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Cutting down a shaft and effect swing weight.

Nippon Shafts
Craigb

Craigb

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I have purchased a TS2 driver standard shaft 45.5 inches. I would like to know if i cut it down to 44 inches, does the reduced swing weight make that much difference. Do you really need to buy extra weights for the head, get a lighter grip etc.
If the swing weight is D2 for example, then it moves to C2 after cutting down the shaft, how much difference will that make. At C2 (for example ) the head should feel lighter giving you faster club head speed and thus ball speed. Is that a bad thing ?
 
Do you need to? No. Swing weight impacts people differently.

Do not get confused between altering the balance (swing weight) and actual weight though. A shorter club with lighter swing weight is not necessarily going to increase speed. In fact taking that length away, will in most cases slow the swing down.
 
Take the club and grip down 1 1/2 inches and go hit with it. This will give you a very close approximation as to the weight and feel of the shorter club. Of course the grip will be smaller b/c of the taper but the SW will be within 1pt or so and you will get an idea how you respond to the weight and length change before you move to a more permanent solution.
 
Craig- google it but reducing a club by 1 inch drops the SW 6 points. I notice this and to me personally it bothers me. a point or 2, I don't notice. 1.5 inches should be 9 points. I agree gripping down will help simulate the affect. My driver was cut down by me to 44.

Three options to get your SW back if that bothers you. (1) change weights in adjustable driver (if possible), (2) add some type of lead tape or (3) install a lighter grip. #1 is the best option but most drivers are hard to do this with after a stock purchase. I rely mostly on #3 lighter grips. A stock regular size grip is typically 50g. You can install a Winn DriTac LITE regular grip which is like 23g. this difference of 27g is roughly +7 points. (1 points increase for every 4g of weight reduction)

Typically I will cut a driver to say 44.25 and add the Winn grip to keep my SW at the normal D2 to D3 weight.
 
The shorter length could result in a slower swing speed due to the shorter arc, but it's quite possible that you may swing the club faster simply because the length is righter (yep, just made that word up) for you. The lighter swingweight may, or may not, result in a faster swing speed. Swingweight is a very personal thing and some people notice it while others don't.

With the ease of swapping shafts nowadays, I'd recommend finding a shorter shaft to experiment with before cutting down your gamer.
 
When I cut my driver down an inch the guy that did it said I was going to make my staff extra stiff. I haven’t noticed anything yet. But going from regular to extra stuff doesn’t seem right.


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Joshnoble01 said:
When I cut my driver down an inch the guy that did it said I was going to make my staff extra stiff. I haven’t noticed anything yet. But going from regular to extra stuff doesn’t seem right.


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He is not correct : )
 
Thanks guys, this forum rocks. Will get more involved here , this is fun. In a serious lock down here so reading about golf is the next best to playing. Oh yeah and buying, hence the worry about shaft length. Pulled the trigger on the TS2 and a scotty for the equivilant of $450. A bargain i think..
I was confused re the shaft length, its a lot clearer now. thanks again.
 
JB said:
He is not correct : )
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agree, not seen much affect

JB- have you been able to measure any difference. Seems like a shorter shaft would make it feel a bit stiffer but not sure it could be measured or if it was it would be very small
 
Acesteve said:
agree, not seen much affect

JB- have you been able to measure any difference. Seems like a shorter shaft would make it feel a bit stiffer but not sure it could be measured or if it was it would be very small
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Realizing you didn't ask me but. Stiffness and length is a tricky balance to understand made even more complicated by the method you use to quantify stiffness. If you take a golf club and measure the shaft frequency and only change the lengths, you will see stiffer numbers on the machine as you move shorter. Likewise if you use a deflection board and do the same thing, you will again see shorter equalling stiffer. However both these methods have a shortcoming in that they both measure the shaft in relation to a specific weight or load at the end of the shaft. Therefore the numbers can be manipulated by changing the weight at the end in the same way they can be manipulated by changing the weight.

The better way to look at it is using the bend profile of the shaft. Regardless of what shaft you are using, all shafts are more flexible at the tip end than at the butt end. So when you tip trim a shaft, you are removing a percentage of the softest area, when you butt trim you are removing a percentage of the stiffest area. So technically the shaft is getting softer when you butt trim. However, the difference is very small and not usually worth worrying about. Getting the swing weight back to a comfortable place is probably a better concern.
 
From Nike back in the day. Sums up the changes pretty well. Everyone should have it since no one apparently searches the web any more.

swing-weight-chart.png
 
GolfMT36 said:
Realizing you didn't ask me but. Stiffness and length is a tricky balance to understand made even more complicated by the method you use to quantify stiffness. If you take a golf club and measure the shaft frequency and only change the lengths, you will see stiffer numbers on the machine as you move shorter. Likewise if you use a deflection board and do the same thing, you will again see shorter equalling stiffer. However both these methods have a shortcoming in that they both measure the shaft in relation to a specific weight or load at the end of the shaft. Therefore the numbers can be manipulated by changing the weight at the end in the same way they can be manipulated by changing the weight.

