DIVNICK™ Operating Instructions
This page is an expanded version of the printed instructions that are included with each club.
CONGRATULATIONS! The DIVNICK™ is the most innovative golf club in 50 years. It combines the latest golf club physics (perimeter weighting, progressive offset shaft alignment, low center of gravity and extra-large sweet spot) with over 34 loft options using a unique vernier transmission hidden in the club. You can select from several putters, all the irons, multiple wedges, and even half lofts. The locking lever needs only to be finger-tight and requires no separate clumsy leverage tool. Simply stated, there has never before been anything like the DIVNICK™! We know you will enjoy it for years to come.
This page has three sections:
- Instructions
- Maintenance
- Performance and Best-Play Topics
To ensure your enjoyment, please review all the directions, cautions, and Best-Play Topics. Quite a few customers have not done this and initially thought their transmission was broken because they didn't understand how to use the back-and-forth shifting, or they didn't know they needed to re-align the black lever which will progress during the break-in period. We recommend that you practice adjusting the lofts at home before playing. Then spend a little time at the driving range (off real grass rather than mats if possible). You will learn the distance of each loft and discover which loft gives you the best distance. It may surprise you that it will not be the "D" as discussed in the Best-Play Topics.
LEFTIES: These instructions are pictured and described for right handed players. Lefties will be the opposite.
TO EXTEND THE SHAFT, hold as shown above and twist and pull until the shaft is loose from the hosel (neck socket), then SWIFTLY pull the ends apart so that the shaft "snap-locks" into its fully-extended position. It will not lock if opened slowly with strength. It must be "snapped" open as fast as you can. If you can twist it loose by rotating the head and grip in opposite directions, it needs to be re-extended...probably with an even snappier motion. Don't worry...you can't hurt the shaft doing this.
When extended as described above, it should never twist loose or release unless you are purposefully impacting the grip-end on concrete to collapse it as described below. But sometimes there are some imperfections inside the shaft that smooth out over time so it locks more securely the more you use it. You can accelerate the metal-to-metal break-in and clear out any imperfections by doing the following:
Accelerated Shaft Break-in Instructions
Slowly extend it all the way out, but don't lock the joints. With one hand holding the head and the other hand holding the grip, twist back and forth while pulling the shaft apart as strongly as possible. This will "grind" the metal-to-metal overlapping portions against each other on one of the joints...the other joint will lock. After about 10 to 20 back-and-forth twists, the metal will heat up dramatically (don’t touch the overlapping section for a few seconds) and it will begin to feel “gritty” accompanied by a screeching sound . This feeling and sound is evidence that it is removing imperfections on the inside surfaces. As soon as you feel and hear that, then re-extend it by snapping it open briskly so it locks. Then try loosening the joints by twisting the head and grip in opposite directions. If this releases the other overlapping section, repeat the back-and-forth twisting and re-extending until you can no longer twist either joint loose. This process will really give your shoulders a work out. Please let us know if you need any instructions over the phone while doing this. (1-937-384-0003, same as New York time zone)
CAUTION: WHEN COLLAPSING, KEEP YOUR HANDS ON THE GRIP AND HEAD. DO NOT HOLD THE SHAFT BELOW THE HEAD WHICH MAY CAUSE PINCHING WHEN IT COLLAPSES.
TO COLLAPSE THE SHAFT, hold the head with your thumb and forefinger as shown with the toe of the club pointing away
from you. DO NOT hold it with the toe in the heel of your hand as if it were a cane. Make sure your fingers are NOT touching the shaft as that can pinch them.
Also, notice in the picture that I am holding the head at the top of the SHAFT rather than on the main part of the head. This is very important so that the impact force is straight down into the shaft. If you hold the main part of the head, the force is off-line from the shaft and that imparts a sideways impact on the shaft which significantly reduces the necessary impact force.
Strike the grip-end of the shaft on smooth hard concrete STRAIGHT DOWN. The harder and smoother the surface, the better. Do not attempt to collapse the
shaft on grass, wood, tile, or carpeted floors. Concrete is MUCH harder and better than asphalt. The impact from the concrete transfers directly into the shaft through our proprietary stainless steel collapsing cap which is pressed onto
the end of the shaft.
A swift "wristy" action is required. Power and muscle does not work, so don't hold the head and grip with a "full hand," grip it lightly with your fingers and thumb as shown.
