Equipment

How to create your own custom-stamped wedges

Published

7 years ago

Feb 5, 2014

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Like so many other readers here on GolfWRX, I eagerly look forward to PGA Tour WITB photos each week. One of the most interesting aspects of Tour bags for me (and especially at the Waste Management Open) has always been the custom-stamped wedges and irons, like Pat Perez wedge pictured above. Custom stamping is no longer just for the Tour, however.

Cleveland, Mizuno and Vokey offer different options as well as initial stamping on their wedges and this year Nike is offering it on its irons. But, like many other at-home projects, it’s just so much more satisfying to do it yourself. Let these pictures be a guide to getting started. It’s easier (and could be cheaper) than you think!

Materials

Stamping kit: Harbor Freight $9.99, Amazon.com $15 to $100.
Hammer/Mallet: I have a 4-pound mallet and found that to be the most effective.
Tape: Double-sided and masking.
Paint (Optional).

Setup

The goal here is to firmly secure the club face to a hard surface. If you have access to a vise, you are in business as most vises have an anvil. If not, just make sure that the clean club face is firmly secured with double-sided tape. You may need someone to hold the club head securely in place while you swing the mallet, which is not as dangerous as it sounds.

Stamping

Identify the area you want to stamp and cover it with masking tape. This serves three purposes: you are able to draw reference lines with a straight edge to make your stamping neat, the imprint shows better on the tape so you can re-align your stamp for successive strikes and the tape absorbs some of the blow, making it less likely that the stamp will “bounce” and create a second impression on the wedge.

Take note of how far apart you are spacing consecutive letters as most first-time projects end up looking a bit like this: “G O L FW R X”

Let’s face it: some guys are better with a hammer than others. If you can make a confident swing at the stamp and create a deep imprint with just one swing then good for you! If not, it’s OK to take multiple swings. In fact, you’ll see Scotty Cameron doing just that if you watch this video from his website. According to Cameron, deeper strikes look “more finished … thin looks dainty and weak.” From my own experience, I have learned it is best to oscillate the stamping pin so that each successive strike drives the stamp from different angles to ensure that the stamping is symmetrical and deep.

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Now bask in the glory of your very own “Tour” golf club! Obviously, this will take a little bit of practice. In the spirit of “measure twice, cut once,” you should probably try making a few practice stamps on an old club first. Keep in mind that forged clubs will be much more receptive to stamping than cast ones. Even with the cheaper Harbor Freight stamping kit, I still have not come across a wedge that is “unstampable” though.

custom stamping

Paint is optional and a great way to further customize your clubs. You can find many posts in the forums detailing different user methods. If nothing else, it most certainly brings a smile to my face when I look down in my bag to grab my DIY custom-stamped golf clubs.

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Eric Johnson

Eric Johnson is a golf professional presently based out of Park City, Utah. A long-time GolfWRX member, he has also worked at Australia's Barnbougle Dunes Golf Links and the Bandon Dunes Golf Resort. Eric is excited to be a contributor to the GolfWRX community.

22 Comments

Gary

Jun 16, 2015 at 2:14 pm

Instead of using mallet would a impact driver work work?

Reply Report comment
Kevin

Dec 17, 2014 at 5:18 pm

I used to punch stamp my clubs but the results were not as good as I wanted. So after searching on the internet I found http://www.personaltouchsports.com These guys did amazing work. After going through them I would never punch stamp again!

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Corey

Nov 8, 2014 at 1:29 pm

Where can I get that solid dot stamp and what’s the best way to fill in the stamps with paint

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nik dallos

Feb 7, 2014 at 10:41 pm

I am embarrassed someone even had to give this tutorial. Next tip, how to tie laces on your shoes. And how to put new grips on your clubs! Man im a negative nantz. Feel free to swear at me and put me down.

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melrosegod

Feb 7, 2014 at 4:31 pm

I have stamped a few wedges and I like the “not so clean look”. That said, layer 4 or 5 strips of masking tape to develop an indentation when you stamp. It will help you keep your die in place for multiple hits.

