How many of us tinker?

[covanant]

Just wondering how many club builders,tinkerers etc.?

[covanant]

Myself im only just starting to get into the more detailed stuff like swingweight,moi etc..

[challengegolf]

Right now I am a thinkerer but reading more and more about the more technical stuff.
Claude

[rhh7]

I built my first set of irons more than 30 years ago. I have tried every conceivable combination of components over the years. The one set I wish I had back were cast tour style blades from Dynacraft. I shafted them with Dynamic steel, tip trimmed to length...man did I hit those straight!

That said, I prefer to pay someone nowadays, even though I have a limited budget. I absolutely love playing with spreadsheets, where you can plug in various components, and play with the variables, sort of "virtual" building. If I could afford it, I would buy the Wishon software, which is quite sophisticated from what I hear.

[knickers]

Started re-gripping this year. Its to much cheaper not to do it yourself, and very easy at that. Look to someday get into building and refinishing.

[overswing]

Started re-gripping this year. Its to much cheaper not to do it yourself, and very easy at that. Look to someday get into building and refinishing.

a dollar a grip isnt that much cheaper not to do it. unless of course you buy grip in bulk and dont pay the price of what the shop sells them for.

[knickers]

a dollar a grip isnt that much cheaper not to do it. unless of course you buy grip in bulk and dont pay the price of what the shop sells them for.

Your right. I should have said I've done 6 or so full sets and maybe 10 more putters for freinds and family as well as my self. Ive bought in bulk from golfworks and off ebay so Ive saved myself and others a good chunk of change.
$13 or $14 a set is a pretty good savings though. dont ya think?

[spackler]

a dollar a grip isnt that much cheaper not to do it. unless of course you buy grip in bulk and dont pay the price of what the shop sells them for.

Even on a cheap grip like the GP tour velvet, the difference between GT and Golfworks is $3/grip ($6 installed vs $3). That's almost $50 if you're regripping your entire set. GT does run a 2for1 sale on grips every once in a while though, which is worth it unless you don't like leaving your clubs somewhere for a week.

[MusicMan]

i am a tinkerer through and through... my clubs rarly stay stock

[Pinshark]

I built a putter once and the head kept coming off. That was the end of my clubmaking days.

[Golfbum]

Before 2006 I did nothing to my clubs. Then I decided to do a regrip on my irons. Easy enough, and did not use the rubber block to hold the shafts in the vice. I improvised with two pieces of wood and they work fine. For graphite shafts I use another two pieces of wood with an old grip split in half and glued to the woods. They grip and protect graphite shafts better.
I have pulled steel shafts at home, but not graphite. I have gone out to the golf store and epoxied a couple of my shafts in out there.
I would like to find a set of iron heads at a good price and build them up sometime in the future. Years ago I built a putter from a kit, simple job.
You can learn a lot just by reading on this forum, on Tom Wishon's forum and books. Plenty of material out there if you want to learn.

[Chieflongtee]

Before 2006 I did nothing to my clubs. Then I decided to do a regrip on my irons. Easy enough, and did not use the rubber block to hold the shafts in the vice. I improvised with two pieces of wood and they work fine. For graphite shafts I use another two pieces of wood with an old grip split in half and glued to the woods. They grip and protect graphite shafts better.

No need for the rubber block in a vise. Put magnetic tape on the vise jaws. No need to squeeze the crap out of the shaft either.

[Kilroy]

Not a tinkerer myself. BUT I am a HUGE believer in custom fitting.

To those of you who DO tinker:

[danscustom]

I've tinkered so much that I have now developed a fitting / assembly system.
True Length Technology - Registered Trademark
This system is an alternative to the traditional 1/2 increment in length. My system is CAD based where every length has been math modeled to put your hands in one common address position, based on proper spine tilt, knee bend, feet at shoulder width, and arms down, putting you in your athletic address position. Check it out at my site. This will be a staple in the industry as you will not believe the difference of having length and lie set perfectly to your athletic address position.
Thanks for the time guys

[covanant]

I've tinkered so much that I have now developed a fitting / assembly system.
True Length Technology - Registered Trademark
This system is an alternative to the traditional 1/2 increment in length. My system is CAD based where every length has been math modeled to put your hands in one common address position, based on proper spine tilt, knee bend, feet at shoulder width, and arms down, putting you in your athletic address position. Check it out at my site. This will be a staple in the industry as you will not believe the difference of having length and lie set perfectly to your athletic address position.
Thanks for the time guys

Great having you on board Dan.
I'm a little confused by what you mean? Are you saying that for example:my 5 iron may be at 38inches,but my 7 iron could be at38 or 36 inches depending on my stance?

[little brit]

i am a tinkerer through and through... my clubs rarly stay stock

Ahhh! but do you channge everything yourself?

[danscustom]

No, you will have an identical stance for every club. The difference is in the length cut verses the lie angle. All OEM's are cut in 1/2 inch final length increments, but some have lies in 1 degree change, some in 1/2 degree change, some are even inconsistent - but yet all build to 1/2 inch length difference.
My system is slightly less than the 1/2 inch, but no 2 cuts will be the same.

Picture youself in 1 common address position where every grip ends in the exact same hand position-

2 drivers (exagurated) - one at 45 degrees, the second at 46 degrees of lie.
The 45 degree lie driver will be longer than the 46 degree lie driver.
Now picture
2 wedges - one at 65 degrees the second at 66 degrees of lie.
The 65 degree wedge will be longer than 66 degree wedge

The length differential between the 2 drivers is much greater than the length differential between the 2 wedges - proving that any uniform cut to length is not mathematically correct.

My system is CAD based where you are in 1 common athletic address position, hands always in the same spot.

Ever notice that for some people their 3 iron is too long and their wedges are too short.
My system eliminates this, by changing the final trim length away from always 1/2 inch. - Some have tried 0.4 cut, some 0.33 cut, some 0.25 cut - They are better but none are mathematically correct.

This correctness gives
1 common hand position
A very repeatable swing
More on center hits
Better control
Improved accuracy

True Length Technology is a Registered Trademark of Dan Connelly and Dan's Custom Golf Shop

[jeffc]

Definitely not a tinkerer. That's why I have gotten to know The Saint so well.

[bobbyc]

I've been tinkering,assembling and repairing for family and friends for about 10years. Took the GW courses and do a little business with a few suppliers. Have quite a few tools in my basement shop, and maybe you can say it's a bit more than just a hobby, but i do not want to make it a fulltime job. I still have that for a few more years. Also have a few clubs i should try sell here. No space,time,financial commitment to go after full GCA accreditation or PCS certification. But i do enjoy what i do as a hobby and what i have done for myself,family and friends !!