The post Avoid these 5 club-building mistakes to prevent injury | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post Avoid these 5 club-building mistakes to prevent injury | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

Building golf clubs is just like cooking — you start with a bunch of ingredients, use sharp tools and ones that produce heat, then follow the directions to produce something delicious. Or, in the case of golf clubs, a well-built final product. But, just like when working in a kitchen, building clubs also requires you to work safely to prevent injury, and we’re here to help make sure you have the right tools to keep you safe.

Best ways to avoid injuries

Use sharp knives: Yes, this might seem counterintuitive when you’re trying to prevent injury, but sharp knives make cutting things easier and safer. Since they will cut through tape, ferrules and grips much more effectively, you’re not required to use as much force, and you greatly reduce the risk of slipping or breaking a knife blade. I’ve seen way too many club builders use knife blades long past their best-before date with the result being a broken blade caused by using too much force.

Don’t cut toward yourself: Just as it’s a great rule in the kitchen, cut away from your body when removing grips. Now if there is a slip or the knife blade breaks you don’t end up cutting yourself.

Use gloves when handling solvents: Acetone is a common solvent used in the club-building process to remove dirt and oils from a golf shaft before installation or to shine up recently buffed ferrules. Acetone also happens to be a pretty strong solvent that can damage your skin with repeat usage, so using gloves to protect yourself will help keep your hands happy and healthy.

Wear safety glasses: I don’t need to explain that your eyes are important, so please wear safety glasses when building clubs to prevent everything from a spritz of grip solvent to a hot metal spark from getting into your eyes and causing an ER visit.

Have proper ventilation: Cutting steel and graphite shafts creates a lot of airborne dust particles, and if you don’t have a dust collection/negative air system, having all those particles floating around a small space isn’t a good thing for your lungs. Whether you’re working in a large or small space, air quality is important, and wearing a respirator mask will prevent those particles from getting into your lungs so you can breathe easily.

Want to overhaul your bag? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post Avoid these 5 club-building mistakes to prevent injury | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to build a driver from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to build a driver from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

Building a golf club can appear complicated if you’ve never done it before. But once you learn the basics, assembling and working on your golf equipment opens up a new world of customizing and personalizing your gear. It can also help you better understand what truly works best for your game — especially when it comes to your driver!

As we’ve touched on before, learning to build a putter is a great place to start because it requires the fewest components and adjustments compared to building an iron set or a driver. Also, building an iron usually means you’re building a full set and making sure all of your components are to spec takes more time and some calculation.

That’s why driver’s next.

Much like a putter, a driver requires fewer components, but there are extra steps you need to take, including adjusting any adapter to the correct setting before assembly and properly prepping the graphite shaft to prevent marks and potential damage that can increase breakage.

So for the latest video in our newest Build Shop series, we’ll show you the entire process of assembling a driver from start to finish — and include as much helpful advice as we can along the way.

Key steps in the driver building process

Check your settings – With most drivers offering adjustable hosels, it’s important to make sure the hosel setting is secured in the position you are going to use to ensure the shaft graphics are aligned once assembly is complete.

Prep your components — Once you have all your club components together and ready to go, take the time to make sure they’re clean by using acetone to remove any dirt or oils. This will ensure a strong epoxy bond with the epoxy.

Mix epoxy thoroughly — Speaking of bonds, properly mixing the epoxy to ensure you don’t introduce excess air into the mixture can help prevent epoxy failure and weakening once the club has been assembled.

Only use what you need — A common rookie club-builder mistake (especially with drivers) is to use too much epoxy during the assembly process. Once the inside of the club and the outside of the shaft are coated, anything extra works its way up the shaft and once dry can eventually break off and cause a rattle. Just use enough epoxy to coat all the parts in a thin layer and you’ll be all set.

This is most noticeable in drivers because the inside diameter of the shaft is so small that the volume of epoxy it takes before it goes past the hosel isn’t a lot.

Clean as you go — Cleaning excess epoxy off the shaft and the head before it dries can increase productivity and make the finishing steps go faster. This is critical when working with graphite shafts because the paint can be easily scratched if you are trying to remove dry epoxy.

Check out the entire collection of build videos and more at GOLFs Fully Equipped YouTube page.

