Snap Cap Golf Ferrules - Updated 2nd try

[hckymeyer]

Saw a picture someone tweeted from the PGA show this year of a new ferrule company.  It's called Snap Cap Golf and they make colored split ferrules.  The idea being you no longer have to remove the head of the club to install a cool ferrule.

 

I was intrigued enough to fill out the contact us form on their website and inquire if they worked on .370 size shafts.  I wanted to try them out on my hybrids but I hate pulling graphite shafts and it's not worth $10 a piece to take them somewhere to get pulled just to have a blue ferrule.  Turns out they do work on both .355 and .370 shafts so I bought a set to test them out.

 

 

Ferrules arrived and they look good.  Nice blue color and they will match my PURE grips perfectly.  It's kind of hard to see in the pictures, but one edge of the ferrule had a slight ridge and one side a slight indent and they snap together.  Very nice design and very easy to use.

 

 

So I followed the instructions on the website and used a hook knife to cut off the old ferrule.  It was much easier than I had imagined to do this part.  Then just add a little glue to the ferrule and snap it on.  Turns out this part is easier said than done.  There was a little glue left over from the previous install around the collar of the hybrid head.  So if I wanted the new ferrule to sit properly I would need to remove that excess glue.  I did my best to carefully cut it away with a pocket knife without cutting into the shaft.  I was mostly successful, but the end result isn't quite what I was hoping for.

 

Looks good from this angle...

 

 

But when you look at the sides where the seems are there is a slight gap on each side.

 

 

I think with better preparation I will have better results.  But I was in a hurry and just wanted to see how this first one goes.  I have it orientated so I can't see the gaps at address so I will probably leave it as is and see how it holds up when swinging.  I've got three more hybrids to go and I'll do a better job of prep on those.

 

So final results...

 

The Good:  Very easy to use.  Don't have to uninstall the head to put on a new ferrule. 

 

The Bad:  Still need to have very good preparation to get a good result.  Not quite as easy as it seems in the video's.

 

Final verdict?  I would give it a solid "buy" recommendation.  Even with some extra prep time it beats having to pull a graphite shaft just to install a new ferrule.  If it was a steel shafted club I would probably still just pull the head and put a traditional ferrule on.

 

Price is $10 for 8 ferrules which is pretty much on par with Cell Parts which is my other go-to place for ferrules.

 

http://www.snapcapgolf.com/

[Aotearoa_Brad]

Thanks hcky, will be interested to see how this holds up over time!

[Hula Rock]

do they snap flush before you install them on a shaft.????

[GolfSpy Barbajo]

That looks easy!  Would a little acetone help with the prep?  

 

Thanks for the review - will have to give these a try 

[hckymeyer]

do they snap flush before you install them on a shaft.????

Absolutely they do, and would snap flush on a .370 shaft easily if I had gotten all the old glue off.

 

That looks easy!  Would a little acetone help with the prep?  

 

Thanks for the review - will have to give these a try 

 

Not sure that acetone would help get the old glue off.  I think some additional careful work with a pocketknife and some sandpaper will be involved with my next try.

 

[Hula Rock]

ordered a set,  thanks for the "prep" heads up.... 

[mr_divots]

You guys are all very positive on here. LOL!

[jbil8802]

When I stained my stairs I got some dark mahogany stain on my light hallway carpet and was able to get it out with WD-40. Turns out it's also amazing for getting rid of glue on new clubs/shafts and might even work in this case. Might be worth a shot.

[hckymeyer]

Just wanted to throw out a quick update. I just finished swapping out the ferrules on my other 3 hybrids.  For some reason when I cut off the old ones there was no glue residue left and all three were very clean.  The Snap Cap ferrules fit perfectly now and I did all three in about 5 minutes.

 

One tip I forgot to mention... In the video's on their site they mention gluing the ferrules on and then putting a clothespin on them to hold it while the glue dries.  I don't have any clothespins, but I do have extra chip clips so I used those.  Very quick and easy.

 

[mr_divots]

I've gotta get my LS hybrid heads bent more upright and try them again. Super long and high when I made good contact with them. Problem was, that was too infrequent. 22 & 25 heads just laying here.

 

Interested to see how the 2nd attempt turns out with these. If you get a decent puller and a heat gun or torch, pulling shafts isn't a big deal. Good to have options though.

[hckymeyer]

I've gotta get my LS hybrid heads bent more upright and try them again. Super long and high when I made good contact with them. Problem was, that was too infrequent. 22 & 25 heads just laying here.

 

Interested to see how the 2nd attempt turns out with these. If you get a decent puller and a heat gun or torch, pulling shafts isn't a big deal. Good to have options though.

I ditched my 3w, 5i and 6i last year and went all LS hybrids. It's worked out very well.

 

A shaft puller is on my list, but if I'm not swapping shafts this is a much easier way to put on a new ferrule. If the shaft was already pulled, or it was steel, I'd still use regular ferrules

[JBones]

Can you do an up-close pic on the 2nd attempt, please?  I'm interested in these, but I'm very picky about the look of my ferrules.

[hckymeyer]

Can you do an up-close pic on the 2nd attempt, please?  I'm interested in these, but I'm very picky about the look of my ferrules.

I'll work on some pictures for you, but I'm guessing you are going to want to pass based on my results.

