Want to try graphite iron shaft in a hybrid - What do I need to know?

Hello everyone. First time discussion post for me. Hopefully this goes well. Here is what I am looking for some information on - I am a hybrid player (I actually don't have a single iron in my bag just driver, fairways, hybrids, and wedges) and I am wanting to see how a graphite iron shaft works for me in my hybrids. It is winter time here in Michigan and I want to do some experimenting. My goal is to set up my hybrids at the same playing length for the iron they are replacing and see what results I may achieve. An example would be my 5H would be set up at a playing length of 38.5" or that of a 5 iron.

What do I need to know regarding this topic? For example any tipping information I should know? I have to assume that if I am using my 5H to replace my 5i then I would purchase a 5i graphite iron shaft and tip according to the manufacturers instructions and butt cut to the final playing length I want. In this case it would be 38.5". Is this a correct assumption?

I also saw in a older post that head weight of the hybrid head and iron head should be compared/taken into consideration. I didn't fully understand this, but what I gathered was if my hybrid head weight is similar to that of a 6 iron head weight then that hybrid head should have a 6 iron shaft installed in it. Is that correct?

Below is my hybrid head weights and the iron head weights I am using for comparison as well as the playing length I am looking to set them up at. Not sure if this is needed, but I gathered the information non the less. Look forward to getting some information on this topic. Thanks in advance for all your guys/gals help.

Hybrids - 2019 Callaway Big Bertha

1. 5H / 239 g / 38.5"

2. 6H / 244.5 g / 37.75"

3. 7H / 250.5 g / 37.0"

4. 8H / 256.8 g / 36.25"

Irons used for comparison - 2019 Callaway Apex

1. 5i / 253.75 g

2. 6i / 260.75 g

3. 7i / 267.75 g

4. 8i / 275.5 g

Good post and good questions.

First, we have to split this shafts into 2 groups.

We have dedicated HYBRID shafts, where the tip section is SHORTER and by that, limited for how much tip trim that can be done.

IRON shafts (still graphite), has longer tip sections, and is often lower priced.

In both cases, we need a minimum of tip section left for insert (often 1.25") and the ferrule height.

Tip trim is dues to head weight, not head numbers, and if your plan is a classic set matched to the same SW value and 4/8" between clubs, a head weight slope of average 7 grams is the norm.

We consider a #5 head who seems to be your "longest" to be 253-.254 grams, then plus 7 grams for each club shorter.

Since you plan to build a set that looks like plus 0.5 inch, a lower head weight might be beneficial, how much depend on, Your set seems to be 6/8" between clubs, who makes head weight progression to be 14/8 x 6 = 10.5 grams average

H5 as now = 239

H6 plus 10.5 = 249.5 target head weight

H7 plus 10.5 = 260 grams target head weight

H8 plus 10.5 = 270.5 grams target head weight

Or was the plan to MOI match this clubs instead of SW match?

You will anyway need to try off the longest and tune up head weight until it feels right, then make a slope for head weight progression.

Im not sure what options you got for weight tuning of this heads, but tip weights is limited to 9 grams as Tungsten weight for graphite shafts (as far as i know), so unless there is changeable screw weights, you might need to use lead tape to get head weight right.

Standard tip trim instructions vary, so read the shaft manufacturers suggestion, but in general a #5 iron is 2.0 inch, then 0.5 extra pr club shorter, in your case use 6/8 tip trim further from the #5, just like the length progression to keep up with head weight progression and makes butt section equal for all.

Tip diameter is in general 0.370 but make sure thats what your heads is before your order shaft, they might be .335 or .350, even if thats not common.

SHAFT WEIGHT, is the most important spec here, but without knowing what you play, what seems to work, i cant advice you, so you will have to tell about the other clubs you got, what shaft weight they have, and how that feels, then i can suggest what you might use for this clubs.

i looked into specs for this Hybrid, and the #5 is 24* and #8 has only 33* of loft, and max 34*....its a long distance up to "wedges" here, not sure how you will solve that?

@"Howard Jones" Thanks so much for taking the time to respond and providing all your information. I will admit I understand some, but a few bits and pieces I didn't. So, I will try to breakdown what I didn't understand and then hopefully get some answers for your questions you asked as well.

First let me start with what I didn't understand (as learning new golf stuff intrigues me and there are a few things I don't know) -

1) Head weight slope - have not heard of this before so not sure if I am fully understanding the term, but I will give what I think you are referring to and hopefully I am getting it. I think from rereading what you wrote head weight slope is a calculation that deals with determining the proper amount of head weight progression in a set, i.e. 5H weighs X amount so 6H should then weigh Y, and so on. Is that correct? Now understanding how this calculation is determined is something I am not fully getting. Is this calculation based on head weight and difference in length between clubs?

2) MOI - Have heard this term a lot but haven't been able to understand it in terms of club building and how it differs from the classic SW value. I understand SW. Can you briefly explain MOI and why someone would go this route?

