If you’re particularly attached to a putter that you’ve used for years but acknowledge that it might be time to upgrade, refinishing the club is a viable option.
Refinishing your putter is the perfect way to restore an old putter to its former glory and saves you from having to invest in a brand-new club to use on the green.
But what’s involved in the refinishing process? And can you refinish a putter yourself DIY style, or do you need to hire a professional?
We answer these questions and more in this post as we look into putter refinishing in more detail.
What is Golf Club Refinishing?
Golf club refinishing is a process where a used golf club is taken through various processes with the aim of restoring the club so it performs like new. Typically, the process includes restoration, shaft replacement, re-gripping, club head repair, and sometimes the application of paintwork.
Professional golf club refinishers are experts in the art of taking an old and perhaps previously unloved golf club and turning it into a new and exciting club.
It’s also a good way to breathe some new life into your favorite golf clubs at a time when you’re considering buying a new set.
You can refinish golf clubs yourself, or you can send your clubs to a workshop for professionals to carry out the work on your behalf.
Either way, refinishing golf clubs is a great way to save yourself some money on new clubs.
Let’s take a look at how and why you should refinish a putter.
Can You Get a Putter Refinished?
Yes, refinishing a putter involves various aspects including, restoring or replacing the shaft, regripping, sanding the putter head, repainting, and other aesthetic touches such as scratch repair.
You can get any type of putter refinished, including mallet, face-balanced, toe-hang and blade styles for example.
Whether it’s your favorite TaylorMade, Wilson Scotty Cameron, Titleist, Odyssey, PING, Mizuno, or an old-school putter that you can’t imagine your game without it’s not as a difficult task as you might think.
You can refinish a putter yourself (as explained in the following section), or you can take your club to a golf club refinishing or repair company to do it on your behalf.
It’s absolutely possible to transform an old putter that’s been sitting in your garage for years into a brand-new-looking club that will perform like a dream.
Finding an old putter on an online marketplace like eBay and then refinishing it yourself is an excellent way to save yourself some money and is a great alternative to buying a brand-new putter.
How Do You Refinish a Putter?
Although refinishing a putter requires some skill and finesse, it’s perfectly possible to do it yourself (DIY). And as a matter of fact, you can refinish a golf putter in three main steps which are summarized as shaft and new grip replacement followed by putter head repair.
The process in detail is explained:
Step One: Replace the shaft
Begin by looking at the quality of your shaft. Old putters often have dented shafts, which will need to be replaced.
You can easily remove the putter head from its shaft by softening the epoxy that keeps it in place. You can then attach a brand-new shaft of your choice to the putter head.
You can choose a shaft made from graphite or steel and will have to use some epoxy to reattach it to the clubhead.
You might also need to sand the end of the shaft so it fits in your new putter head.
Step Two: Add a new grip
Go online and look for a new grip for your putter. You can either replace the current grip with something similar or perhaps look to upgrade to something a little thicker and more exciting.
Grips come in various colors and designs, too, which can really add to the aesthetics of your putter.
You will need to soak your grip in the solvent provided before sliding the grip onto the new shaft. It takes around twenty minutes for the solvent to set, so you will need to leave your putter while it dries.
Step Three: Sand the putter head
Last but not least, you will need to sand down the putter head to bring back its panache.
Just be careful not to overdo it, as you can potentially ruin the weight of the putter head if you sand it too hard.
Once sanded, you can also repaint or respray it if you wish.
If you aren’t overly great with your hands and don’t want the hassle involved in refinishing your putter yourself, you can take it to a club-fitter in your area who will be more than happy to refinish your putter on your behalf.
How Much Does It Cost to Refinish a Putter?
If you hire a professional to refinish your putter, it is likely to cost between $120 and $150, which is cheaper than buying a new putter. However, if you’re happy to do it yourself, you can almost certainly refinish a putter by spending less than $50 on materials.
You will just need to invest in the required tools to get the job done, as well as a new shaft and grip.
Of course, the price of your putter refinishing will depend upon the quality of shaft and grip that you choose, as there are lots of options and both ends of the cost spectrum.
If you successfully refinish your putter and add it to your bag, you could even consider setting up an eBay shop on which you sell refurbished putters for a tidy profit.
Refinishing putters is an excellent way to breathe new life into previously loved clubs, and you can find many used putters on the internet that are just waiting to be refinished!
How Do You Respray a Putter?
If you don’t want to replace any of the component parts of your putter, you can opt to respray it instead. And although you might think that respraying or repainting a putter is a job for the pros, it’s actually relatively straightforward to do yourself.
Here’s what you need to do:
Step One: Strip the current paint
Dip an old rag in acetone and rub the putter head to remove the paintwork. This might take a few attempts, but it will get the job done if you’re persistent.
Step Two: Dry thoroughly
Once you have removed the previous paint job, dry your putter head with a towel and ensure there’s no acetone remaining on the putter.
Step Three: Apply paint
Using a suitably sized paintbrush and acrylic paint, carefully paint the markings. If you’re respraying an entire putter head instead of the engravings, you will need to opt for an enamel paint as it will withstand the wear and tear your putter head undergoes on the golf course.
You use this method to also fix chipped putter paint.
Step Four: Dry
Once you’re happy with your paint job, leave your putter to dry for a few hours before inspecting the head and adding any finishing touches if desired.
Again, you can repaint your own putter, but you can also take it to a golf club repair outlet and hire someone to do it on your behalf.
How Do You Refinish a Putter Face?
In most instances, a simple sanding of the putter head will be more than sufficient when it comes to the restoration of a putter face. As previously mentioned, doing too much from a restoration perspective can disrupt the weight of the putter, which is something that you want to avoid.
Some people are interested in re-milling the face of their putters, but again, it’s best not to tamper with the face too much.
If there are nicks or notable dents in the face, then they will have to be treated and ironed out.
But re-milling the putter for the sake of it can affect the trueness of your stroke.
If you think your putter face needs re-milled, it’s probably best to ask for a second opinion.
Custom club fitters of professional golf club refinishers are best placed to help you with structural adjustments to your putter head, and this is something you should probably avoid doing yourself.
Does Scotty Cameron Do Putter Refinishing?
Yes, Scotty Cameron does putter refinishing, and you can place an order through his website. Scotty personally checks every club that goes through the workshop to ensure the restoration and finishing are perfected to his demanding standards.
Going back to the manufacturer is your best bet if you have a Scotty Cameron model.
Widely regarded as the best putter in golf, Scotty Cameron’s range now falls under the Titleist brand and is the trusted putter of so many PGA Tour professionals.
Scotty Cameron has been manufacturing putters since the early 1990s, so if you have a classic model that you want to refinish, then it’s a great idea to get in touch with the workshop directly.
While you can refinish a Scotty Cameron putter yourself, it’s worth paying the fee to have it professionally remodeled, so you can be sure that the quality remains the same when the club is returned to you.
Fixing Putters with Restoration and Refinishing
If you have an old putter lying around in the garage, now is the perfect time to refinish it and bring it back to life.
Even putters that are fairly new from the best brands like Titleist, PING, TaylorMade, Nike and Wilson Golf should be refinished at the end of every season – especially if they are your favorite!
The process is remarkably straightforward, and whether you do it yourself, DIY at home or hire a pro to do it for you, you will receive a restored putter that resembles a new club!
So, if you’re struggling on the green with your current short stick, refinishing one of your putters is a great way to try something a little different without breaking the bank.