 

I took the clips off this morning and 2 out of 3 ferrules had crept up a little bit so there is a small gap between the ferrule and the hosel.  All three are better looking than my first attempt, but all three still also have a very small gap on one side of where it snaps together.  I'm not sure if I used too much glue or if they would just work better on .355 shafts.

 

I still say for $10 it's worth a shot, but I don't think i will be purchasing a 2nd set of these.  Given the option of a regular ferrule or these I would choose the regular ferrule.

[mr_divots]

Thanks for the honesty.

I'd personally never cut off a good ferrule install to do this.

[hckymeyer]

Thanks for the honesty.

I'd personally never cut off a good ferrule install to do this.

I'm blaming you for my sudden and intense desire for a shaft puller now

[mr_divots]

I'm blaming you for my sudden and intense desire for a shaft puller now

I've not yet made my forray into building yet, but have pulled a number of shafts. It defintiely has paid for itself many times over. I like my Golfsmith puller and swingweight scale.

[Dhuck Whooker]

I've not yet made my forray into building yet, but have pulled a number of shafts. It defintiely has paid for itself many times over. I like my Golfsmith puller and swingweight scale.

If you can pull graphite shafts, you are there, most of the other stuff is easy, if I can do it, it is easy.

 

Got to get me a graphite shaft puller...right after the new driver, and the rangefinder, and the..

 

Those snap-on ferrules are a good idea for a temporary, but long-term, ???

 

Can you use Acetone on them to close up that seam?

[hckymeyer]

If you can pull graphite shafts, you are there, most of the other stuff is easy, if I can do it, it is easy.

 

Got to get me a graphite shaft puller...right after the new driver, and the rangefinder, and the..

 

Those snap-on ferrules are a good idea for a temporary, but long-term, ???

 

Can you use Acetone on them to close up that seam?

Haven't tried that yet, but I have some in the garage

[mr_divots]

If you start taking acetone to these, their purpose is officially dead.

 

If you can pull graphite shafts, you are there, most of the other stuff is easy, if I can do it, it is easy.

 

Got to get me a graphite shaft puller...right after the new driver, and the rangefinder, and the..

 

Those snap-on ferrules are a good idea for a temporary, but long-term, ???

 

Can you use Acetone on them to close up that seam?

Yeah, I still need some tools if I'm going to start buildng. Chop saw, clublength ruler, specifically. Gram weight scale. Maybe a few other things. I should. It too would pay for itself.

[RookieBlue7]

Yeah, from the first time I ever saw two piece ferrules years ago to be used as replacements I knew there would never be a product out there fitting that purpose I'd ever use.  I'm too anal about my gear and I'd know it was there, I don't care if you couldn't see the seam.  I'd know it was there.  I didn't want to post anything until everyone formed their own opinion on them though because I didn't want to be a negative nancy.

[mr_divots]

Yeah, from the first time I ever saw two piece ferrules years ago to be used as replacements I knew there would never be a product out there fitting that purpose I'd ever use.  I'm too anal about my gear and I'd know it was there, I don't care if you couldn't see the seam.  I'd know it was there.  I didn't want to post anything until everyone formed their own opinion on them though because I didn't want to be a negative nancy.

Thanks! "Positive Peters" don't do anyone a bit of good either. Always say it like you see it. Its a retail product, not a person.

[markb]

I'm blaming you for my sudden and intense desire for a shaft puller now

 

I thought I wanted a puller too, and thought I couldn't pull a good graphite shaft and save the adaptor without one.  Rookie chastized me and told me how to do it and still save the adaptor AND the plastic ferrule and now I'm able to get them all off without a puller and without screwing them up.   I just screw the tip through a large flat washer and clamp the washer sideways in my vice,   I pull and rotate the shaft with one hand while applying heat with the torch with the other.   You can protect the plastic ferrule by taping a little flared "dog cone" collar made out of aluminum foil around it.   This will dissapte just enough residual heat to protect it if you're careful not to aim the torch right at it.   If pulling irons from steel shafts is a 2 on the difficulty scale, pulling delicate graphites from tip adaptors is only about a 3.5

[hckymeyer]

I thought I wanted a puller too, and thought I couldn't pull a good graphite shaft and save the adaptor without one.  Rookie chastized me and told me how to do it and still save the adaptor AND the plastic ferrule and now I'm able to get them all off without a puller and without screwing them up.   I just screw the tip through a large flat washer and clamp the washer sideways in my vice,   I pull and rotate the shaft with one hand while applying heat with the torch with the other.   You can protect the plastic ferrule by taping a little flared "dog cone" collar made out of aluminum foil around it.   This will dissapte just enough residual heat to protect it if you're careful not to aim the torch right at it.   If pulling irons from steel shafts is a 2 on the difficulty scale, pulling delicate graphites from tip adaptors is only about a 3.5

Pull and rotate with a graphite shaft while applying heat is the quickest way to end up with a slightly shorter walking stick.  You never want rotation while pulling graphite.

[RookieBlue7]

Yeah don't rotate it. If you're pulling an adapter, screw the bolt in it, put the shaft in the vice and use the screw as a leverage point. I like taking a small piece of plate steel with a hole drilled for the screw and using it as a place to hammer on. Drive it right off the shaft.

[hckymeyer]

Quick update - My ferrule lasted 3 swings and is now somewhere in hitting booth #2 at 2nd Swing Minneapolis.