Make sure the parts fit together. Experience has shown the companies that sell the components will ensure the shaft, grip, and putter head are compatible.

Measure the length and cut the shaft, if needed, to size.

Apply the grips.

Prepare the shaft before we epoxy it to the putter head.

Epoxy the shaft and putter head.

Make sure you have all of the components. The following items are needed to build a long putter:

1. Putter head
2. Long shaft
3. Grip - see Note #1 below for more information
4. Grip tape - see Note #2 below for more information
5. Small container of water or acetone (might be helpful to have a pan to catch any over flow of water or acetone). Also, if you have some, using dish washing liquid can be helpful. See Note #3 below for more information.
6. Epoxy
7. Pipe cutting tool or hacksaw
8. Sand paper or sanding stick
9. Paper towels or soft clean towels and water for cleanup
10. Marking pen
11. Two small rubber bands

It is best to have an area to work that is free of obstuctions. Remember the shaft is almost five feet in length. Read the instructions all the way through before beginning, it will make things a bit easier.

Note #1 - There are two styles of grips to choose from, a split grip and a one piece grip. (It seems strange that is called a one piece grip because it actually is in two pieces, but once it is installed it forms one continuous long grip. The choice of one over another is strictly a matter of personal preference. There is a USGA rule that states if there are two separate grips they must be at least 1 1/2 inches apart. Unless you are making a very short long putter this probably won't be an issue. This rule doesn't apply to the continuous grip style. We have separate instructions for each style of grip. Please be sure to read the all the instructions before starting.

Note #2 - There are a couple of different types of tape that you can use. One is a water activated tape which means that you only need to wet the grip tape with water to prepare it for sliding the grip in place. The other type of tape is activated by a liquid such as acetone. In the past we have used the acetone process, but recently tried the water-based process and it seemed to work as well. Also with the water there is no smell and there aren't any major safety issues to worry about. The acetone is highly flammable!

Also you can purchase tape in pre-cut strips or you can purchase it in rolls. If you do not have a need to grip a lot of clubs, the pre-cut strips make a good choice and they are priced around 25 cents per strip. The roll of tape is around $9 for a roll of 54 feet of tape. A nice thing about the roll is that you can limit the waist by cutting just what you need.

Note #3 - Use a clean plastic bottle full of warm water. One drop of liquid dish soap can be added to 16 ounces of water to make the grip slide on easier.

Building a long putter

Do a test run to make sure the tip of the shaft will fit into the putter head. Insert the shaft into the putter head. No epoxy yet, you just want to be sure we received the correct equipment. It is probably going to be a snug fit and that is OK.

Measure the Length of the Shaft and Placement of Grips

At this time we are going to measure for the length of our putter. Take your grips and using the rubber bands attach them to the shaft in a position close to where you think they will be used. With the putter head still attached to the shaft, take a comfortable putting stance, eyes over the ball. Place your forward hand on your sternum so the top grip extends past your hand slightly. Place your trailing hand, about thigh high on the lower grip (move it up or down if needed).

Do this process a couple of times just to make sure the grips are located on the shaft in a comfortable postion. After the grips are positioned correctly, lay the shaft on a flat workspace. Mark the shaft for the top grip where the cap of the grip connects to the grip. The mark indicates the length of the putter after it is cut.

Mark the shaft for the lower about 1/4" less than the length of the lower grip. If you have a split grip mark at the top and bottom part of the grip. This is where to apply the grip tape. The tape should not extend past the grip.

Each grip style has specific instructions to make the job a bit easier.

Installing split grip

Remove the putter head if you haven't done so already when installing the grips.

Installing the lower grip

Cut or trim the grip tape to the measurement you just made on the shaft. Remove the white liner from the tape and place one end of the tape at the top mark and gently attach the tape smoothly down the shaft. Once the tape is on the shaft carefully wrap the tape around the shaft. The tape will be applied the same direction as the shaft.

