How to Extend Golf Clubs

Playing with golf clubs that are too short is like trying to run a race in shoes that are a size too small. You can do it, but it’s awkward, uncomfortable, and you’ll never reach your full potential. Extending your own golf clubs is a straightforward, budget-friendly project that can totally transform your posture, swing, and overall comfort on the course. This guide will walk you through exactly when to consider it and how to do it yourself, step-by-step.

Why Does Club Length Even Matter?

You might think an inch or two doesn't make a big difference, but in a game of small margins like golf, it changes everything. The length of your clubs is the foundation of a good setup and a consistent swing. When your clubs are the right length, it allows you to get into a properly athletic posture - with a straight spine, a natural arm hang, and your weight balanced. This position is the launchpad for a powerful, repeatable swing.

If your clubs are too short, your body is forced to compensate. Here are a few tell-tale signs:

• You feel excessively hunched over. The most common sign is having to bend your knees too much or round your back and shoulders just to reach the ball. This is not athletic and kills your ability to rotate.
• Your shots are inconsistent. Being too hunched over throws off your swing plane and makes it difficult to find the center of the clubface consistently. You might hit a lot of thin shots or hit the ball off the toe.
• You feel a lack of power. A cramped starting position restricts your ability to make a full turn and use your body as an engine for power. You're left with an all-arms swing that just doesn't produce distance.
• Pain or discomfort. After a round or a range session, you might feel strain in your lower back or shoulders. That’s your body telling you something isn't right with your setup.

Getting your club length dialed in allows your swing to be an effortless rotation around your spine, rather than a constant battle of awkward compensations.

How to Know if You Should Extend Your Clubs

Before you get the tools out, let's figure out if you actually need longer clubs and by how much. While a professional dynamic fitting with a launch monitor is the gold standard, a simple static measurement can get you surprisingly close and is a great starting point for any golfer.

The Wrist-to-Floor Measurement: A Simple DIY Guide

This is the classic technique for getting a baseline club length recommendation. It’s easy to do and just requires a friend and a tape measure.

1. Stand up straight on a hard, level surface. Wear your golf shoes, as they add a bit of height.
2. Let your arms hang naturally at your sides. Don't tense up or shrug your shoulders, just relax.
3. Have a friend measure the exact distance from the floor to the crease of your lead wrist (the left wrist for a right-handed golfer).

Once you have this wrist-to-floor (WTF) measurement and your overall height, you can consult a fitting chart. There are many online, but they generally follow this logic:

• A "standard" length 5-iron is typically built for a male golfer around 5'10" with a WTF measurement of about 34 inches.
• For every inch taller you are than this baseline, you might add a quarter-inch to your club length.
• For every inch your WTF measurement is longer (meaning your arms are shorter for your height), you might add more length. Conversely, if your arms are very long for your height, you may not need any extra length at all.

If your measurements suggest you need clubs that are between 0.5 and 1.5 inches longer than standard, then extending your current set is an excellent and cost-effective option.

Your DIY Toolkit: Everything You'll Need

If you've decided to move forward, the next step is gathering your supplies. Doing this job correctly requires more than just glue and a new grip. Here is a complete list of what you'll want to have on hand.

• Shaft Extensions: This is the most important part! They come in two main types. You must match the extension material to your shaft material. Use steel extensions for steel shafts and graphite extensions for graphite shafts. They also come in different diameters to fit different shaft butt-ends, so measuring yours is a good idea.
• Shaft Epoxy: Don't use regular super glue. You need a high-strength, tour-quality epoxy designed specifically for the stresses of a golf swing.
• New Grips: You'll have to cut the old grip off, so you'll need a new one for each club you extend.
• Grip Tape &, Solvent: Double-sided grip tape and odorless mineral spirits or a dedicated grip solvent are necessary for installing the new grip.
• A Bench Vise: A vise is non-negotiable for holding the club securely while you work. Use a rubber shaft clamp to avoid scratching or crimping your shafts.
• Hook Blade or Utility Knife: For safely removing the old grip.
• Heat Gun or Propane Torch: This helps a lot when removing a stubborn old grip and clearing out old epoxy if necessary. Use with caution!
• Hacksaw or Pipe Cutter: To trim the extension to the precise length you need. A pipe cutter gives a cleaner finish.

Step-by-Step Guide to Extending Your Golf Clubs

Got all your gear? Great. Find a well-ventilated space, put on some safety glasses, and let's get started. We'll do one club at a time.

