Installing .370 tip graphite in .355 heads

zip7111 · February 4, 2021

Do you just tip trim the .370 shafts as normal and then taper the tips, then butt cut to final length? Will a 90 gram shaft in .370 tip play too light using this method, or am I better off getting a CW taper tip set. I am looking at the Accra 90i shafts or Fujikura tour spec 95 shafts, and I don't see where these are sold with taper tips. Thanks,

Steve

Edited February 5, 2021 by zip7111

World'sGreatestHacker · February 5, 2021

The method you detailed is correct. Or you can ream out the hosel to accept the .370 tip.

I think tapering the shafts is easier. You just have to be careful to keep it even and not take too much off.

Good luck.

Stuart_G · February 5, 2021

Yes - either add a taper to the shaft (after tip trimming) or remove the taper from the hosel. Both are very easy but reaming out the hosel does need the right tool.

10 hours ago, zip7111 said:

I am looking at the Accra 90i shafts or Fujikura tour spec 95 shafts, and I don't see where these are sold with taper tips. Thanks,

That's because they are single length iron shafts. A single uncut blank is used for all irons and they need to be tip trimmed based on which iron it will be installed into. So there would be no point in adding a taper to the tip at the factory since it would have to be cut off by the builder. Only discrete length irons shafts are available in a tapered tip version. Those are the shafts where you have to buy a different shaft for each iron. e.g the 7i shaft blank is actually different from the 8i shaft blank. None of the Accra's that I know of are like that and only the Fuji MCI's are sold as discrete length

Edited February 5, 2021 by Stuart_G

zip7111 · February 5, 2021

3 minutes ago, Stuart_G said:

That's because they are single length iron shafts. A single uncut blank is used for all irons and they need to be tip trimmed based on which iron it will be installed into. So there would be no point in adding a taper to the tip at the factory since it would have to be cut off by the builder. Only discrete length irons shafts are available in a tapered tip version. Those are the shafts where you have to buy a different shaft for each iron. e.g the 7i shaft blank is actually different from the 8i shaft blank.

I understand what you are saying. That is why I asked in my post if it could be done. I am not understanding why so many of the newer graphite shafts only come in .370 tip when many players are switching to graphite. It seems over 50% of the irons are taper tip now, but there are many shaft models that are not made in taper.

Edited February 5, 2021 by zip7111

Stuart_G · February 5, 2021

6 minutes ago, zip7111 said:

I understand what you are saying. That is why I asked in my post if it could be done. I am not understanding why so many of the newer graphite shafts only come in .370 tip when many players are switching to graphite. It seems over 50% of the irons are taper tip now, but there are many shaft models that are not made in taper.

It's all about cost and convenience. Taper tip means designing, manufacturing, and maintaining inventory on a different shaft for each iron instead of just a single blank that can be used in all irons in the set.

The lack of a taper is actually a minor issue. The bigger issue (IMO) is that single length blanks are always descending weight shafts. After cutting, the shaft weight will be heaviest in the longest iron and lightest in the shortest iron. That's really contrary to what tends to be a good fit for most players. On the other hand, most taper tip shafts are designed to be the same weight after cutting or ascending weight (like the DG AMT's) where the longer iron shafts are actually lighter after cutting even though they are longer.

Edited February 5, 2021 by Stuart_G

taskerc · February 5, 2021

reaming isn't difficult with the right tool - I thought it would be more difficulty but the real change isn't large and it look me less than 25 minutes to ream an entire set of heads to recycle a set of .370 aerotech iron shafts - I was concerned about stability/longevity of a shaved shaft tip that was downsized - I think the reamer from golfworks was about $30

Stuart_G · February 5, 2021

52 minutes ago, taskerc said:

reaming isn't difficult with the right tool - I thought it would be more difficulty but the real change isn't large and it look me less than 25 minutes to ream an entire set of heads to recycle a set of .370 aerotech iron shafts - I was concerned about stability/longevity of a shaved shaft tip that was downsized - I think the reamer from golfworks was about $30

I agree - it really is easy to ream with the right tools - but on the other hand there is no real reason for any concern about adding the taper to the tip.