With the lower piece of tape in place, we will put on the lower grip first. Plug the hole at one end of the grip with your finger. Pour the warm water into the grip and along the surface of the tape. Cover the other end of the grip and shake it thoroughly to wet the entire inside. Pour the water from the grip over the tape to moisten it again. Make sure to shake as much water out of the grip as possible. It is critical the entire surface of the tape is wet. The grip has a top and a bottom, most of the time it can easily be determined by the manufacturers name on the grip. The lower grip is going to be applied through the tip end of the shaft. This end is smaller and makes the process a bit easier. Place the butt end of the shaft of the floor, slide the grip down the shaft so it covers the tape. The shaft is upside down, have the grip pointing the correct direction. The mixture of the dish soap and water should make the grip slide fairly easily but some pressure is needed, being careful not to bend the shaft. Position the grip so that it covers the tape completely.

Installing the butt end grip

Measure the depth of the grip and cut a piece of tape about 3/4" longer than the depth. This will allow for the tape to extend beyond the end of the club and make sliding the grip on easier. Remove the white liner and apply as before and this time twist the tape that extend past the end and push it inside the butt end of the shaft. Repeat the same process for applying the water to the grip and tape. Cover the hole in the end of the grip, fill with water, cover the other end and shake it up, pour the water over the tape on the shaft making sure the tape is wet all over. Quickly slide the open end of the grip over the end of the shaft until it will go no further making sure to cover the tape. If your grips have writing on them check to be sure they are aligned by twisting the grip on the butt end into the desired position. Allow at least one hour for drying time. More might be better.

Installing the continuous grip

Remove the putter head if you haven't done so already when installing the grips.

The only mark on the shaft is for the lower end of the lower grip. Place the tape on the mark and extend it past the end of the shaft about 3/4". This will allow for the tape to extend beyond the end of the club and make sliding the grip on easier. Remove the white liner and apply twisting the tape that extends past the end and push it inside the butt end of the shaft.

The bottom grip is installed first

Plug the hole at one end of the grip with your finger. Pour the warm water into the grip and along the surface of the tape. Cover the other end of the grip and shake it thoroughly to wet the entire inside. Pour the water from the grip over the tape to moisten it again. Shake as much water out of the grip as possible. It is critical the entire surface of the tape is wet. The grip has a top and a bottom, most of the time it can easily be determined by the manufacturers name on the grip and also the top of the lower grip will have a ridge that allows it to fit snug against the bottom of the top grip. Slide the lower grip over the end of the shaft and into position.

Install the top grip

Quickly repeat the process for the top grip. Push the top grip down as far as it will go so the cap meets the end of the shaft. Adjust the lower grip into position so that the two grips form one continuous grip with out any gaps between them. Allow at least one hour for drying time. More might be better.

Preparing the shaft tip

Take a piece of the sand paper and rough up the tip of the shaft. For a nice looking club, only scuff the tip that will not be visible once inserted into the putter head. The amount to sand will vary due to the style of putter head. This will help the epoxy bond better to the shaft and putter head.

Applying the epoxy

Depending on the kind of epoxy you have, follow any mixing instructions. Only apply the epoxy to the tip and insert the shaft into the putter head. (You might find it beneficial to not remove any plastic that covers the putter head, other than what is needed to access the shaft hole. This way the head will be protected from getting scratched and also if you are going to sell the putter it makes for a nicer presentation.) Turning the shaft to help make sure there is a good bonding of the epxoy to the shaft and in inside of the hole. Make sure if there are alignment lines on the grips have them to a square to the putter face. Once the shaft is inserted, gently tap the end of the shaft (we use a short 2 x 4 as a hammer) to be sure it is fully seated or in as far as it will go. Place the putter head on a towel that you have put on the ground. This will keep you from scratching the putter head on the floor. After the shaft has been fully inserted, wipe off any excess of the epoxy that oozed out of the hole in the putter head. This will ensure a nice clean and professional look to the club.

Let the epoxy dry over night, some other manufacturers might say an hour is all that is needed. We prefer the extra time to be sure.

We do not accept any responsibility for anything that might happen during this process.

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