Step 1: Get Prepped and Remove the Old Grip

Secure the club in your bench vise using the rubber shaft clamp. The clamp should be tightened just enough to stop the shaft from rotating. Position the club so the grip is easy to access. Using your utility knife with a hook blade, carefully cut away from your body, slicing the grip from bottom to top. It should peel off easily. Be careful not to cut into the shaft, especially if it's graphite.

Step 2: Clean Off the Old Tape

With the grip removed, you’ll see the old grip tape spiraled around the shaft butt. A little bit of heat from a heat gun can help loosen the adhesive. Slowly peel it all off. Once the tape is gone, use a rag soaked in grip solvent or mineral spirits to remove any sticky residue. The shaft butt needs to be perfectly clean for the epoxy to bond properly.

Step 3: Measure and Prepare the Extension

This is where you determine your final club length. Let’s say you want to add 1 inch. Remember that the extension plug itself will usually insert about 1 inch into the shaft. So, to add a total of 1 inch to the playing length, you want 2 inches of the extension sticking out (1 inch for insertion + 1 inch of added length). Always refer to the instructions for your specific extension plugs.

Measure and mark the extension, then use your hacksaw or pipe cutter to cut it. It’s always smart to cut it a tad long and then sand it down to the perfect length for a flush fit.

Step 4: A-B-E (Always Be Epoxying)

Mix your two-part epoxy according to the manufacturer's instructions. A little goes a long way. Use a dowel or a long nail to generously coat the inside of the club shaft's butt-end and the outside of the part of the extension you will be inserting. This full coverage is essential for a strong bond that won't come loose on the course.

Twist the extension as you push it into the shaft to ensure the epoxy spreads evenly. Push it in until it's fully seated. A small paper towel is good for wiping a clean line of any excess epoxy that squeezes out.

Step 5: Let It Cure

Patience is a virtue in golf and in club building. Stand the club upright (grip end up) against a wall and let the epoxy cure fully. Most epoxies need 24 hours to reach full strength. Don't be tempted to mess with it or start gripping it early. Let it set!

Step 6: Install Your New Grip

Once the epoxy is fully cured, it’s time for the final step. Put the club back in the vise. Apply a new length of double-sided grip tape, leaving about a half-inch of tape hanging over the end. Twist this excess tape and tuck it into the butt-end hole.

Put a few drops of solvent into the new grip, cover the hole, and shake it up to coat the inside. Then, pour the excess solvent from the grip all over the grip tape on your shaft. This acts as a lubricant. Now, working quickly, align the grip with the clubface and push it on in one smooth motion. It should slide on easily. Make any final alignment adjustments, and you're done!

Life After Extension: What to Expect

Extending your clubs is a a great fix, but it's important to understand it's not without consequence. The two biggest things you will notice are changes to swing weight and shaft flex.

A Note on Swing Weight

Swing weight is essentially how heavy the clubhead feels during the swing. By adding length at the butt-end of the club, you are adding weight far from the club's center of gravity. This adds swing weight points, making the head feel heavier. A 1-inch extension can add about 6 swing weight points, which is a very noticeable difference.

This isn't necessarily a bad thing! Some players like a heavier-feeling clubhead. But if it feels too clunky and slow, you can have a "counterweight" (usually 10-20 grams) installed in the butt end of the shaft under the grip to bring the feeling back closer to where it was.

A Note on Shaft Flex

Lengthening a shaft also makes it play slightly softer. A 1-inch extension might make a "stiff" flex shaft play somewhere between a "stiff" and a "regular" flex. For most amateur golfers, this small change is barely perceptible and not something to worry about too much. But it’s good information to be aware of, especially if you have a high swing speed.

Finally, extending your clubs makes your stance more upright, which can change your lie angle at impact. After playing a few rounds, it’s a great idea to do a simple lie angle test with some electrical tape on your club's sole to see if your contact is centered. You can easily have the lie angle adjusted at any golf shop.

Final Thoughts

Making your golf clubs longer is a manageable and highly rewarding DIY project that can have a huge impact on your game. By getting your clubs to fit your body, you set yourself up for better posture, a more consistent swing, and more enjoyment on the course.

Now that your clubs fit you properly, the next step is building confidence in how to use them. Whether you're standing over a perfect lie or facing a tough sidehill shot, posture is everything. That’s where I've seen technology really help players. If you ever find yourself in one of those really awkward situations on the course, I know that being able to take a quick photo of your ball's lie with Caddie AI and get an instant, AI-powered recommendation on how to play the shot is a massive confidence booster. It helps take the guesswork out of those tricky spots so you can just focus on making a good swing.