Which one to choose? How to deal with shaft options for modern heads?

[baudi]

This question trickles me as a clubmaker.

After 25 years of club making I consider the spare component market to be flooded with 

more dimensions, adapters and specs available than in the old days.  

 

In comparison to older club heads, some modern heads have in common:

lower loft, lower weight and often longer club length.

 

For ordering tapered shafts I always followed the guidelines of the manufacturers: #6 shaft goes into a #6 head for a standard set.

However, since OEMs are literally screwing up clubs the new #6 has moved up to be an old #5. Or even #4.

In this case choosing a #6 shaft could be too much shaft

 

So which shaft to choose for a reshaft for modern heads? Order #5 shaft for a #6? Or don't change the old method?

Of course I use a freq. analyzer (can be helpful) but out of cost I do not want to order two shafts of the same line/brand and find out which one will match best. 

 

 

 

 

 

This post is not meant to be a rant. 

Non native speaker.

  

[mcounci2]

I'd go off of headweight and what the customer wants. Flex is arbitrary to each company and even each shaft model anyway. One thing to remember... put a longer shaft in, there's gonna be more butt trim=lighter overall weight.  

[liveagua]

"However, since OEMs are literally screwing up clubs the new #6 has moved up to be an old #5. Or even #4.

In this case choosing a #6 shaft could be too much shaft."

 

This isn't an accurate statement. Stronger lofts are because if we kept with traditional lofts, everyone would complain that the clubs launched too high and spun too much. Not a nefarious plan to deceive golfers. 

 

Just stick to the proper taper tip length shaft and you will be just fine. 

[tsecor]

2 hours ago, baudi said:

This question trickles me as a clubmaker.

After 25 years of club making I consider the spare component market to be flooded with 

more dimensions, adapters and specs available than in the old days.  

 

In comparison to older club heads, some modern heads have in common:

lower loft, lower weight and often longer club length.

 

For ordering tapered shafts I always followed the guidelines of the manufacturers: #6 shaft goes into a #6 head for a standard set.

However, since OEMs are literally screwing up clubs the new #6 has moved up to be an old #5. Or even #4.

In this case choosing a #6 shaft could be too much shaft

 

So which shaft to choose for a reshaft for modern heads? Order #5 shaft for a #6? Or don't change the old method?

Of course I use a freq. analyzer (can be helpful) but out of cost I do not want to order two shafts of the same line/brand and find out which one will match best. 

 

 

 

 

 

This post is not meant to be a rant. 

Non native speaker.

  

being a clubmaker for 25 years and you dont know that # on the bottom is meaningless? I dont get it

[Stuart_G]

2 hours ago, baudi said:

For ordering tapered shafts I always followed the guidelines of the manufacturers: #6 shaft goes into a #6 head for a standard set.

However, since OEMs are literally screwing up clubs the new #6 has moved up to be an old #5. Or even #4.

In this case choosing a #6 shaft could be too much shaft

 

So which shaft to choose for a reshaft for modern heads? Order #5 shaft for a #6? Or don't change the old method?

Of course I use a freq. analyzer (can be helpful) but out of cost I do not want to order two shafts of the same line/brand and find out which one will match best.

  

 

Without any other guidance, pick the shaft based on the final head weight (after making any swing weight adjustments) and how it compares to the more 'standard' head weights (240 gm 3i with 7 gm increments).   That may or may not have a relationship with any "stock" length changes but really wont have anything to do with the lofts so you can ignore how the lofts may have changed.

 

Now ideally, which should be identified during the fitting process when the shaft was chosen.   It's not about right or wrong or even what might play "true to flex" or the way "the shaft was designed to play".   It's about what might change or be different relative to the club that was used to fit the player (or yourself) to that shaft.    e.g. if you were fit to the shaft in a club with a 7i shaft installed in a 261 gm head (more typical of a traditional 6i head weight),  if that's the same head you're going to build with, you do the same thing.   If the head is different, then you compare the head weight of your 7i used in the build with that 261 gm weight and adjust from there.  If it's a more traditional 268 gm 7i, then use the 8i shaft in the 7i.

Edited June 8, 2021 by Stuart_G

[baudi]

On 6/8/2021 at 9:01 PM, tsecor said:

being a clubmaker for 25 years and you dont know that # on the bottom is meaningless? I dont get it

 

Eg. Go to the mmt taper spec sheet.

The line up is that for some flex/weight the longest shaft is 39, another is 39.5 or 40 inches.

Now take your pick. You only have one chance to choose the correct one. 

(unless money grows on your back) It will be a guess. 

What shaft makers could do, is to provide a bit more information

eg. a cpm number based on club head weight and length would be a good starting point.  From here it should be easier to select the right shaft.  

 

In the old days Golfsmith offered a recommended range of driver swing speed or #6 iron rssr.

Tom Wishon later added a swing typology for his goods.

 

 

[Nessism]

As mentioned, focus on head weight.  The weight of a modern 5 iron head hasn't changed, regardless of loft, so you need to use a 5 iron shaft if you want to remain true to flex for the shaft set.

[Stuart_G]

10 hours ago, baudi said:

 

Eg. Go to the mmt taper spec sheet.

The line up is that for some flex/weight the longest shaft is 39, another is 39.5 or 40 inches.

Now take your pick. You only have one chance to choose the correct one. 

(unless money grows on your back) It will be a guess. 

 

Not if you actually take a little time to ask the people that make the shaft.

https://www.mca-golf.com/contact-us

 

And the only question you really have to ask is whether the shortest length blank is intended for just the wedges or is it for the wedges and the 9i.   From there it's easy to work your way up.

 

 

Quote

What shaft makers could do, is to provide a bit more information

eg. a cpm number based on club head weight and length would be a good starting point.  From here it should be easier to select the right shaft.  

 

For those who think that cpm is actually impoortant, the value is something that should be determined during the fitting, not dictated by the shaft OEM.  It would also open the door for more QA complaints from customers who ended up with different cpm values because they didn't really know what they were doing.    In the context of the different discrete length shafts for a model,  the target head weight (range) would be all that they'd need to add.

 

Edited June 11, 2021 by Stuart_G

[tsecor]

15 hours ago, baudi said:

 

Eg. Go to the mmt taper spec sheet.

The line up is that for some flex/weight the longest shaft is 39, another is 39.5 or 40 inches.

Now take your pick. You only have one chance to choose the correct one. 

(unless money grows on your back) It will be a guess. 

What shaft makers could do, is to provide a bit more information

eg. a cpm number based on club head weight and length would be a good starting point.  From here it should be easier to select the right shaft.  

 

In the old days Golfsmith offered a recommended range of driver swing speed or #6 iron rssr.

Tom Wishon later added a swing typology for his goods.

 

 

Im not a club fitter but IMO it seems as if the modern way of handling these issues can be easily rectified with technology. maybe im wrong

[baudi]

All points taken in the posts above.