Frequently Asked Questions

How do the telescopic shafts lock so solidly?
How do I collapse the shaft after play?
What kind of grip comes with my club? Can I change it?
Are the shafts as solid as one-piece shafts?
Are the shafts as durable as regular shafts?
Is the shaft length adjustable?
Do you install ferrules on telescopic clubs?
What is the flex of the shaft? Can I choose a different flex?
Do all telescopic clubs collapse as short as the Whole-In-One Adjustable Loft Club?
How can I know if I like the club before I try it?
How long does it take to get a telescopic club?
Can I carry my telescopic clubs on airplanes while traveling?
How do I measure a club's length?
Do your telescopic clubs perform as well as one-piece shafted clubs?
Can I get custom telescopic clubs with different heads?
Can I buy telescopic shafts and install them on my own heads?
Do telescopic clubs include the "shaft-hold" feature like the Adjustable Loft Club?

How do the telescopic shafts lock so solidly?
We make our shafts so that the sections lock within themselves using a "machinist's taper". We cut the shafts using a formula to achieve the desired final length, and the minimum collapsed length, then machine the inner and outer interlocking surfaces to form a perfect male and female locking fit. By definition, a machinist's taper requires more force to unlock or "disengage" than to lock. It is how cutting bits are fitted into machine shop tools which is more secure than a traditional drill chuck.. These bits can withstand enormous twisting force without loosening. A machinist's taper is more secure than splines, pins or threads. Simply stated, there is no other way of fitting metal to metal that is stronger or more solid. When applied to a golf shaft, it maintains the torque and flex that is necessary for optimal performance. Not only would pins, splines, or threaded couplings be less stable, they would interfere with the performance because of the weight and how they would negatively affect the torque and flex...critical elements for golf clubs.

To extend and lock the shaft, you merely pull it apart with a brisk motion, just as with our Adjustable Whole-In-One Club as described and shown here. To collapse it, strike the stainless steel cap that extends through the end of the grip onto concrete. The shock of that impact transfers directly into the shaft and disengages the machinist's taper. It won't come loose from swinging or ball contact. It must be struck DIRECTLY upside down into a solid surface. The machined stainless steel caps are pressed onto the end of the shaft.

If you want to see videos of the extending and collapsing process, click here to see our Whole-In-One Adjustable Instructions.

How do I collapse the shaft after play?
It is the same technique as our Adjustable Loft Club described here. Actually, it is easier with our telescopic shafted clubs which have 2 sections while the Adjustable Loft Club has 3 sections which require a second striking motion.

What kind of grip comes with my club? Can I change it?
We ship our clubs primarily with a Tackimac black grip pictured here. There are rare times that we substitute an alternate grip depending on supply. These grips never lose their tacky feel and are the most durable grips in the golf industry. If you want a custom grip, you can send us a grip and we will install it on your new club at no additional charge. If you already have our club and want to change the grip, you can remove it and install your own at any time. Just drill out the hole in the end of the grip so our collapsing cap can extend through. The size of the bit depends a little on the type of grip material and how much it stretches while being drilled. We use a 15/32" bit for the Tackimac grips which have a harder end-material than most grips. We recommend that you start with a 3/8” bit. You can always go larger if need be. You can test this fit before installing the grip by turning the grip around and seeing whether or not the hole slips over the small diameter portion. Click here to see the entire collapsing cap.
Note: You can’t use a “thumb-and-finger placement alignment grip” with a telescopic shaft because the grip-section doesn’t extend in the same orientation to the head.

Are the shafts as solid as one-piece shafts?
Yes. They are absolutely rock-solid. There is no rattle or movement. We know this is hard for people to understand or believe. When we are out on the course or at a demo-day, we often let people hit the club without telling them it is a collapsible shaft since that aspect isn't readily noticeable. They are amazed at how solid it is even with the multiple parts in the adjustable head. Then we show them how the shaft collapses, and their mouth drops open. The “solidness” of the shaft seems to amaze people more than adjustability of the head. This same phenomenon occurs with all our telescopic clubs.

Are the shafts as durable as regular shafts?
Yes. Shafts are carbon steel which is very durable. The outside is chrome plated which is even more rugged. So the taper-lock is carbon steel against chrome. Because nothing is moving during the swing, there is nothing wearing out. In the 20+ years we have been making this club, we have NEVER had a shaft wear out. And we have people who play daily with this club, and collapse it between every round. We also have many in the military who use our clubs in the roughest terrain in the world. The shafts will never wear out.