Want to overhaul your bag? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post How to build a driver from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to build an iron from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to build an iron from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

If you’ve never done it before, building a golf club can feel like a complicated task. But once you learn the basics, it opens up a whole new world of customizing and personalizing your gear.

A putter is a great place to start and learn the basics, but once you’ve mastered that, the next step is irons and wedges. Learning to re-shaft steel shafted irons and wedges can allow you to make repairs to broken clubs and, from there, it’s possible to add your own custom ferrules.

For our second video in our newest Build Shop series, we’ll show you the entire process of assembling an iron from start to finish — and include a ton of helpful advice along the way.

Key steps of the iron-building process

Clean your components — Once you have all your club components together — club head, shaft, tip weight and ferrule — take the time to make sure they’re clean by using acetone to remove any dirt or oils. This will ensure a strong bond with the epoxy.

Mix epoxy thoroughly — Speaking of bonds, properly mixing the epoxy to ensure you don’t introduce excess air into the mixture can help to prevent failure and weakening once the club has been assembled.

Only use what you need — A common rookie club-builder mistake is to use too much epoxy during the assembly process. Once the inside of the club and the outside of the shaft are coated, anything extra works its way up the shaft and once dry can eventually break off and cause a rattle. Just use enough epoxy to coat all the parts in a thin layer and you’ll be all set.

Clean as you go — Whether it be while mixing epoxy or once the components have been assembled to dry, cleaning excess epoxy off the shaft and the head before it dries can increase productivity and make the finishing steps go faster.

Take your time — It’s way better to take a few extra minutes during the build process to ensure everything comes together properly rather than realize there is a mistake once the epoxy is set.

The same goes for the final step in the process: installing grips. Taking the extra moment to make sure the grip is lined up correctly and on all the way leads to more consistent clubs and better alignment on every shot. Happy club building!

Check out the entire collection of build videos and more at GOLFs Fully Equipped YouTube page.

Want to overhaul your bag? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post How to build an iron from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to build a putter from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to build a putter from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

If you’ve never done it before, building a golf club can feel like a complicated task. But once you learn the basics, it opens up a whole new world of customizing and personalizing your gear. Although there are a lot of components that can go into building certain types of clubs, starting with a club that requires the fewest steps — like a putter — can help you quickly learn the basics.

In the first video from our newest Build Shop series, we show you the entire in-depth process from start to finish. Better yet, we offer a ton of tips along the way, so you can learn the process yourself.

Why building a putter is a great place to start

Unlike a driver, fairway wood or irons, building a putter doesn’t require a ferrule, meaning you don’t have to worry about not having the correct tools. And since most putters use a steel shaft, you don’t need a chop saw to complete the final assembly. Instead you can use a basic pipe cutter to cut the putter to the final length, if required.

Check out the video above or below, and click here for more videos from our Fully Equipped YouTube page.

Want to overhaul your bag? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post How to build a putter from start to finish | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to set your driver for a power fade | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post How to set your driver for a power fade | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

With the help of launch monitors and modern equipment, many professional golfers have gone from trying to work the golf ball in both directions off the tee to focusing on a singular shot shape, with the most popular being the low spin power fade.

In a recent Instagram post (below), Keith Mitchell talks about why he likes to play a fade with his driver and how having a driver setup for that type of shot shape allows him to swing harder without having the ball spin too much and losing distance.

That last point is important because, from a traditional ball flight perspective, a fade spins more than a draw, but thanks to modern equipment and a better understanding of swing dynamics it’s very possible to hit a lower spin fade off the tee like Keith talks about.

How to build a power fade driver

Before you build a driver to help you hit a power fade, one must understand the swing dynamics that make it possible. The video below offers an in-depth explanation, but to help make it as easy to understand as possible, you have to swing the driver with an upward angle of attack and with a slightly open face angle relative to the club path. These dynamics allow the ball to launch higher and with less spin.

If this sounds complicated, picture a drop shot in tennis. It’s the same physics that allows for that shot to take place on a tennis court, it just occurs at a much faster speed in golf.

Gear

As for setting up a golf club to execute this shot, one of the most important specs that needs to be dialed in is the loft, because reducing loft is the fastest way to reduce spin. This can be achieved by using a lower-lofted driver or adjusting the loft of your current driver with the help of the adjustable hosel.

