Need help reshafting my TM300 forged set

[T.Ognisty]

Hi everyone,

I recently picked up a new set of Taylor Made 300 forged irons to replace my old Taylor Made 320s. The new set has Rifle 6.0 flighted shafts, and they are WAY too stiff for me. The old 320's had the stock rifle oem steel shafts with a "s-90" flex. I'm guessing they're somewhere between 5.0 and 5.5 on the frequency scale.

 

I'm open to recommendations. I'm a 4 handicap, and a fairly slow and smooth swinger. My 6 iron distance (with the s-90 from my 320's) is about 160-165. My pitching wedge is about 120, and then about 10 yds up each club through the set (4 is my least lofted iron), which is 185ish.

 

I really like the s-90 rifle oem shafts on the 320's, and I was wondering if there is an equivalent shaft available from rifle. If worse comes to worse, I'll pull them out of my 320's, but it would break my son's heart, as he has been playing them and shooting lights out.

 

Finally, does anyone know the tip diameter for the 300-320's?

 

Thanks for your input,

 

Tim

[tpariff]

My 300 forged have .355 taper tips.

 

Have you considered the KB Tour shafts? They seem to be getting tons of love lately. If you're a smooth swinger, you might opt for the 5.5 straight installed or maybe even soft stepped once. I'm not a club fitter, but it sounds like that might work.

 

Good luck!

 

Kevin

[T.Ognisty]

Is it possible to soft step rifles? I don't use the 3 and 4 anyway.

[Asleep]

Tip should be .355 taper 99% of the time, especially with what should be the stock shafts.

 

The S-90 was pretty darn soft, so I'd suggest Rifle 5.0 first, then 5.5.

 

Yes you can soft-step Rifles. (Soft-stepped 5.5s?)

 

 

Be aware that there may be some big-ish tip weights (brass) in there to achieve swingweights --- you/your clubmaker will have to re-swingweight them.

 

 

Here's a link to closeout Royal FM Precision shafts, fwiw: https://www.leaderboardgolf.com/closeoutprecision.htm

[sweeet]

If you don't mind me asking....lehman grind?

[T.Ognisty]

If you don't mind me asking....lehman grind?

 

I wish. No, they are just the regular ones. I picked them up on Callaway preowned. I think somebody must have goofed because they are in new condition, only two of the the clubs had been hit, and they had the stock grips still on- $150. It's worth scanning that site every now and then.

 

-Tim

[liveagua]

You could go with Rilfe 5.0's and tip them a little and see how they play. KB Tour's are awesome, pretty high ball flight but they are great shafts.

 

I know that TT is coming out with a similar shaft to the KB Tour's in a month or so, maybe wait to see what TT has to offer and then make your decision.

 

I have but Black Golds in my Lehman Grind 300's and they are fantastic.

[sweeet]

If you don't mind me asking....lehman grind?

 

I wish. No, they are just the regular ones. I picked them up on Callaway preowned. I think somebody must have goofed because they are in new condition, only two of the the clubs had been hit, and they had the stock grips still on- $150. It's worth scanning that site every now and then.

 

-Tim

Yeah, Pre-owned can be a great site, if you just look :russian_roulette: Good luck with those.

[heybrady]

Your 320's are parallel tips, while the 300's are taper. So swapping shafts will not work.

 

You can softstep Rifles, just order 3-PW, then put the 3 iron shaft in the 4 iron and move up from there.

 

Golfsmith shows the 300s as having Flighted Rifles in 5.0, 6.0 and 6.5. I assume the s90 is a 6.0. Knowing TM, they are probably soft stepped one time.

[T.Ognisty]

I'm thinking of softstepping 2x, just to see. They are the flighted type, so it will be interesting- the 5 iron may end up too soft for example. I figure the 2x will get me down to about 5.2 to 5.4 or so. I've heard .3 to .4 per step. Does that sound right? It will be interesting to see what it takes to keep them at D3.

[T.Ognisty]

Your 320's are parallel tips, while the 300's are taper. So swapping shafts will not work.

 

You can softstep Rifles, just order 3-PW, then put the 3 iron shaft in the 4 iron and move up from there.

 

Golfsmith shows the 300s as having Flighted Rifles in 5.0, 6.0 and 6.5. I assume the s90 is a 6.0. Knowing TM, they are probably soft stepped one time.