Reply Report comment
Tony

Feb 7, 2014 at 3:52 pm

Anyone tried this on Ping wedges? Specifically the Tour S’s.
Thx

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Jon Deerman

Feb 6, 2014 at 12:43 pm

As a metal worker with stamping experience, I would suggest to practice your technique on an old club or scrap piece of metal. Many first timers (including myself at the beginning) will not place the stamp correctly, causing uneven stamps or even damage to the material itself. (This means you must take a grinder and remove material to take the “bad” stamp away, which could change the feel of your club) As all things with golf it comes with practice, so if you keep at it success will come. Just remember… don’t make your first stamp an attempt to do it on those new Vokey’s or Fourteens.

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- Eric Johnson
  
  Feb 6, 2014 at 1:05 pm
  
  Jon – good reminder. It was my experience that the spacing of the pins was difficult at first (instinctively I placed the stamps too far apart) and that the depth of the stamp was not uniform. It was when I struck the stamp from several different angles that I saw the best results. Any other suggestions from your experience?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jon Deerman
    
    Feb 6, 2014 at 2:37 pm
    
    Don’t be afraid to swing the hammer harder then you think, it is steel and most of the time this is a problem leading to a dreaded double hit. (Same stamp, same location but slightly off) On ease of use, there are metal stamp holders which allow a number of pins(They very from size to price, ebay being the best source), will allow you to stamp it in one swing. You may have to go over a few of the stamps but it will be quicker. If there is a missed hit, rock the pin until it settles in the previous stamp, and rock it slightly to the unmarked area hitting it with the hammer. On spacing it is good to have a lined up one after the other method. The gaps between the pins are usually what size it is (1/8″ Stamp should have 1/8″ between letters). A cost effective approach is to put a light coat of removable metal paint marker (around $5) on the bottom of your pins, placing them where you would like to see them on your clubs. This should create a template for better spacing.
    
    Reply Report comment
zack

Feb 5, 2014 at 6:03 pm

I have cleveland cg14 wedges and find them to be un-stampable. I was wondering if anybody has stamped a cg14 wedge before and can give me any tips

Reply Report comment
- Eric Johnson
  
  Feb 5, 2014 at 7:44 pm
  
  Zack –
  CG14 are the same wedges I use and have had success stamping them all (I have 5!). I would guess that your wedges are not set firmly enough in place or your hammer/mallet is not heavy enough.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mark

Feb 5, 2014 at 4:34 pm

What size stamp should I buy? 1/8″ ?

Reply Report comment
- Eric Johnson
  
  Feb 5, 2014 at 5:58 pm
  
  Yes 1/8″ is the size you normally see
  
  Reply Report comment
John Moriarty

Feb 5, 2014 at 3:55 pm

You do not ruin the finish when you stamp into it. Also instead of masking tape us double sided tape where you are going to stamp. You can press the stamp in by hand first and it leaves a mark of the letter. It allows you to plan out a bit better. Also when you hammer away the stamp won’t slip since it’s held down by the tape.

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Roberat Upton

Feb 5, 2014 at 2:52 pm

Frankly, that cheap square font on those punches looks amateurish, cheap and nasty to me ? Why would you want to de-value a relatively expensive club like that ?

Reply Report comment
- Jack
  
  Feb 6, 2014 at 3:09 am
  
  Roberat, tons of golf pros have it done, so maybe we just want to be like them? I’ve not done it personally since it does affect the resale value.
  
  Reply Report comment
- Nate
  
  Feb 7, 2014 at 4:16 pm
  
  When I did mine I purchased a Comic Sans set of stamps instead of the block font (believe its Courier). There are also some design stamps people might find interesting, like a bird or clover. My vokeys get a clover for each chip-in or hole-out.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Anthony H Melia
    
    Dec 27, 2020 at 10:22 am
    
    Great idea, like a college football helmet! I’m stealing this.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Monster
  
  Mar 30, 2014 at 8:59 am
  
  Roberat, It is meant to look that way. Its personal, A wedge is to be used until the grooves are gone. They are not for real sale. Next time you’re working on the game, Put your driver down and Go practice some wedges.
  
  Reply Report comment
Chris

Feb 5, 2014 at 2:50 pm

I always love the phrase “it is not as dangerous as you would think”

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Kevin Hefner

Feb 5, 2014 at 2:33 pm

What happens to the plating on the wedge, if it is chrome plated or a black wedge?