From there, depending on how your ball flight reacts to the changes to your driver’s loft, the next step is to use the adjustable weighting to either enhance the gear effect or place more mass behind the impact location to help boost ball speeds with the result being more distance.

Although you might never drive the golf ball as well as Keith Mitchell, finding a reliable shot off the tee is one of the fastest ways to start shaving strokes off your score.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024 and find a driver to help you hit a power fade off the tee? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post How to set your driver for a power fade | The Build Shop appeared first on Golf.

The post What is golf club ‘swing weight’ and why does it matter appeared first on Golf.

The post What is golf club ‘swing weight’ and why does it matter appeared first on Golf.

With the golf season on the horizon and many golfers visiting club builders and fitters for new grips or a tuneup, we are here to help you better understand the finer points of your equipment so you can ask the right questions, and learn something in the process.

The Premier Club Fitting Experience

With over 50,000 clubhead and shaft combinations, True Spec Golf will custom fit and hand build you the most well-constructed, precise set of golf clubs you’ve ever played. Guaranteed.

Buy Now from truespecgolf.com

What is swing weight?

Golf club swing weight is one of the most discussed but also misunderstood elements that go into building a proper set of clubs — and it can have a big impact on total performance as well as your golf swing.

A golf club’s swing weight is the measurement of its balance point based on a 14-inch fulcrum scale. A swing weight scale is a device specifically designed for matching clubs for their weight and feel, and dates back to when clubs were built with wooden shafts.

Every component of a golf club from the grip to the head plays a role in its final swing weight value, and the scale ranges from A to G, with intermittent numbers between those letters (ie: D1, D2, D3, and so on). A sits on the lightest end of the scale while G is the heaviest.

Although it isn’t very common, some clubs (like long putters or short junior clubs) are outside the range of a traditional swing weight scale, but in almost every case any club you find off the rack will be within the A to F range.

As for performance, a golf club with a heavier swing weight can offer better tempo control for stronger players with faster transitions, while clubs with a lighter swing weight are generally easier to swing and can help golfers with moderate clubhead speeds gain distance and close the club face faster through impact.

How to change swing weight

Anytime a part of a golf club is adjusted the swing will change along with it. For example, if a club is cut to a shorter length the swing weight will become lighter. If weight is added to the head, the swing weight will become heavier. Like with any balanced scale, even a small mass change will affect swing weight, down to a single gram, which is why having the right tools are important in order to build a set of matching clubs.

One of the most common ways golfers accidentally adjust swing weight is when they alter their grips, whether it be by changing to a larger, heavier grip, or a smaller, lighter one. Even if a golfer is re-gripping with the same grip as before, the amount of two-sided tape used under the grip to hold it in place can be enough to make the golf club feel different to the player.

There is no one-size-fits-all for any player, but understanding what swing weight is and how it can be adjusted can make a big difference to how a golf club feels in your hands and help you make more repeatable golf swings.

Want to overhaul your bag for 2024? Find a fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

The post What is golf club ‘swing weight’ and why does it matter appeared first on Golf.

The post Understanding the basics of wedge terminology and grinds appeared first on Golf.

The post Understanding the basics of wedge terminology and grinds appeared first on Golf.

Knowing which wedges to carry in your bag can be confusing, but what can be even more intimidating for golfers is understanding the terminology used when describing wedges — especially when it comes to grinds and bounce.

Although it might sound very complicated, once you break down wedge lingo into its individual components, it actually becomes a lot easier to understand the elements of wedge design and what is likely to work best for you and your golf game.

TaylorMade Milled Grind 4 Custom Wedge

Milled Grind 4 utilizes laser etched Spin Tread and a raw face to provide better bite around the greens and superior spin in wet conditions. Refined shaping creates a smooth aesthetic that inspires creativity around the greens, while improved mass distribution provides a solid feel. IMPROVED SPIN IN WET CONDITIONS Spin Tread technology utilizes laser etching to channel away moisture and help retain spin in wet conditions. The same way that tire treads help your car stay connected to the road, Spin Tread redirects water at impact and creates more friction between the club face and golf ball to impart more spin than prior generations. REFINED SHAPING MG4 features refinements in shape and visual appeal with a focus on what players perceive at address. Details from the hosel blend, offset and leading-edge straightness were all inspired by the insights and preferences of the best players and most experienced designers. Compared to the previous MG3, MG4 showcases a slightly larger footprint that provides players with a sense of roundness, smoothness and improved ease of use. RAW FACE & NEW FINISH There’s a reason raw wedges are preferred by the game’s best players. The unplated material will rust over time to preserve consistent spin while also delivering better performance in wet conditions. A new refined finish with a slightly darker tint minimizes glare and blends seamlessly with the raw face for a unified appearance.

