shaft extensions...any negatives?

[hckymeyer]

I'm going to re-shaft the Amp Cell irons I'm reviewing and the set of C-Tapers I'm going to put in them aren't quite long enough. I play my irons off a 38.5" 5i and I was hoping I could soft step these and hit the length, but they are coming in just under 38". So now I'm debating if I should build them soft stepped and play them shorter, or bit the bullet and put extensions in all of them. I'm not really sure that the .5" difference in length will make any difference in how they play for me, but it's in my head now so I'll be thinking about it.

 

So the question is are there any negatives performance wise to add butt extensions to iron shafts? The extension would most likely be .5" - 1" in length.

[apprenti23]

The only time I ever had a problem with extensions was after a thinned wedge sailed over the green and I tossed the wedge toward the cart (like a punted football from 35 yards away) butt end landed on the path, broke the bond of the glue and I had to redo it after the round.

 

Never had a problem in 15 years with any extensions.

[Shambles]

I extended the shafts of one of my sets of irons by an inch. They were actually about half an inch short for my minimum comfortable length so now I'm well within my comfort zone shaft length wise. Almost like magic, I found it much easier to point my shots but more important to me my knees and the small of my back stopped complaining.

 

Shaft extensions are one of the gentler solutions to comfort swing problems, though much the same effect can sometimes be achieved with a lie adjustment. I think it's a better solution than soft stepping if you are not having any problems with shaft flex. A shaft extension, by my experience, has a miniscule softening effect and soft stepping also softens, but more so. I would go for less change if already good otherwise. As long as you are going for only an inch or less, there should be no structural problems provided the extension lip is epoxied to the shaft. You are the most likely person to even be aware that the job was done and only because you don't have to bend the knee and/or the back as much. Once installed, there is no pressure on the extension in normal use. I used home made extensions.

 

 

Shambles

[hckymeyer]

Thanks for the answers guys, that puts my mind and wallet at ease. $10 worth of extensions will be a lot quicker and cheaper than finding another set of C-Taper pulls.

[RookieBlue7]

Long as you're not extending by more than 1.5-2 inches, they'll be fine. Make sure you rough up the part that goes inside the shaft as well as inside the butt of the shaft to ensure a good bond. Lots of times people neglect to rough up the inside of the existing shaft, which can have rust, etc in it and lead to a failure.