Notice in the picture above that I am bending over a little so that my forearm is more perpendicular to the shaft. This promotes a straight-down motion. Your elbow needs to be at the same level as the head of the club at impact. You don't want to strike the ground at an angle.
After the first joint releases, keep your hands on the extreme ends to avoid pinching, and 1) Lift the half-collapsed club about a foot in the air and 2) Strike the grip end onto concrete again until the second joint releases. DO NOT EVER try to ram the shaft sections together in mid-air. You MUST strike the collapsing cap into concrete. If you attempt to ram the sections together in mid-air, it can push the collapsing cap off the end of the shaft.
When the second joint releases, be careful not to allow the lower end of the grip section to ram all the way down into the top of the hosel. This will deform the bottom of the grip section and increases the chances of pinching your fingers. To avoid this, just make short brisk strikes into the concreate.
The second joint is sometimes stubborn and may require several strikes. The "secret" is to make a swift and loose wristy snap straight down. Don't worry about hurting the club. Just make sure you avoid getting your fingers pinched.
It's much easier to do this on one knee rather than bending over. Being on a knee promotes a straight-down motion while bending over at the waist tends to cause a sideways impact.
Notice that I am still holding the head with thumb and forefinger, with the other fingers away from the shaft. A light grip promotes a wristy action, and you want your fingers safely away from the shaft to avoid pinching.
Be sure to watch the video below which includes some other hints.
In rare circumstances, the shaft may be difficult to collapse, especially if it is stored in its extended position, which we do not recommend. In almost all cases, difficulty collapsing is because of improper technique…holding the head instead of the top of the shaft, or not snapping it into concrete swiftly enough. However, sometimes it may be necessary to apply heat to the outer section to expand it, then immediately re-striking it onto concrete before the inner section has a chance to get warm. You can heat it with a boiling cup of water, or with a heat gun...the kind used to remove wall paper, or plumber's propane torch. Then immediately try to collapse it on a concrete surface using the above technique. This is the same idea as heating a jar lid to expand and loosen it. The head section locks on the first 3 ring-steps of the middle section, and the middle section locks on the first 2 steps of the grip section. So that is where you would concentrate the heat. Contact us if you have any questions about this.
Adjusting the Loft
Lefties, see the asterisks* and corresponding explanation at the bottom of this section. Basically, the words below such as UP, DOWN, ADVANCES, and DECREASES are opposite for you.
Ratcheting the head back and forth "polishes" the gear teeth in the transmission, so it gets smoother and smoother over time. We call this the "break in period" which will be discussed more in the "Lever Alignment" section further down this page.
Before reading HOW to adjust the lofts, click here to see all the lofts and corresponding degrees.
It is very easy to adjust the loft...once you have a complete understanding of how the transmission works. I can't begin to tell you how many times we have received calls or emails from people who thought their transmission was broken because they didn't read the instructions. Also, although rare, we have had customers who have broken the teeth in the transmission because they tightened the lever without the teeth being fully engaged. So please read every word of this section and watch the video that demonstrates how to make the half-loft adjustments, and practice a simulated few holes before you go out to play.
To adjust the loft, right handed players hold the club head in your left hand with the shaft tucked under your right arm as illustrated. Be sure to look straight
down on the dial as illustrated with the black arrow in this picture so you can read the dial accurately. Unscrew the locking lever (counter clockwise-indicated by white arrow) with your right hand 1 full turn, no more than 1 1/2 turns . This allows the teeth in the transmission
to pass each other as they move in opposite directions. Rotate the head first one direction until it clicks. Then rotate the head the other direction until it clicks again. Each PAIR of back-and-forth clicks automatically ADVANCES* the head ½ loft (an almost imperceptible 2 degrees on this small dial) no matter which way you click first. Ratchet back and forth until the index arrow on the head points to the desired loft, then re-tighten the nut (clockwise) thumb-tight. It only has to hold for one shot, so you don't need wrench-leverage. Be aware that it takes more force to initially unscrew it than to tighten it because of what is called "static-friction". Be sure to read more about this in the lubrication instructions below.
NOTE: The spring washer is included to help press the teeth together so they engage and ratchet against each other. You will also want to press the hosel in your right hand into the head in your left hand (opposite for lefties). This forces the teeth fully together so you know what the loft will be when you tighten the lever. If the teeth are not fully engaged (pressed together), the arrow will move as the lever is tightened. When we first designed this club, it was without a spring washer. Your arms are better at providing the "pressing together" that is needed to ratchet and read the lofts. After you get used to that, you can remove and toss the spring washer. Of course, when you do that, you will need to re-align the black lever as described below because it rotates farther without the thickness of the spring washer.
