Anyone here build golf clubs?

Equipment
#1

Just curious. I started playing golf almost 24 years ago and started building clubs about 20 years ago…because winters in New England can be long and I don’t play darts or bowl much.

I’m a pretty good hobbyist, but never built clubs professionally. I did enjoy it enough to pick up a used loft/lie machine and hydraulic shaft puller and other tools over the years and even had an account with Wishon Golf. I pretty much stopped 5-6 years ago when I got a new job that was a lot more demanding than I expected (travel, etc). Also my 2 kids had a lot of stuff going on and then a little over 3 years ago my wife had a stroke (she’s much better now). So I went to a professional fitter and let him do all the work.

I’m getting the itch to build some clubs again. I have a new job, my oldest is a Senior in college and isn’t around and Covid has really curtailed a lot of activities for the rest of us. Winter is coming and I’ll likely have even more time. I’m thinking of building a set of irons, possibly these Maltby TS-2 https://www.golfworks.com/maltby-ts-2-forged-iron-heads/p/ma0294/\

Any just wondering if there are any other idiots here that like to torture themselves building clubs? Anyone got anything currently in the bag that they built? I don’t, but I have tweaked what was fitted to me 5 years ago…if you build clubs you know you have to.

#2

I started messing around with it a bit last winter. I was looking to replace my shafts and realized it’s easier than I thought. I have only pulled Shasta and installed new heads on 3 sets so far.

If I continue to do it I need to invest in more equipment. I have not messed around with swing weight yet which is probably not the smartest idea. I played one set I built all last year not knowing the new swing weight before purchasing a new set to my specs.

I really enjoyed learning the process and know there is sooo much more for me to learn. Hoping to get back into it this winter.

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#3

Be careful it’s a slippery slope! Can you save money building clubs? Sure, but you can also wind up spending waaay more!

Swingweight is an interesting one. Technically it’s really meaningless. You can build 2 completely different clubs with the same swingweight. Total weight, balance point and MOI are much more useful these days since shafts and grips can vary widely in weight. If you haven’t already Googled Dave Tutelman I’d start there, but there is a lot to digest.

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#4

Ha it is a slippery slope, but great way to get through the Iowa winters.

I’ve been told similar things about swing weight. Which is why I didn’t bother messing with it with my first couple of builds. I have really only done the simple parts, pulling shafts, installing heads and grips.

I was very nervous my first round thinking a head would for sure come off. Thankfully I have not had it happen yet.

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#5

I do a bit of tinkering. I built a Wishon set of irons back in the day which I loved and used for a long time.

It’s so much easier these days to tinker with shafts with the modern tip adapters and it’s fun trying the “old hot” shafts that are no longer in vogue and cheap on ebay. I also have a cheap loft/lie machine and it’s been good fun tweaking my irons and wedges.

The gateway drug is replacing your own grips and then it’s a slow decay into madness.

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#6

Wishon has great stuff. I had almost a full set of Wishon clubs including 919 driver and 560MC irons for quite a while. I placed an order over the phone when they first started up and ended up talking to Tom Wishon.

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#7

Helped put myself thru college building sets. Built better clubs than I could afford!
Them were the days. Mostly regripping these days :disappointed:

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#8

Agree! I’m also wondering about fussing with swing weight and then strapping on a honkin’ gps. :crazy_face: I won’t play with even a wristwatch.

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#9

I actually feel weird not wearing a watch!

I haven’t used my swingweight scale in forever, but I do look at MOI. I have a spreadsheet where you can plug in head weight, shaft weight, grip weight, shaft balance point, club length, etc and it will calculate an MOI and I do try to match my irons as close as I can.

#10

I have done my share of re-shafting woods and have re-shafted one set of irons. I can basically do anything but adjust lies and lofts. Just cannot justify the cost of the machine for the amount that I would actually use it for personal use.

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#11

Yes a decent machine is very expensive. I bought mine used from a place that was closing. I should have sold it 5 years ago but I dust it off once a year and probably wouldn’t get much for it.

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#12

I bought the economy version of the loft/lie machine from golfworks. It’s incredibly inaccurate for professional work but to just make your own personal adjustments, it works pretty well. It’s at least a bit better than a vice and plumber’s wrench.

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