Is the shaft length adjustable?
No. The shafts are "telescopic" but not "adjustable for length ". In other words, they are either fully extended and locked, or collapsed for travel or storage. The playing length is not adjustable, other than your ability to choke up or down on the grip. An adjustment mechanism in the middle of the shaft would cost a lot more, and would diminish the performance of the shaft by interfering with the weight, flex, torque and feel. We actually have prototyped adjustable mechanisms, but the cost and negative affect on performance is too great. Various adjustable length putter shafts have been offered by some companies over the years, but even with the limited motion of a putter, any minor movement in the adjustment mechanism throws off a putt. They have never become a commercial success. Imagine the forces it would have to withstand with a full swing club.

Do you install ferrules on telescopic clubs?
No. Ferrules are only cosmetic, and they prevent the collapsed length from being as short as possible which is the goal of telescopic clubs. Also, they get chewed up by the end of the grip section. Putters don't have ferrules, and our T&F Driver head is designed without a ferrule. But wedges and hybrid heads are typically installed with ferrules, even though we don't use them.

What is the flex of the shaft? Can I choose a different flex?
Telescopic shafts are considered "Regular". Because of the sections and machining that is required to make the telescopic shafts, we are not able to offer variable flexes.

Do all telescopic clubs collapse as short as the Whole-In-One Adjustable Loft Club?
No. The Whole-In-One is designed to use a 3-piece shaft which collapses to just 17 or 18 inches. All other telescopic shafts are 2-piece shafts and do not collapse as short. The reason for this is because irons and putters have a .370 inch hosel socket which isn't small enough to allow for 3 sections. In other words, it doesn't provide enough differential from the .600 inch grip-end to the tip-end to allow 3 sections.

Telescopic T&F drivers collapse to just over 26 inches (see green length in the photo below). If you purchase a telescopic driver with a 400 or 460 cc head, it will be a little longer, depending on the height of the head. All other conventional irons and putters collapse down to around 21 to 24 inches. From a travel point of view, telescopic drivers fit diagonally in medium to large roller bags, and other clubs fit easily. Larger "rolling duffel bags" are not expensive and can accommodate several clubs and shoes in one section and all your clothes in another. Click here to see a great way to fit our telescopic clubs into an airline-checkable travel bag.

How can I know if I like the club before I try it?
We don’t think you should decide whether or not you like the club until after you have given it a full test, including an actual round or two. About half of our sales are to pre-existing customers. The other half are to people who have never hit a telescopic club before, but our satisfaction return rate is less than 1% with a lifetime satisfaction guarantee. That is an amazing statistic for a product that people purchase without seeing and touching first, not to mention, actually testing. So we are very confident that you will love the club. Nevertheless, there is no way for you to be able to agree with that until you have given it a thorough hands-on evaluation under real playing conditions. Please click here to read our full guarantee.

How long does it take to get a telescopic club?
It depends on the club. We try to keep the most popular telescopic heads in stock so that we can ship within one business day. These heads include the Tee & Fairway driver heads in both right and left handed, the three putter heads in right handed, the 56 and 68-degree Sand Wedges in right handed, and the 3 and 4-iron Hybrids in right handed. If you order something different than our standard inventoried clubs, we need to order them from our foundry source which takes about 10 days for us to get the head, cut the shaft to match, install and ship it. We are in Ohio, so it takes a couple of days of transit time to the East Coast and 4 or 5 days to the West Coast.

Can I carry my telescopic golf clubs on airplanes while traveling?
Not in America at this time. Since the terrorist attack in New York on 9-11, the Transportation Security Administration does not allow golf clubs to be carried on commercial airplanes. We are continuously lobbying with them to change that rule using the argument that golf clubs would not be used as a weapon since there isn't enough room to swing them, in addition to other logical arguments . However, now that airlines are charging for checked bags, traveling with telescopic golf clubs is MUCH less expensive than a full set. Click here for more about this topic. "Our Clubs Fly Free!"

How do I measure a club's length?
Note that the club length is not the same thing as the shaft length. The club length is the TOTAL length of the shaft plus the head, or at least the heel portion of the head below the bottom of the hosel. The easiest way to measure a club's length is to place the club in the address position with the head on the ground or floor, and place a measuring ruler or tape along the back of the shaft, from the floor to the end of the grip. It is easiest to have someone help you with this...to hold the club while you measure. Because of the variables of getting the end of the tape exactly on the ground at the precise intersection of the heel, being exact is difficult, but it will get you within 1/4 inch which is fine for non-professionals. Because of these variables, we are part of the group of golf club manufacturers who are trying to get the USGA to change the way they measure clubs. It would be much more accurate to measure the way the Long Drive Association (LDA) does it...by standing a club up against the wall and measuring from the floor to the end of the grip. This would include the head no matter how large or odd-shaped it was, and make length a more reliable measurement. But until then, we are following the USGA method.