$179.99 $149.99 from Fairway Jockey

View Product

From the fundamentals of sole grind to the details of sole shaping and geometry, being able to grasp the basics allows you to select a grind that is going to work best for the way you play shots around the green, and it also helps you select wedges based on your normal playing conditions.

Below is a video that explains the basics of wedge terminology and how to understand how and why certain wedge soles are shaped the way they are.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

The post Understanding the basics of wedge terminology and grinds appeared first on Golf.

The post This simple hack can prevent club-fitters from scuffing your clubs appeared first on Golf.

The post This simple hack can prevent club-fitters from scuffing your clubs appeared first on Golf.

Making sure your irons and wedges are properly built to the right specs helps eliminate variables in distance control, accuracy and dispersion, but one of the last and most important steps during the assembly process is bending them to the proper lie and loft.

Having the right lie and loft on your irons and wedges helps to remove unwanted tendencies from your ball flight and also can be used in some ways to help correct an unwanted ball flight or common misses.

The great thing about lie and loft adjustments is that they can be done at any time throughout the life of a set of irons or wedges, and most golf stores and custom shops have the tools to quickly assess what is best for you — and can make those adjustments while you wait. The only drawback that golfers might notice about this process is the tendency for clubs to get small indentation marks on the sole and hosel. But what they might not know is that those marks largely can be prevented or at least minimized during the bending process.

Below is a video demonstrating how a sturdy plastic bag can help to prevent those marks, at the very least, reduce them during the bending process.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

The post This simple hack can prevent club-fitters from scuffing your clubs appeared first on Golf.

The post Ensure your putter grip is installed straight every time with 1 simple trick appeared first on Golf.

The post Ensure your putter grip is installed straight every time with 1 simple trick appeared first on Golf.

Making sure your golf clubs are built properly and to the right specs will help eliminate variables, and one of the most crucial steps during the assembly process, especially when we are talking about putters, is making sure the grip is on straight.

Of course, getting every grip on your set of clubs aligned properly is an important part of the process but considering how much a single degree can impact the direction of a putt, getting putter grips aligned is even more important.

Gear

Now although the majority of golfers prefer to have their putter grip installed with the largest flat side aligned perpendicular to the putter face and parallel to the target line, one fun fact about the rules of golf is that there is no requirement to do so.

You have the freedom to install a putter grip in any orientation on your putter as long as you don’t twist or contort its intended shape to better fit into your hands as a reminder. So if you are looking to change up your putting grip style you can try placing the largest flat side towards the target — away from the target — or any way that feels the most comfortable to you.

Below is a video on how to use a small bubble level to help align your putter grip.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

The post Ensure your putter grip is installed straight every time with 1 simple trick appeared first on Golf.

The post Want to measure your golf clubs? This is the best technique appeared first on Golf.

The post Want to measure your golf clubs? This is the best technique appeared first on Golf.

Making sure your golf clubs are built to the right specs can help eliminate variables, and the most crucial specs for any golfer are lie angle, loft and length.

But while most golfers understand that golf-club lie angle and loft need to be checked and adjusted using specialty tools, many golfers don’t understand that club length is also measured in a specific way to ensure consistency from club to club.

Gear

This not only helps club builders make sure they can build and recreate clubs within tight tolerances, but also makes sure that the clubs they’re building conform to the rules of golf when it comes to length requirements — most specifically with the driver, which is limited to 46 inches.

So with that in mind, we wanted to do our best to help explain how golfers often look at their clubs is not the proper way to assess length, and also explain why you might see inconsistencies when resting your clubs against a wall, which is impacted by their design traits.

Below is a video on best practices for measuring your clubs.

For more on the latest gear news and information, check out our latest Fully Equipped podcast.

The post Want to measure your golf clubs? This is the best technique appeared first on Golf.