Extending Hogan Apex 1 shafts to standard men's length.

[JMSDKS]

I have a set of 1973 Hogan Apex blades with the frosted back. They are in great condition. They have Apex 1 shafts and are ladies length with ladies grips. I had this wild hair that I would extend them to men's length and regrip them to men's standard. Is this a stupid idea? I know most of what will happen (swing weight, flex point, etc.) should I decide to try this. Has anyone ever attempted to do something like this and if so how did it turn out? I am nearing 60 and my swing speed has slowed down and I thought maybe I could hit these if they were longer.

 

From what I can see the Apex 1 shafts have the same tip size as the other flexes but about 2/3 up the shaft is where the Apex 1 starts to become different than the other flexes resulting in a butt size of probably 0.56. If I could extend them about 1.5 to 2 inches and then find a ladies jumbo grip or just build them up then I might be in business.

 

Ideas?

 

Thanks.

[teevons]

I would soft step them ,use the 3 iron shaft for the 5, 4 for the 6 etc, then just get two regular shafts for the 3&4 heads. Much easier without all the adding length

[Shambles]

Considering that those are made for ladies back in 1973 when the thinking was that ladies needed softer shafts, soft stepping might not be all that good an idea especially as the man involved is only 60 or so. If the player is only in the area of sixty but of reasonably normal health, only skill and learning would interfere with his ability to swing a reasonably regular flex shaft.

Of course, if the player really has physical problems, softer flex shafts can make the difference. First measure the butt diameter to ensure that it is normal for men and not one of those cut down wonders. Then make some shaft extenders from old shafts, epoxy in place and use a chop saw for precise cutting to length. Regrip and you're ready to see if you can play them.

WARNING : Ladies clubs from back then also often had higher lofts than men's clubs so tailor your expectations accordingly. That was one of the reasons smart women of that time preferred to play with men's clubs once they had learned to play.


Shambles

[JMSDKS]

Teevons and shambles,

Thanks for the great suggestions. I don't have the tools or experience to remove the heads especially pinned ones. So I might try extending one to see how it plays. They are a little flat so the lie might end up decent. The swing weight might be weird and it might play like a noodle but I guess that is half the fun.

Wish me luck.

[Shambles]

Pins can be removed simply by heating and then tapping out with a hammer and nail if it does not fall out on it's own. Their purpose was to prevent the head from turning on the shaft. Back then people did not yet trust epoxy which was still new to the business so added strength was done with pins and dimples. Epoxy has improved tremendously since and we no longer feel the need to dimple and pin.

Returning the original pin is pretty much mission impossible. Much more simple is to buy a length of wire, epoxy the ends and insert in place, let dry and then cut as closely as you can manage to length, tapping the protruding bit flat and grinding out the protrusion you cannot manage. The wire diameter is best if it's a slightly snug fit and tapping the wire flush is important to prevent the protrusion from scratching or otherwise hurting the player when he handles the club.


Shambles

[JMSDKS]

Well several months have passed. I thought about leaving them alone or selling them but they are just too beautiful. So I just finished extending them 1.5 inches. I ordered 0.560 extenders from Golfworks but they didn't fit. Guess the Hogan Apex 1 shaft is 0.550 or smaller. So I used wooden dowels. Built up the grips with 4 layers of tape. Have yet to hit them. The swing weight sky rocketed to around D5. I will post more once I hit them.

[super20dan]

smart of you to go with wood dowls. that way you can sand them to fit. hope this works and they arnt too flexable.