Here is a little more detail about what happens when you click each direction. When you click it UP one click, it moves 5 lofts (20 degrees). When you click it back DOWN one click, at moves 4 1/2 lofts (18 degrees). That is a half-loft gain. But that is barely noticeable on the small radius dial with the index marks. At first glance, without reading the above paragraph carefully, some customers have wondered if their club is broken...thinking the return click is bringing it back to the same position where they started. But it does, in fact, ADVANCE with every PAIR of clicks (it decreases 1/2 loft for lefties).
CLICK HERE TO SEE AN IMPORTANT CAUTION
While playing, do not unscrew the lever more than 1 1/2 turns in order to avoid losing parts in the grass. Make sure the lever is tight during storage or non-use in your golf bag.
SPEED SHIFTING: It is very quick and easy to "speed shift". Just rotate the index arrow on the head as many clicks as necessary so it is on or below* the desired loft mark, and then ratchet in pairs of back-and-forth clicks until it is aligned with the desired loft. Speed shifting is like driving a car and making a 90 degree turn. You don't do any math, you just turn the steering wheel "enough". You learn how much "enough" is by experience. When you get used to adjusting the golf club, you will get very fast at speed shifting which might be 5 clicks up and 3 clicks down. You could do the math for that using the degrees listed in this picture, but you don't need to. No one "counts" the clicks. You just do it "enough" with a little practice.
When adjusting to the P (Putter) from a steeper loft that you have used to reach the green, rotate the head straight down as many clicks as necessary to the P or BELOW it. Depending on the loft you used to reach the green, it might ratchet straight to the P. But more than likely, it will be below the P and all you have to do is ratchet back and forth until the arrow is pointing to the P line. For lefties, you would move the head to the P or ABOVE it, then ratchet DOWN 1/2 loft with each pair of clicks.
That is the same technique used to adjust for every loft. Move directly to the desired position or below* it...then fine tune the adjustment by ratcheting up* to the desired loft in pairs of back-and-forth clicks. WATCH THE VIDEO!
The index lines are odd numbered clubs as marked, and the middle of the spaces between the lines are even clubs (2,4,6,8, and pitching wedge). Half-lofts are just above or below the lines as illustrated below.
The DIVNICK™ offers the ultimate in fine-tuning your game. Not only does it provide half lofts for those "in between" distances, you have several wedge options including the standard pitching and sand lofts on up to super wedges far beyond the last index mark. You will notice that we have two sand wedge marks. The first "S" is a standard 52-degree loft, the second is a 60-degree super wedge with 3 lofts in between. You can even lock it well above the second S mark, at 62, 64, 66, 68, or 70 degrees. If you go much higher, the angle of the blade is so steep that you might take a swing and slide under the ball without advancing it...which is actually a pretty cool trick. CLICK HERE to see a full size picture of the head, lofts, and degrees .
*LEFTIES: The transmission for our left-handed club is exactly the opposite of the right-handed transmission. In other words, it DECREASES 1/2 loft with every pair of back-and-forth clicks. So you would adjust it by speed-clicking directly to the desired loft or just ABOVE it, then ratchet back and forth until it comes DOWN to the desired loft.
HOW TIGHT? Tighten the lever "snugly" so that the transmission locks securely. However, it does not require excessive force. Normal tightening is enough to hold for one hit since you usually change lofts for each subsequent hit. Since you are only using finger-tight pressure, repeated hits such as at a practice range will loosen the lever so you should check and retighten it after every 2 or 3 shots while on the range. There isn't enough leverage in that small black lever to torque it tight enough to hold for unlimited shots. See the lubrication recommendations below.
TOO TIGHT? If you don't keep it lubricated between rounds as described below, it is possible that it will "lock up" so tightly that you won't be able to easily loosen it for adjusting the loft. In other words, it can require more finger-force to unscrew it than to tighten it. This is caused because of the dry friction between the nut and spring washer. If that happens during play, hold the head in your off-hand (left hand if you are right-handed) with the shaft pointing down toward, but not touching the ground. With your off-hand holding the head, wiggle the club back-and-forth while attempting to unscrew the lever with the thumb on your dominant hand. The angle of the wiggle is important...it needs to be in line with the face of the head, not in line with the threads. The wiggling of the club with the shaft pointing down toward the ground relieves some of the tension between the washer and nut and helps to release it. If that doesn't work for you, you can put a layer of towel between your thumb and the lever to get a little more grip on the lever. Then, before you retighten it again, add some sunscreen, ChapStick, or anything else you can find to get you through the rest of the round. Add it between the nut and washer. Then be sure to lubricate it between rounds as described below.