 

Actually, the OEM shafts (made by rifle and very nice, IMHO), are way overrated in terms of stiffness. The S90 in the stock 320's compares to a DGr300, or a rifle 5.0 in my opinion. Their X stiff is about a DGs300 or 6.0. I suspect Taylor Made went with light shafts to get the swingweight up in the 320's. They added tungsten to the sole too. Perhaps they are softstepped because they swing heavy for a relatively light head.

 

They sure are great clubs though. The 300's I have are some of the nicest looking forgings I've seen.

[polygman]

Im in the exact same position, just bought some TM 300 heads and looking to reshaft. My specs are nearly the same as yours, (low 100s driver ss), 6iron 170, smooth tempo.

 

I was actually looking at the Project X High launch in 5.0. I hear these are like a soft stepped regular project x. Give the shafts and frequences preivously mentioned is a HL 5.0 too weak for these swing speeds?

 

Are the KB Tour shafts good for smooth tempo players? I was thinking they played quite stiff and were for hard swingers.

[Asleep]

....(low 100s driver ss), 6iron 170...is a HL 5.0 too weak for these swing speeds?...

I think you can comfortably go with 5.5 HL.

[polygman]

I think you can comfortably go with 5.5 HL.

 

only thing is they dont make a 5.5 in the HL, they just have 4.0, 5.0, and 6.0

 

bummer eh

[oneaugusta]

I am a clubfitter and my suggestion is to use the 6.0 shafts you have and softstep them. 1x will give you around 5.7 to 5.8 frequency 2x will give you 5.5 to 5.6. I would lean towards the 1x softstep since yours are flighted. pm me if you want more info.

[GoDucks85257]

I would recommened Nippon 950 X yes I said extra stiff. These will play like your s90 and will be frequency matched. It will also drop the swing weight in the irons by 3 points! You will hit the ball just like your old irons and they will feel perfect. If you have the right shop build these for you make sure you get 950x soft stepped once. Good luck and let me know how they work!

[GoDucks85257]

Ditch the rifle's they are way to heavy compared to the s-90! You will be happier with Nippons. Besides you can soft step rifle they come in Parellel blanks. you could have them built softer but make sure the builder uses the right tipping instructions. The only Rifle you can hard/soft step are Project x or flight PJX..

[FG51s]

I am a clubfitter and my suggestion is to use the 6.0 shafts you have and softstep them. 1x will give you around 5.7 to 5.8 frequency 2x will give you 5.5 to 5.6. I would lean towards the 1x softstep since yours are flighted. pm me if you want more info.

 

I agree that you should try and use your existing shafts ...for a test.....

take your 3i and 5i to a good fitter,pull the 2 shafts and install the 3i shaft in the 5i head

trim to 5i length +1/2",regrip,check swght and try it out.Based on your swing descrip. etc

it should be a good fit. The 300s have a deeper insertion than the 320s and the 300s are

a "stronger" head.If this is still to much shaft than consider a softer shaft with a lower

balance point so you can maintain a good overall swght.

[T.Ognisty]

I agree with the advice that I should soft step them. I'm in a tournament right now, so I'm playing my old bag still. I should get around to it Mon or Tues. I'm so far away from being able to kick these Rifle 6.0's I think I'm going to go 2x straight off. I'm a little concerned because when first I hit them (the 300's with the 6.0's), I was getting *Plenty* of spin, but no kick, boardy feel, and blocked right misses. And they feel "heavy" but at the same time I kind of lost the sensation of the weight of the head. (I swing D3 up to PW then up one each through G/S/L with my lob at D6) If I rotated my left hand strong, I was getting *very* accurate ball flight, but again just slaps, no kick at all.

 

I've checked but I haven't been able to find any weight specs for the "S90 made by rifle, constant weight" shafts that were OEM on the TM320's. I love these shafts for my swing. The Poster who mentioned the Nippons got me thinking it does seem like the S90's are very light. Ultimately, even if the softstep "works", I may get better results from shafts like the Nippon 950, or the DGSL just to name a couple. Any thoughts here would be great. I had always assumed the TM oem rifle s-90's would have the same weight as their equivalent rifle flex, but it's very possible that are are indeed a lighter design, or perhaps even a hardstep 5.0. They have a pronounced mid flex, with a medium stiff tip, and a firm grip

 

If anybody has those weights, it would be great. Otherwise I'll pull a shaft on my 320's and post it for interest and information when I do the 300 stepping job.

[FG51s]

precision Rifle CW last offered in their catalog in 01(?)

 

R/S .600butt,.370tip,41"(?)....116-120gms

 

used in Cally X-14 pro series as stock shaft