Now on to what information I can give you (sorry I like bullets as it keeps my thoughts organized..lol)-

1) The tip diameter of my hybrids is .370

2) I haven't done a MOI before, so for this experiment and to keep it simple for me I will most likely go the classic SW value route as that is what I am used to and what I can easily understand and recognize quickly

3) It appears going a more classic ½” progression between clubs in terms of length is more advantageous and makes the experiment simpler as my heads don't have removable weights and lead tape can be a pain (will do lead tape if needed, but if can avoid would like to)

4) Shaft weights - I have a variety of shafts but let me give you what I was fitted for back in Feb by Club Champion. I was fitted into the G410 hybrids (which I no longer have) and Paderson Kinetixx IMRT Green 82G stiff flex hybrid shafts @ a D5 SW. Still have these shafts. I did not have these built by Club Champion as their pricing was a bit expensive to say the least. Early in the season, March I believe, I was able to piece together 1 club and had it built at a local shop. At the time I was into Jumbo Max grips and had one put on the club when built. So, a club w/ this heavy grip on it built to D5 was not wise. Reason being is I fell out of love w/ the grip and changed it. Once removed and new grip added the club changed drastically. I did get the rest of my hybrids and shafts, but once the original club I had built changed I started to tinker and played the season not knowing what swing weight I was at. Still don't actually if I am being honest.

I played the season w/ those shafts and a couple others. Adjusted them down to more iron playing lengths and changed the grip to a dri tac lite grip to get SW up. The Paderson shafts went from feeling great to just feeling light to me and I fell out of love with the hybrid heads. Which is why I have tinkered and now own KBS prototype hybrid shafts (currently have a 75S and a 95S) and a Nunchuk hybrid shaft (103g is the weight of this shaft I believe). The nunchuk is something I just got last week to try out and it is heavy and only been through 1 range session. Jury is still out on that shaft. Right now, the best feeling shaft I own is the KBS 95G stiff flex shaft.

5) I own a 9H and a PW hybrid as well (40* and 45* of loft for those). Off brand hybrid clones as I fell out of love with irons and needed clubs to fill my loft and distance gap. Head weights for those are 284 and 291 respectively.

Hopefully I answered all of your questions. Probably gave you more info than I needed to, but that is a fault I have and something my wife is quick to point out as I carry on conversations to long with to much detail..lol

Head weight progression or slope, same same...

In a classic iron set thats 4/8" between clubs, head weight difference is 7 grams

That simply gives us 14 grams pr inch, so if we wants to change to 6/8" between clubs like your suggestion was, it becomes 14 pr inch / 8 x 6 = 10.5 grams from head to head up as we go shorter.

Then all clubs will get the same SW value...

BUT...if you was to a fitting of a hybrid with a 82 gram shaft, and a SW value of D5 we are in problems with the low start head weight this heads got.

If we for the sake of example say a standard #5 iron head is 253 grams, and this club with a steel shaft of 110 grams or above would measure D2 at standard play length, we would get to D5 by going 0.5" longer than standard....but, a shaft of only 82 grams cause a loss of about the same as we gained by going longer by 0.5", and we are already 14 grams below standard head weight, so head weight becomes a issue here, and it gets worse as we go shorter.

Are you sure those head weight specs is right? if this is head where we can remove the shaft (screw connection), the connector tip on the shaft is part of the head weight and could be 7-9 grams...that helps a lot here. but head weight progression dont seem right, so where is those numbers from?

Do you own a sw scale?

MOi or Moment of inertia is a different way to measure and judge resistance, and a MOI matched set is made so all clubs has the same actual resistance. We can use a SW scale and get close to actual MOI, but the SW scale would the return values who makes it to look like we have progressive SW or resistance as we go shorter. When we build to the same SW value for all clubs, actual resistance goes up as clubs gets longer, so we can sat the longest clubs need more power than the short, while in a MOI matched set they should all be given the same amount of power. The difference when we build them is head weight progression SW matched is average 14 grams pr inch, while MOI matched would be closer to 16 grams pr inch

Grip weight and SW values....its NOT a good idea to adjust SW values due to grip weight, especially not if it was a heavy Jumbo-max

The grip we wants to play should be part of the fitting, if we later change to a grip with more weight, dont adjust head weight to please the SW scale, its both blind and stupid, go by feel and how it works, then measure what values that gives with the new grip and move on from that point.

Any way, you will have to build a test club, either the longest or the shortest and tune it up with lead tape until it works like it should, then do the numbers for the others , but choose the grip you wants to play as a start, and use that grip all the way during the process.

Not to play devils advocate here or anything, and I understand you already have a decent amount of money into all of your hybrids, but if you want a full "iron set" of hybrids, it would probably be easier just getting the Cleveland HB irons or the Cobra T-Rail hybrid irons. They come in full sets 4-PW. Just a suggestion.

Well, everyone is different, so testing is a must if you are thinking about buying either one of these two sets.

As an owner of the Cleveland Launcher HB irons, I can personally say that they are awesome. I own two other sets, Srixon z785's and z545's. The z785's are a legit tour iron, and the z545's are considered game improvement but have the looks of a players iron as well. For me, both iron sets can be difficult to hit consistently simply because I am not the best ball striker when it comes to irons. Some days I hit them well, other days it looks like I shouldn't own them.

The Launcher HB irons on the other hand make the Srixons look silly when it comes to forgiveness and ease of use. It is why I have now benched the z785's for the Launcher HB's. I have always hit my Titleist 910 hybrid well, and after seeing these hybrid iron sets, I said to myself, let's put the ego aside and try them because at this point I would rather have more fun and shoot lower scores than look cool with beautifl looking irons in the bag. I am pretty solid all around with the rest of my game, it's just the irons have always been my achilles heel. I think that problem is finally solved.

They truly are fantastic irons. Do yourself a favor and try them out if you can. And P.S. If you haven't yet, go watch Mark Crossfield's review of these on youtube. He has nothing but positive things to say about them.