Where did you learn club building?

[MikeG]

I've been kicking this idea around for a while given that they're located a half hour away. How was the program?

 

Duffer, if you do get there please report on the new forged wedge heads (the black ones). I'm very interested in them, need new 56 and possibly add a 60, and respect your ideas on these.

[Kor.A.Door]

It can be a fun hobby during the winter months to keep your mind off of not being able to play, I used to live in SW lower Mich.

so around the new year I would really get the itch to play, so I would order some club stuff and build something, then I would ask around to anyone I knew who would want to have something built, and build some more for them, anything to keep occupied, I didn't go out and buy all of the equipment either, I just improvised with what I had, masking tape and hacksaw for graphite and a tube cutter for steel. Nothing fancy, just enough to get the job done, it took a little more work by hand, but that was okay. As I said before, it was something fun to do, and it is pretty easy unless you are looking to really make a gaming set, then you will need more equipment and tools to do it properly, but as a hobby you can make some usable clubs.

 

Lately the only club work I have done is to regrip and reshaft my driver. I also made a spine finder tool with a piece of tube and some bearings, the price they charge for one of those things is ridiculously stupid for what it actually is.

[Kor.A.Door]

One other thing I was just thinking is that spine alignment doesn't matter with the adjustable drivers unless you know exactly which setting you are going to use.

[BIG STU]

I started way back when my Dad ran a golf course. He was not mechanically inclined so he did not do any club repair at all. I ordered a book from a company called Golf Day products out of Chicago. I still have that book. I started regripping. A friend of his ran a repair shop and was a master club builder at the time. He would buy persimmon blocks and make driver 3 woods etc. I was fortunate to get to spend time at his shop and for a 12 year old it was fascinating to say the least and I learned quite a bit. I got out of the business for a while and took it back up 13 years ago when we moved to the beach. I have always been mechanically inclined and have spent most of my life around heavy equipment, race cars and motorcycles. I got back into piddling with clubs. I was fortunate I went to an auction and bought out a bunch of equipment from a club repair shop that the owner had died and no one knew what they were bidding on and I got it cheap including my Silvestri Universal loft and lie machine. When a golfing buddy of mine decided to open up a shop I sorta went in with him lending him my equipment and working there some. When we closed up in 08 I put my equipment in my shop at the house and did some repair work for a friend of mine who ran her own golf and tennis shop. When she closed in 2010 I sorta lost heart for a while and put my equipment in storage. Last March I re done my building and set up shop again. I have a great friend who is probably one of the best club fitters and builders on the beach I have learned a lot from him. I have also learned a lot on this forum. I also watch videos on the internet and have several Maltby videos and I do experiment a lot especially with wedge grinds. It is fun and relaxing for me. I do sell and horse trade a lot and make a little money. if I was going to do it full time with a storefront etc I would move from here. there is too much competition here to make a serious go at it