Tips to Refinish Golf Clubs Yourself

By J.D. Chi
Refinishing old golf clubs can be a rewarding process.
Refinishing old golf clubs can be a rewarding process.

Refinishing golf clubs is a fairly simple process that will give you an opportunity to try new things with old clubs. Whether you want a new look on your putter head or a different flex on your shaft, refinishing clubs at home is a great way to try out new technology. Refinishing clubs is a do-it-yourself project and should be approached with ample time and proper materials. If you will be refinishing multiple clubs, the process might take several days--clubs need to dry for about 12 hours at different stages of the process.

Overview

Refinishing golf clubs is a fairly simple process that will give you an opportunity to try new things with old clubs. Whether you want a new look on your putter head or a different flex on your shaft, refinishing clubs at home is a great way to try out new technology. Refinishing clubs is a do-it-yourself project and should be approached with ample time and proper materials. If you will be refinishing multiple clubs, the process might take several days--clubs need to dry for about 12 hours at different stages of the process.

What You'll Need

When refinishing golf clubs, it is best to collect everything you will need--from new shafts or grips to double-sided tape and solvent--before you start.

Refinishing or club-making kits are available at most major retailers.

Among the key items you'll need are a vise, a hooked-end utility knife, a heat torch, double-sided tape, solvent, rags and any new gear you're planning to install. You might need additional materials depending on the scope of your project.

Grips

Replacing grips is the easiest project, and since you should replace them every six to 12 months, it's a good one to be familiar with. To replace grips, you'll cut off the old grip using a hooked utility knife, peel off any tape and tape residue, clean the shaft with solvent and then install a new grip.

Shafts

Replacing shafts is a bit more involved and often requires the use of a heat gun or torch. Even heat must be applied to the hosel where the shaft meets the clubhead. The heat will help to loosen the epoxy bonding the shaft to the club. Once the epoxy begins to break down, you can twist most clubheads off by hand.

When the shaft is removed, clean out the hosel, then apply epoxy to the new shaft and the interior of the hosel. Insert the shaft into the hosel and let dry overnight.

Clubhead

Putting a new finish on your clubheads is quite easy and will make your clubs look like new.

The first step is removing the current finish and any paint on the clubhead. This may be accomplished by soaking the clubhead in Coke for two to three hours, then wiping the finish off. Apply additional solvent to difficult spots. Once the finish is off, you can repaint the printed areas with any color of acrylic paint you desire and apply a new finish to the entire clubhead.

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