The better way to look at it is using the bend profile of the shaft. Regardless of what shaft you are using, all shafts are more flexible at the tip end than at the butt end. So when you tip trim a shaft, you are removing a percentage of the softest area, when you butt trim you are removing a percentage of the stiffest area. So technically the shaft is getting softer when you butt trim. However, the difference is very small and not usually worth worrying about. Getting the swing weight back to a comfortable place is probably a better concern.
Everyone thing online says cutting a driver shaft will make it shorter hence stiffer. I think that's bs. Maybe with uniform.or no bend profile. Found that for most lighter shafts R+ R and below. Trying to cut them down to make them actually stiffer at the tip just a bit and light with a mid to low kick and decrease in shaft weight. Made just the tip kick more .making shaft feel light and stiff but worse than an A flex. Worst of both worlds
Have a shaft that won't load but the tip kicks and makes you flip.

Maybe cutting a stiff or xstiff at 60 70 gms is different but anything below that ruins the shaft
Even at 0.75 inches.

Let's say an average 46 inch uncut driver weighs 60 gm. 60 /45 is 1.33. So if you go to a tour length 44.5 like most these guys like DJ JT and Ricky even bubba you shave off 2 grams

If you lighten grip and adjust with wraps under over with all kinds .you can lighten the shaft by maybe 6 grams . Swing weight and kick point are all relative. I got Wynn dry tac lights on standby but I'm scared to use them. Used lead tapes. Sliding weights. Just throws stuff off

Get a lighter grip that feels right that you like and let's assume you take off half of the 6 grams. Now your 5 grams lighter in shaft weight. Who knows what the swing weight.is. d0 mizuo driver feels like a ton to my heaviest worst driver Taylor.made has every made.with a graphalloy prolaunch light and lightest rubber cheapo Chinese grip you can find.

A 5 gram light shaft should be just enough to feel like it's easier to swing .... At least as a.placebo. 3 grams in irons is a big step up. I think in drivers it's not established but maybe 6 to 8.grams. I'm thinking my 130 gm iron shafts make my game sh***y and I need to go heavier. While these days they have 95 gram.steel.standard stock shafts. Hey whatever helps you enjoy the game. I'm thinking of going from a 46.5 inch driver to. 44.5

Would suggest if you have time and patience like all these knowledgeable gear heads suggest.chocking down by 1/8 to 1/4. inch at the range then cutting regripping by 0.5 inch max.
1 inch is.a.big step. All.my clubs are hand me downs.and clearance clubs I got for 20 dollars and modify. Would help if I knew.peoples.builds.and current.club they want to.modify but that's just me.without.a.life
Thanks a.bunch.for.reading

This.all.started from.me.looking at a ventus tr blue 5 stiff.vs a black xstiff stiff or xstiff cut down and how they would affect my swing.
No answers.out there really.

I would recommend.going.a.more.flexible.shaft.then
Cutting tip. Taking.away from.the handle moves the.mid.point.kick.up which I think is more variable and unpredictable and.important.than tip bend profiles and kick points and the tip. They say all the pros like Rory when they change shafts they go lighter flex but cut the tip for more stability .they shorten it that way but when it comes to grip section they get very peculiar about how the last butt end is installed.
Cut the grip end of the shaft and it's a crap shoot. Easy fee bucks for.your local golf shop but could ruin your club and shaft for sure .


With adaptor hosels these days seems like the non welded.neckis less stiff. Lighter and kicks.more . that adaptor screw at the heel.makest.more lighter and fade bias in my opinion

Hope.this.helps.
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My experience exactly. I know it's not the most recent post but hard to find the answer out there so I registered. Recently got into modifying golf clubs for my father who is a life long golfer who complains about losing distance. It all started when he was a standout old timer playing power built persimmon heads and pea sized blades with leather grips. 2 irons were common back then as well as 35 lb leather golf bags.
His love of golf overcame his pride and he started buying crazy gold plated over priced high core Japanese drivers . Trying to get 4 more yards. Never seen the man mishit a driver. Yet barley getting 220 now. Built him a krank head with true temper xypher R+ then multiple callway adaptable shafts . Respecting his love of the game I refuse to get him a regular or light shaft. So I get him a R+ and try to cut it down. Counter balance it with heavier grips. 1.25 inches to 1.5 max seems like tip flex and overall bend profile is. More.important. I even decrease the lie angle a bit and strength loft to balance things out so he doesn't notice or have to change his ball position or distance away from the ball.
 
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