Put a 37 inch shaft in my 4 iron

[PINGfanGuy]

Hi all

 

i am a bad golfer. I’ve never broken 105, and really really struggle with long irons and hybrids. My worst shot in the game is easily my second shot on par 5s. I don’t swing particularly fast. I’m getting lessons now, so hopefully things will improve slowly. 
 

I play driver - 3 hybrid - 4 hybrid - 5-SW. I pulled my 4 iron from the bag a long time ago because I seriously can’t hit the thing. I play PING Gmax irons. I was wondering as a fun experiment, what would happen if I reshafted the 4 iron with a 37 inch shaft? That is around the length of iron where I start to feel more comfortable (8 iron is my favourite club). I’ve heard that cutting down a shaft a lot requires rebalancing of the club head, is that true for reshafting as well?

 

Thanks in advance. 

[Stuart_G]

 

Quote

 I’ve heard that cutting down a shaft a lot requires rebalancing of the club head, is that true for reshafting as well?

 

Yes, the shaft (new or old) doesn't matter - head weight adjustment is pretty much all about the playing length.   So going to 37" (7i length) with your existing 4i would result in a very light swing weight.  To correct you'd need to add on the order of around 21 gm to the head.   Anything more than 10-12 gm can get impractical for the average builder for various reasons.   10 gm will put you somewhere about 37.75".   Personally I'd say start out by making it the same length as the 5i and maybe dropping down the 5i by 1/4".     If you really did want to experiment with going shorter than that, you'll likely want to find a head from a one length set.

 

 

8 hours ago, PINGfanGuy said:

My worst shot in the game is easily my second shot on par 5s.

 

You know there is no rule that says you have to go for the green on your second shot 😉  

 

But seriously, playing smarter is usually the first step to bringing down those scores and breaking 100.  Hopefully you'll instructor will help out with that as well as with the mechanics.

 

 

 

Edited June 8, 2021 by Stuart_G

[PINGfanGuy]

3 hours ago, Stuart_G said:

 

 

Yes, the shaft (new or old) doesn't matter - head weight adjustment is pretty much all about the playing length.   So going to 37" (7i length) with your existing 4i would result in a very light swing weight.  To correct you'd need to add on the order of around 21 gm to the head.   Anything more than 10-12 gm can get impractical for the average builder for various reasons.   10 gm will put you somewhere about 37.75".   Personally I'd say start out by making it the same length as the 5i and maybe dropping down the 5i by 1/4".     If you really did want to experiment with going shorter than that, you'll likely want to find a head from a one length set.

 

 

 

You know there is no rule that says you have to go for the green on your second shot 😉  

 

But seriously, playing smarter is usually the first step to bringing down those scores and breaking 100.  Hopefully you'll instructor will help out with that as well as with the mechanics.

 

 

 

thanks for the reply. What exactly happens when the swing weight is reduced? 

[Stuart_G]

15 minutes ago, PINGfanGuy said:

thanks for the reply. What exactly happens when the swing weight is reduced? 

 

Both shaft wight and swing weight can play a large role in the rhythm and tempo of the swing and the general control of the club during the swing. The details can be different in exactly how, or at what point that might happen for each individual - but when the swing weight gets too light for an individual, it gets harder to feel where the shaft and club is and what it's doign during the swing and therefor harder to control.  That can lead to an increase in the inconsistency of the swing, the contact, and the ball flight results in a wide variety of ways.

 

 

[rp4golf]

30 minutes ago, PINGfanGuy said:

thanks for the reply. What exactly happens when the swing weight is reduced? 

The ball doesn't go very far when you hit it, the same thing that happens when you shorten the shaft.
In your case, you'd end up with a 4-iron that doesn't go any further than a 7-iron.