My old Gator is a little wore and the top of the handle pushed through years ago. As far as I'm concerned this the the best use of a golf ball. I bored a hole in the ball, slid it on the stem and glued it.
I make probes from car trunk springs because they are torsion springs. The old
Caddys have great ones. Just melt the end of the rod with the welder and make a ball on it so the shaft doesn't have any friction. Keep a wet rag on it so the heat doesn't travel up the rod to far to take any temper out of it.
lol I see I am not the only one that finds them best for target practice!! We had a blast throwing them out in the fields and shooting at them growing up!