LUBRICATION: You do not need to lubricate (oil) the transmission unless you clean it (next section), but you do need to lubricate the threads and spring washer area between every round. We recommend any light oil or spray lubricant. Unscrew the lever 2 to 3 turns and spray or drip oil into the thread and washer area. HINT: If you forgot to oil it between rounds and you notice the lever being difficult to loosen, you can temporarily lubricate it with sun tan lotion, Vaseline, or even chap stick between the nut and the spring washer. Sun tan lotion actually works great. It takes more force to initially unscrew it than to tighten it because of what is called "stiction" which is a combination of static and friction. So be sure to lubricate it between the nut and washer. If you ever find it too difficult to untighten while out on the coarse, hold the head in your off-hand and let the shaft dangle straight down. While wiggling the head back and forth, apply loosening thumb pressure to the lever with your dominant hand. This back-and-forth movement will release the friction between the nut and lever making it easier to loosen. Then immediately lubricate it with sun tan lotion or anything else you have available, and that will make it easier to release for the rest of the round. Of course, it is better to lubricate it when you first notice it becoming more difficult to loosen.
Be very careful if you take the club apart over grass or any place where you can lose the parts. We don't recommend taking it apart unless you are over a table covered with a towel or newspaper.
WASHING: Typically, you do not need to wash the transmission. Because the gears pass over each other, it is self-cleaning. Even sand and grit naturally fall out of the transmission. However, if you want to clean it, you can unscrew the locking lever and separate the transmission. Be sure to do this over a towel or table so you don't accidentally drop the parts. Be aware that the spring washer can fly off. Rinse off the parts with soap and water. Let them dry completely. Lubricate all the moving parts with any type of oil or spray lubricant. This is not a high-speed moving part, so any type of lubricant will work fine.
IF THE CLUB IS WET from rain or washing, towel-dry it and spray some lubricant on the internal parts including into the loosened shaft joints, and store it in a LOOSENED position so the internal shaft areas can "breath" and dry.
SPRING WASHER: This club was originally designed without a spring washer. Since you adjust it by holding the head with one hand and the shaft with the other, by pressing both hands together a little during the back-and-forth ratcheting, it engages the teeth which is all that the spring does. The spring was added later to make it easier for you to make the loft adjustments in the beginning while you are getting used to how it works. But many people remove the spring and use the club like it was originally designed. If you remove your spring, you will need to make a lever adjustment (described below) because you will be removing the thickness of the spring.
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LEVER REALIGNMENT: The lever is factory-aligned so that when tight, it is approximately parallel to, or slightly in front of the face of the club as shown to the right. It does not necessarily align with the shaft which varies with the loft positions. After you use the club for a while and the transmission and threads break in, the parts fit closer and closer together, and the lever alignment will progress beyond this position. If you don't realign it, it will eventually be pointing down and catching on the grass. You will want to realign the lever as described below and shown in the video clip. |
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It is very tight, so you will probably only be able to push it on part way with your thumb. You can get it started, then tap it all the way down with the grip-end of the screw driver or lightly tap it with a small hammer. Alternately, you can place the flat part of the lever against the edge of a table or counter and push the head downward into the lever as shown in picture #2. Just be sure that the lever is straight on the nut as you push it all the way on. Don't let it get started crooked.
In most cases, depending on how much you use your club, you will need to realign the lever more than once as the stainless steel teeth and threads "polish" and fit closer and closer together. |
PARTS AND ASSEMBLY: There are six parts to the head assembly as shown below. The Ring Gear will only fit onto the head with the teeth meshing one way (18 teeth on the head side). The teeth on the other side of the ring gear mesh with the teeth inside the Hosel (20 teeth). Please notice that the spring washer fits with the edges bent "toward" the hosel. The lever is formed like a tight-fitting "socket wrench" to allow it to be adjusted as described above. It simply "presses" tightly onto the nut dry...do not use lubricant.
