How do YOU save a ping hosel?

[NickBooras]

I've gotten pretty damn good at using a combo PVC pipe, pry bar, vice, and hot rod to pull Ping shafts without melting/removing the original hosel. I have reshafted about 50 this summer and have yet to ruin one. Out of curiosity, what methods have you all come up with to remove these tricky SOB's?

[nearfall152]

I've gotten pretty damn good at using a combo PVC pipe, pry bar, vice, and hot rod to pull Ping shafts without melting/removing the original hosel.  I have reshafted about 50 this summer and have yet to ruin one.  Out of curiosity, what methods have you all come up with to remove these tricky SOB's?

Wow that's a pretty solid effort...I don't think I've ever seen it done, I ususally just mail that puppy back...nice job! :cool:

[NickBooras]

I've gotten pretty damn good at using a combo PVC pipe, pry bar, vice, and hot rod to pull Ping shafts without melting/removing the original hosel.  I have reshafted about 50 this summer and have yet to ruin one.  Out of curiosity, what methods have you all come up with to remove these tricky SOB's?

Wow that's a pretty solid effort...I don't think I've ever seen it done, I ususally just mail that puppy back...nice job! :cool:

It's actually VERY easy once you do it a couple times. Just get yourself a piece of PVC about 2" long cut at about a 12-14 degree angle. I don't know what type of PVC it is exactly, but it's a little less than .5" thick with about a 3/4" hole in the center. This will make sure the pressure is placed on the hosel and on the head, forcing the shaft to come out of the hosel instead of pulling the hosel and shaft out of the head.

Here is a step by step tutorial:

1. You can either cut the shaft about a foot above the hosel to use a short hot rod or use a long hot rod and just take the old grip off. Slide the PVC over the shaft so the angled cut is sitting flush against the plastic hosel and head. Lock the shaft in a vice just like you would do if you were going to pull the head with a pry bar.

2. If it's a Ping shaft with Cushin, you'll either have to fish the Cushin out with a rod (hook on the end), or cut the shaft below the Cushin. You make the call. It all depends on how much you want to save the original shaft.

3. Heat the hot rod so about 2" of the tip is cherry red. Wait about 5-10 seconds before you stick the rod in the shaft just so it cools down a little and isn't glowing anymore. A lot of people will tell you to put a wet rag around the plastic hosel to keep it from melting, but I've found this takes much more heat and actually increases your odds of melting the hosel.

4. Immediately after you stick the hot rod in the shaft start pushing on the flat part of the PVC with a pry bar. If you did put a wet rag around the hosel, you'll probably have to wait a good 30 seconds before the head will come off and you may even have to re-heat the hot rod 2 or 3 times. If you do like me and don't use the wet rag, the head should pop off in about 10-15 seconds.

5. Make sure you're quick with the wire brush to clean the old epoxy out of the hosel - if you're not, you'll be stuck with left over epoxy. You can't put more heat on the plastic, so it's a bit tough to get the old epoxy off sometimes.

They require a .350" shaft, but you can use a shim in them no problem. Make sure you have a tight fit. If you weren't careful you may have melted and expanded the hosel. If you do end up screwing one up, you can always buy replacement Ping hosels from Golfsmith, but the fit and finish isn't even close to as good as OEM.

Anyone have any other methods?

[NickBooras]

Oh, I forgot to add - you can use the same method with ERC Fusion drivers, but the PVC needs to be cut at about a 4 degree angle, IIRC.