We've launched the new forums! Read more here

New to Club Tinkering, Question.

Nippon Shafts
rightsiderough

rightsiderough

New member
Joined
Jun 11, 2013
Messages
218
Reaction score
0
Location
Massachusetts
Handicap
22.7 OOB
So I'm newer to club tinkering and am re-shafting my irons. Looks simple enough gonna give it a go. I got some pulls for a .355 taper tip. I'm 6'1 and would like to add 1/2 inch of length. The best way to do this would most likely be to soft step and not butt trim them correct?
 
Won't soft stepping affect the flex? If you don't want to change flex that may not be the best way to add length. Shaft insert instead?
 
Soft stepping will not affect the flex. Soft stepping affects the ball flight. It will cause you to have a higher flight when soft stepping and lower flight when hard stepping.

Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
 
Okay, perhaps loose use of the term. But it changes the relative flex of the tip of the shaft, no? It will either be harder or softer with the resulting impact on trajectory. If you are just trying to add length soft stepping wouldn't be the best option, would it?
 
The last step before the tip is placed in a specific location on each shaft for proper ball flight per iron. When soft stepping that step is moved higher which results in a slightly higher flight. It only seems that the tip section plays softer due to the added weight of the corresponding head. Iron head weight slightly increases throughout the set. So with a longer tip section and heavier head it will be a minute difference in flex. Not enough to effect feel or performance.

Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
 
I forgot to mention that what will effect the flex is the cutting down of the shafts. So when you cut off the 1/2" or so from the butt end of the shaft it will soften the flex.

Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
 
Jrodgers0622 said:
I forgot to mention that what will effect the flex is the cutting down of the shafts. So when you cut off the 1/2" or so from the butt end of the shaft it will soften the flex.
Click to expand...

Hmmm..
 
Jrodgers0622 said:
I forgot to mention that what will effect the flex is the cutting down of the shafts. So when you cut off the 1/2" or so from the butt end of the shaft it will soften the flex.

Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
Click to expand...

That seems backwards. Your shortening should make it stiffer, not softer. Think of a branch on the tree. When the branch is long, it's soft enough where you can use your leverage and snap it. When you start shortening it, not as much leverage and it becomes stiffer.
 
Mward said:
That seems backwards. Your shortening should make it stiffer, not softer. Think of a branch on the tree. When the branch is long, it's soft enough where you can use your leverage and snap it. When you start shortening it, not as much leverage and it becomes stiffer.
Click to expand...

Also, cutting from the butt shouldn't affect flex much. From the tip should affect flex
 
I'll disagree slightly with this - might be semantics though. Sure, when you soft-step, the flex of the shaft itself does not change but when you put the heavier head (say 8 iron) on a shaft designed for a lighter head (7 iron), the added weight softens the playing flex by about 1/3 of a flex. This is measurable.


Jrodgers0622 said:
Soft stepping will not affect the flex. Soft stepping affects the ball flight. It will cause you to have a higher flight when soft stepping and lower flight when hard stepping.

Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
Click to expand...
 
bellairemi said:
I'll disagree slightly with this - might be semantics though. Sure, when you soft-step, the flex of the shaft itself does not change but when you put the heavier head (say 8 iron) on a shaft designed for a lighter head (7 iron), the added weight softens the playing flex by about 1/3 of a flex. This is measurable.
Click to expand...

I pointed out the weight of the head in my second post.

Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
 
blugold said:
Also, cutting from the butt shouldn't affect flex much. From the tip should affect flex
Click to expand...

Correct. With most shafts, butt trimming with not change the flex of the shaft. That only happens at the tip.
 
Mward said:
That seems backwards. Your shortening should make it stiffer, not softer. Think of a branch on the tree. When the branch is long, it's soft enough where you can use your leverage and snap it. When you start shortening it, not as much leverage and it becomes stiffer.
Click to expand...

Cutting from the tip = Stiffer
Cutting from butt = Softer, but not as noticeable.

When cutting away the larger
O.D. section of a shaft it essentially makes it play ever so slightly softer.

Think of it like the branch you described. The branch is stiffer in the section with the larger o.d. than the section with the smaller o.d.. If you cut away from the larger part of the branch and lengthen the smaller part it will not be as stiff.

Conversely, if you cut away at the smaller section of the branch and lengthen the larger part it makes it play stiffer.

Feel is the biggest factor here. When you tip a shaft it will feel noticeably stiffer. When you butt cut a shaft it will soften the shaft, it is just much harder to feel the difference with the head installed that the shaft was intended to be played in. But when the heavier head is installed it will feel and play softer from those two variables combined.

This is from my experience with club work and shafts. I could be wrong.


Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
 
Back to the OP's question - is this the best method for adding length?
 
I think you might want to get on a machine that analyzes flex after cuts are made. It will help identifying exactly what is happening to said shafts.
 
tequila4kapp said:
Back to the OP's question - is this the best method for adding length?
Click to expand...

Easiest way honestly is to go to your local golf shop or favorite golf repair website and rode shaft extenders. Measure how long you want, cut, pop off the grip, epoxy the insert to the top of the club, regrip.
 
Mward said:
Easiest way honestly is to go to your local golf shop or favorite golf repair website and rode shaft extenders. Measure how long you want, cut, pop off the grip, epoxy the insert to the top of the club, regrip.
Click to expand...
I suspected that was the answer.
 
To the O.P., if you are going to soft step the shafts to add the extra 1/2" there will be almost no change in flex. What will change is the flight, it will be slightly higher as i stated before. I dont want you to be confused from all the other variables i discussed. I apologize. Since you are not butt cutting the shafts the only thing that will affect the flex is weight which will only slightly effect the flex, not enough to feel a noticeable difference.

Sent from my N9100 using Tapatalk now Free
 
Did you measure the pulls?

rightsiderough said:
So I'm newer to club tinkering and am re-shafting my irons. Looks simple enough gonna give it a go. I got some pulls for a .355 taper tip. I'm 6'1 and would like to add 1/2 inch of length. The best way to do this would most likely be to soft step and not butt trim them correct?
Click to expand...
 
Pulls are in the mail so I haven't measured. They are Nippon 1050gh shafts. So they should be constant weighted throughout the set?
 
Yes, they will be. Maybe you will be fortunate and they will arrive at your desired length!

rightsiderough said:
Pulls are in the mail so I haven't measured. They are Nippon 1050gh shafts. So they should be constant weighted throughout the set?
Click to expand...
 
Shafts are in and the first showing out on the course was awesome. I soft stepped once for a little over an extra .5 inch. I didn't think it would make a huge difference but my back didn't hurt after 18, and I only hit one shot thin. I figured a third of a flex I wouldn't be able to notice, easier than fooling around with shaft extensions and what not. Shots are straighter and I think stiffening up was a very good choice. My previous irons were hitting a strong draw when I really stepped on them. Yesterday was definitely a big difference.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top