REPLACEMENT PARTS: If you ever need to replace the washer, nut, or lever, please contact us by email or call 1-937-476-1298 (Eastern USA). The head, ring gear, and hosel or cast in a family mold, so are not available separately. HINT: Be very careful if you disassemble the head that you don't lose any of these critical parts. If you want to replace the nut locally, it is a 5/16 x 24 thread grade 8 nut which you can find in most hardware stores. If you keep it lubricated, it will last permanently.
PERFORMANCE AND BEST-PLAY TOPICS
LIE ANGLE: You will notice that the toe of the DIVNICK™ is up a little for your full-length shots and the heel is up when putting. This is because of the 64-degree lie angle which is an average of irons and putter. You can read more about this and other performance topics in our FAQ's.
DRIVING: The main design-feature of a driver that yields distance is its length which translates into club-head speed. Therefore, it is impossible for the DIVNICK™ to generate as much club-head speed or drive the ball as far as a conventional driver. This is discussed in more detail in the Disadvantages section. But because it is the same length for every swing, many golfers will be able to "groove" their swing and might find that their drives are more consistently down the middle of the fairway with longer average distance. Because the 38.5" DIVNICK™ is the length of a 4 iron, most golfers will get maximum length performance out of the 3 or 4 iron setting, not the driver loft. The "D" position will not hit the ball farther, only lower, and it will be very difficult to hit it solidly and get the ball up because the lower the loft, the smaller the sweet spot. Tee the ball as you would for an iron tee shot on a par 3 hole regardless of the loft selection.
Since the 38.5" DIVNICK™ is the length of a conventional 4-iron, when set to lofts ABOVE that, it will hit the ball farther than normal. Some people choke down on the grip trying to simulate shorter-length clubs. But you can control the distance better with full swings by adjusting to a steeper loft which will result in a higher trajectory and allow the ball to stop or back up more effectively.
PUTTING: The other extreme, in terms of club-length, weight, and head shape, is putting. So it takes some mental and physical adaptation. Some customers choke down with their lower hand on the metal part of the shaft. Others grip at full length and just stand up straighter. Some place the ball back in their stance and put at an angle to their back foot rather than straight in line with their toes. There are many ways to putt. You just need to find the method that is best for you.
TELESCOPIC DRIVER AND PUTTER: The driver and putter are the two extremes of length, head shape, weight, and purpose. If you want to carry those clubs but require portability for travel and convenience, consider our collapsible drivers and putters. Click here for telescopic driver and putter options and pictures.
SHAFT LENGTHS: We produce two standard lengths: The 38.5" and the 37.5" which is recommended for players less than 5'8" tall. We offer half inch custom lengths for an additional $20. After addressing the ball and taking a few swings, if you wish you had a different length, you may send your shaft back to us and ask for the other length. This offer presumes that the shaft and hosel socket is not scratched or otherwise unfit for resale. You can read more about lengths in our FAQ's.
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TRAVELING WITH OUR TELESCOPIC CLUBS: We used to be able to carry our telescopic clubs on flights, but not since 9-11. So plan on putting it in a checked bag. At least you don't have to pay extra for a conventional golf bag! Click here to see more details and history about this issue and what we are doing to try to change it. |
PLAY IT FORWARD!
Here's a picture of us golfing in Cozumel. It's Captain Shawn, my buddy Geritol, and myself. These adjustable clubs are fantastic! The first time I used it included a little practice on the driving range, then 18 holes. I shot 78 with it! Since the 4-iron length Divnick's don't hit the ball as far as a longer-shafted driver, we play from the forward tees so we can still reach the greens in regulation. It makes the game fun and I encourage everyone to play it forward! People at the course couldn't believe it. The pro and starter both hit it, took pics of it and loved it. I am positive you will be getting calls and orders from this." Thanks again, Patrick Verner NOTE FROM STEVE DIVNICK: We really like the idea of "Playing it Forward". We all know that this 4-iron length can't generate as much club-head speed as a driver, so why not shorten the course by playing the forward tees and give yourself chances to reach the greens in regulation. |
| LIFETIME WARRANTY Your absolute satisfaction is guaranteed. You may return your DIVNICK™ for any reason at any time. The DIVNICK™ also carries a lifetime warranty against breakage. If it ever breaks, we'll fix it. No charge. Click here for details. |
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Divnick International, Inc.
321 Alexandersville Road
Miamisburg, OH 45342
Visits by Appointment Only
Email: sales@divnick.com
Phone: 937-476-1298
9:00 am to 6 pm Eastern (New York Time Zone)