Do your telescopic clubs perform as well as one-piece shafted clubs?
That is the bottom-line question. The performance of our telescopic shafts is exceptional and perform as well for all but the longest shafted clubs such as drivers and maybe 3-woods which benefit from lighter graphite shafts and can be perfectly matched to your swing. Steel shafts are heavier than graphite. There is no way to make graphite shafts telescopic...they just aren't rugged enough. Fortunately, shaft flex, kick, and torque characteristics aren't as critical for irons as drivers. Our Whole-In-One Adjustable is a 4-iron length, size, and weight, so it matches the 3, 4, and 5 the best, as verified by our customer testimonies and the Iron Byron Robot testing. Every other loft and club in a normal bag is a different weight, size, shape, and length for very specific purposes. The Adjustable can do it all, but it doesn't do it all as well as a full set for some logical reasons which we discuss more fully on a page of disadvantages. Our conventional heads on telescopic shafts perform exceptionally well, and most customers believe they aren't giving up any performance. Of course, installing a 3-wood head on a driver-length shaft as we do with our Tee and Fairway Driver creates a heavier swing weight because 3-wood heads are heavier than driver heads. But other than that, most people can't tell the difference in feel or performance.

Can I get custom telescopic clubs with different heads?
Yes, we build custom telescopic clubs for customers all over the world. Click here to read more about custom options and prices.

Can I buy telescopic shafts and install them on my own heads?
Some customers want to get a telescopic shaft, with our stainless steel collapsing cap and standard grip, then install it themselves. We can do that, but the cost is only reduced by the cost of the equivalent head from Hireko Golf. Also, if we don't have the head to measure the hosel length and depth, we will not be able to apply our cutting formula to yield the shortest possible shaft. In other words, the grip section might not go all the way down to the top of the hosel and the collapsed length will be longer than necessary. We do not recommend self-install. However, if you want to consider that further, click here to read more shaft-only-self-install options.

Do telescopic clubs include the "shaft-hold" feature like the Adjustable Loft Club?
No, it is not possible because of the diameters involved. . The Adjustable Loft Club was designed to use a .335" diameter tip shaft. As such, the hosel is small enough so that the small end of the grip section fits over it. We incorporated the shaft-hold ridge shown here so the grip section holds the head when collapsed. The paint-filled ridge also helps with alignment. The telescopic drivers also use a .335" tip shaft, but the longer length means the end of the grip section will not fit over the hosel. All the irons, hybrids, wedges, and putters use .370" tip shafts, and the hosels are too large for the grip section to hold them. The shaft-hold ridge is a cool feature because it allows you to carry the collapsed Adjustable Loft club by the grip without the head-section slipping out. So it is a bonus feature for the Adjustable Loft club, but not physically possible with the other heads. You just have to carry the other clubs with the heads upright.

Do you have any other questions? If so, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Earn the entire cost back just by showing it to your friends and people you meet on the course! Most of our sales are a result of satisfied customers telling their friends and demonstrating it on the course (it's a great way to pay for your green's fees!). For every new golf club customer that you refer to us during the first year, we will send you a $25 rebate! It is our way of saying thank you for spreading the word. Just ask them to type your name in the Comment Box when they place their order.

 

When we say "Big Stik" we mean really BIG STIK! It is 5-Feet long and has a massive DOUBLE SIZE head! It can hit the ball out of sight! Of course, it is COMPLETELY ILLEGAL! Designed for Outing Fund Raising...and the golfer who "thinks" he has everything! Click here to read more about this unique exhibition driver. If you participate in any charity golf outings, we have a turn-key package that easily raises over $1,000 using this club on one of the holes where everyone gets to try it. Click here to read about the fund-raising program.

 

We encourage fast play (ready golf) and the PGA and USGA recommendation to "Tee It Forward". It's simple. If you don't consistently reach the green, or at least consistently hit it far enough to reach it, then we recommend moving up to the next tees. Forward tees are similar to a handicap...a way to make the game more competitive, reasonably challenging, and more fun.