Matchstick Golf drops golf club ferrules for 2023

My Vokey SM9 Jet Blacks with custom paint fill and the "Cheshire Cat" golf club ferrules.

Customization in the game of golf is everywhere. "Look good, feel good" is the mantra of many golfers, and admittedly I believe that dope golf ball markers help me putt just a little better, even if it is only 1% over the course of an entire season. Likewise, golf club ferrules are part of every single swing as you look down at your club and prepare for what could be the shot of your life. So really, is it any wonder that I decided to design my own and release them in 2023?

The idea for ferrules came out of the same reason Matchstick Golf itself was started — there weren't enough options, they were too expensive, and there was room for more of us in this space. That's why, earlier this January, I dropped the first of five colorways for ferrules that Matchstick will offer this year.

The Golden Bee, Zebra, Rainbow Warrior, Showtime,and Cheshire Cat are the first of many designs I spent drawing by hand late in 2022. The process felt oddly nostalgic, much like I did in January of 2021 when I stayed up late thinking about designs, thrilled and unable to sleep as thoughts bounced off the inside of my noggin. 

So let's back up for a minute. 

First of all, what is a ferrule? Surprisingly, several of my longtime golfing friends and even Matchstick customers on Instagram didn't know what these were when I teased them on social media. Simply put, golf club ferrules are the small plastic sheaths that taper the clubhead to the shaft. If you're looking down while gripping the club, it's that little black thing that comes with your stock club from any of the major manufacturers. 

Ferrules, much like ball markers, are not purely decorative. A good ferrule serves a purpose, just as a good ball marker allows you to stake your position on the green while also not obstructing your playing partners visually or otherwise. As you might imagine, the point where the clubhead is glued to the shaft undergoes a significant amount of stress during a golf swing, both as the head becomes functionally heavier during the downswing and as it contacts the ball and the ground. An additional point of stiffness, ensuring the structural soundness of your club, is necessary and that's what a ferrule provides. That's also why we underwent significant testing of our ferrules to ensure they could withstand staying on your clubs for years to come, as well as giving you a personalized option to color your club.

The colors we've started with are meant to represent a broad spectrum of colors that aren't always available to folks when they go to purchase new clubs or rebuild their old ones. If you go into a custom club fitter, whether it's a Golf Galaxy or Club Champion, they're going to put ferrules on your clubs. Unfortunately, what they usually have available isn't particularly impressive. A classic black ferrule with one or two colors can be interesting when applied to a vintage club, but otherwise it's pretty goddamn boring. 

Other ferrule providers also seem to be out of stock of their more popular options whenever it is you go to build your clubs. This was the case for me when I went to build my Taylormade P790s in September of 2021, and I was disappointed. Don't get me wrong, limited releases are great for inventory purposes for small companies like Matchstick, but it's bad for the customer. So unless you have your eye on ferrule makers and stocking up, you're sort of stuck with what's available the week you're ordering or building your clubs.

That's where Matchstick Golf ferrules come in.

Just like our markers our goal is to, for the most part, have ferrules in stock and at a more reasonable price so you can have something available when you finally do build your clubs. For many of us, getting clubs is a once-per-decade thing if we're lucky. The normal buying populace isn't hoarding golf club ferules in a garage that's custom set up to build clubs each week and post them on Instagram.

Once again, I'm trying to support regular golfers who want custom options but might not have the means to keep up with the joneses because that's exactly who I am, too. I feel blessed to have finally been fitted for my P790s, but before that I was playing a set of 18-year-old Callaways. That version of Dane deserved to have dope custom gear on his old clubs, too, and that's what I want you to have with these ferrules.

We'll be releasing more colors in 2023, and I'm excited about what's on deck for the second drop of the year. If you have an idea for a ferrule, just like with our markers, reach out and send me a message about what you think would be dope. If I think it's sale-able on a larger scale, I'll draw it into a design and make it. 

Meanwhile, enjoy the ferrules and the new packaging that comes with them! They aren't heat sealed, so you don't need to rip them open. Just pop open the ziploc portion and re-use the bag for whatever you want. My suggestion, as always, is your Matchstick Golf ball marker collection. But to each their own.

Love y'all, and excited that you're clearly loving these new products. There's lots more to come in 2023.