleeves will also add weight to the club.
Steps:
- When extending a steel shaft, make sure not to extend it more than two inches. This can add stress to the extension and cause it to break during use.
- Only putter shafts can be extended more than two inches.
- Steel extenders are the best option for steel shafts. This way, the feel remains the same so that performance can remain consistent.
- Use epoxy to keep the shaft steady. Rub down the extension sleeve before putting it in to allow the epoxy to hold it more firmly in place.
- A key takeaway is that doing it yourself can be riskier and lead to errors, unlike extending the shaft at a store.
DIY Tips On How To Lengthen A Graphite Shaft
Make sure to acknowledge that extending a shaft will make it feel more flexible and heavier.
Steps:
- Similar to extending a steel shaft, graphite shaft extension shouldn’t be more than two inches. The same issues mentioned prior can occur.
- For graphite shafts, use plastic or nylon sleeves. Don’t use steel. Graphite and steel are two different materials.
- Rub down the extender before you put it in the sleeve and use epoxy. The DIY risks for extending a graphite shaft remain the same as they do for steel.
Golf club shaft extension: Key summary
Extending your golf shafts can help add distance to your game and make you feel more comfortable if your clubs are too short.
You can do it yourself or have it done at a golf store by a certified professional.
Our recommendation is if you haven’t been fitted, to have your clubs or club reshafted entirely and correlated to your body and swing style.
FAQ
Does adding length to a golf club change the lie angle?
Adding length to a golf club does change the lie angle. In irons, each half-inch added enables the club to play 1 degree more upright. The scenario is vice versa when taking off length and making the club shorter.
How much does it cost to extend a golf shaft?
Golf club shaft extension can cost around $10, depending on where you have it done. Replacing a shaft can be near $25. Adding a new grip will increase the price.
