We’ve all been there… There isn’t a single golfer on the planet who hasn’t raged while playing. Not everyone breaks their clubs when doing so, but it does happen to many people. Even if you don’t rage, it’s still possible for clubs to break as all things do eventually. What makes this topic such a big deal for Woods to Wedges is the fact that our business primarily focuses on repairing your clubs and making sure you’re fit for them in order for no breakage to occur. We always want to make sure your clubs are in the best condition before you buy them, and even after, if by chance they do break, and we want to explain how that works!
In this blog, we will run through several circumstances of how your golf clubs can break easily, what not to do, and how we can repair them afterward.
The Most Common Ways Golf Clubs Break
Contrary to popular belief, golf clubs are designed specifically to withstand the thousands of swings you will take with them over their lifetime of use. Newer golf clubs are very durable, but they’re not always safe from breaking. Whether it’s from raging and slamming the club, poor storage of your clubs, or simple wear and tear, every club is going to have its limits. Here are some of the most common reasons golfers end up with broken golf clubs:
Slamming Clubs in Anger
Let’s start with the biggest one of them all, the one EVERYONE has done at some point. After a poor shot, a golfer will slam their club into the ground or perform some sort of rage to throw a club at something. While it may relieve the frustration of hitting a bad shot, it’s one of the quickest ways to break a golf club.
Graphite shafts, especially in drivers, fairway woods, and hybrids, are particularly vulnerable to snapping under sudden impact when you slam them into something. Even steel shafts can bend permanently after being struck against hard objects. People will look at golf clubs and think they are hard to break, but that’s not true. If you put enough force into it, they are some of the easiest objects to break.
Tree Roots and Rocks on the Golf Course
Another example that doesn’t necessarily come from rage will just come from playing the game regularly, and sometimes the course itself is to blame for the positions you find yourself in when you hit a ball into a certain spot of the hole. If your ball lands right next to a tree or rock, think twice before considering swinging on it. To avoid breaking the club, either you can play it as it lies, or declare it unplayable and suffer a one-stroke penalty.
Hitting something solid underneath a rock or tree root sends an enormous force of energy into the shaft. The club won’t snap immediately; it can weaken internally and fail later on. A golfer won’t even realise the damage has already been done until the shaft eventually breaks. Taking an unplayable lie is a much better idea than ruining your clubs to keep your score down.
Shortening the Life of Your Clubs Through Bad Storage
Believe it or not, clubs can also break when they aren’t even being used. Leaving your clubs in the car during a hot summer day can weaken the adhesives and epoxy that hold the clubhead securely to the shaft. Over time, repeated heating and cooling can cause heads to loosen or ferrules to separate. Golf ferrules are the small plastic or metal rings positioned at the connection point where the golf club shaft enters the clubhead’s hosel.
If water gets inside a steel shaft and isn’t dried properly, rust can slowly develop on the metal. Eventually, this weakens the shaft enough that it may break during just a normal swing. If you come down on your swing, it’ll snap just from the velocity of how fast you’re coming down on it. After every round of golf you play, if things get wet, it’s worth taking just a few minutes of your time to dry your clubs before storing them away. And make sure not to keep them in your car the whole time!
Let’s say you’re traveling for vacation and want to take your clubs with you. Improper storage of the clubs can allow them to move around during transportation. This will lead to cracked graphite shafts, the irons being bent, or dented clubheads. Even loading clubs into the back of a car without protection can cause unnecessary damage. Using a quality travel case, headcovers, and extra padding reduces the chances of broken clubs. We recommend you look into any form of a club glove travel bag; they are really good for traveling!
Signs Your Golf Clubs Need Attention
Not every problem with your golf club almost breaking is going to become immediately obvious without proper inspection. Before every round of golf you play, give your clubs a quick look and see if you can find these signs:
- Small cracks near the hosel (where the shaft meets the clubhead)
- Loose clubheads
- Shafts that appear bent
- Rust spots on steel shafts
- Worn grips that feel slippery
- Ferrules that have started to separate
Spotting these problems early can prevent a complete break later on. Many issues can be repaired long before they become serious, and so if you see any of these signs, give us a call ASAP, and we will get you in to fix your clubs!
Depending on the damage, Woods to Wedges can make any repair you need. A professional golf club repair will restore your club to excellent playing condition without the added cost of buying new clubs. At Woods to Wedges, golf club repair is our specialty!
Many clubs that look beyond repair can be restored, and that means you save both money and the hassle of replacing them. Along with repairs, we also offer expert golf club fitting. Playing with clubs that are correctly fitted to your swing helps reduce the stress on your clubs while improving other parts of your game. If you have any questions or need help with club fitting or club repair, give us a call or reach out to us through our contact form. We can’t wait to help!