Reply Report comment
- Eric Johnson
  
  Feb 5, 2014 at 3:03 pm
  
  Kevin – I have had no wear issues stamping chrome plated and raw clubs. I personally have not stamped any darker finished clubs but cannot foresee any danger to the club’s integrity. If you’re worried about rust then I’d be sure to fill in your stamps with paint. Good luck with your “wedged” haha
  
  Reply Report comment

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Equipment

Jimmy Walker spotted testing L.A.B. Blade, graphite putter shaft at Valspar Championship

Published

2 hours ago

Apr 27, 2021

Ryan Barath

The putting green at a PGA Tour event is always full of interesting things as players get ready for the week ahead, and this week at the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida, is no different.

One of the biggest trends in golf is technology-packed graphite shafts for putters, and we continue to see them in more players’ bags week after week. Louis Oosthuizen had a BGT Stability Tour in play last week at the Zurich Classic, and this week, we spotted 2016 PGA Championship winner Jimmy Walker working with a L.A.B. Blade putter fitted with an LA Golf Shafts Prototype graphite putter shaft.

Although we don’t have the specs of the exact shaft Jimmy is using, LA Golf shafts are well recognized as being one of the leaders in creating ultra-stable graphite shafts for the tour’s biggest hitter Bryson DeChambeau, who not only uses their Texas Rebar shafts in his irons but also a specially designed shaft for hit putter too.

As for Jimmy, this is an interesting move since one of the bright spots of his 2021 stats is his putter where he currently ranks 40th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained: putting.

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Equipment

Bridgestone launches special First Tee edition e6 ball

Published

8 hours ago

Apr 27, 2021

Gianni Magliocco

Bridgestone Golf has launched a special First Tee edition e6 golf ball, with a portion of the proceeds going directly to First Tee, a youth development organization that helps kids and teens build their strength of character through golf.

The special First Tee edition ball is available now exclusively through PGA Tour Superstore and comes in both white and optic yellow color codes.

“We’re very pleased to offer this special First Tee edition e6, exclusively at PGA Tour Superstore. For decades, First Tee has done very fine work, helping young people learn and grow through the game of golf, building strong individuals and communities. It is an honor to create a dedicated product where the proceeds from the sales will bolster their charitable endeavors.” – Dan Murphy, President and CEO, Bridgestone Golf

As a reminder, the e6 is the longest-running model in Bridgestone’s current lineup. The latest model, new for 2021, features a larger, softer core in design for a more responsive feel added distance for moderate swing speed players.

The new design, which is specifically tailored to modern players who value a ball that provides a very soft feel at impact, retails for $21.99 per dozen.

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Equipment

Adidas unveils new Stan Smith golf shoe in classic colorway

Published

9 hours ago

Apr 27, 2021

Gianni Magliocco

Adidas Golf is bringing the classic Stan Smith colorway to the course, with the new unmistakable white and green golf shoe.

Building upon the new PimeGreen upper made with high-performance recycled materials1 as part of Adidas’ mission to End Plastic Waste, this version is also waterproof (one-year warranty) to help keep golfers dry both on and off the course.

The new Stan Smith golf shoe features a PU cushioning in targeted areas in the midsole to go alongside a PU die-cut sockliner in a bid to provide maximum comfort.

The shoe also contains an adiwear spikeless outsole that features lugs inspired by the shoe’s original sole design, offering some added traction for all course conditions to go along with their style.

“When we were talking about bringing this shoe into golf, the original white and green colorway was a must-have as part of our planning. The Stan Smith silhouette is known throughout the world for being so versatile from a fashion standpoint, so we’re excited to give golfers that same style and versatility for when they head out to the course, now in a more sustainable way.” – Masun Denison, global footwear director, Adidas Golf.

As an ode to the traditions of the past, Adidas has also included a removable white kiltie to provide players another way to wear their shoes and give off some added flair for their round.

This classic white and green colorway of the Stan Smith Golf will be available on adidas.com, through the Adidas app, and at select retail partners worldwide beginning Saturday, May 1.