What is hard and soft stepping?

[CHEFMIZ]

What is hard and soft stepping of iron shafts, and how does each affect the playability of the finished product?

[paulyb]

You can find a few threads about this with a search. Basically it is using a 4 iron shaft for the 3, the 5 for the 4 etc (hardstepping) to get a slightly stiffer playing shaft. Useing a 3 iron shaft for the 4, the 4 for the 5 etc (softstepping) to get a slightly softer playing shaft.

[CHEFMIZ]

Thanks, located a couple of threads with a bunch of good info.

[BEND OF THE RIVER GC]

A search will provide a TOn of info...

 

In short SS= placing a 4 iron shaft in a 5 iron

 

HS = placing a 6 iron shaft in a 5 iron.

[Wildwing55]

Hard stepping is using the same shaft at the bottom of the length group for that shaft for both 9 and pitching wedge, then progressing upward.

 

Soft stepping is using the bottom length shaft for the pitching wedge, then increasing length from every iron up.

 

In other words, the longer the unfinished length shaft is used in any given club, the more flexible the club will be.

[e-man]

Hard stepping is using the same shaft at the bottom of the length group for that shaft for both 9 and pitching wedge, then progressing upward.

 

Soft stepping is using the bottom length shaft for the pitching wedge, then increasing length from every iron up.

 

In other words, the longer the unfinished length shaft is used in any given club, the more flexible the club will be.

 

 

So with soft-stepping, if you use the 3 iron shaft in the 4 iron, does that mean that the 4 iron will be the same length as the 3 iron or do you cut the shaft so that it's the proper length? And, if you do cut the shaft, does that make it play more stiff (i.e., the same stiffness as the original shaft that was in there in the first place)?

 

e

[Wildwing55]

Hard stepping is using the same shaft at the bottom of the length group for that shaft for both 9 and pitching wedge, then progressing upward.

 

Soft stepping is using the bottom length shaft for the pitching wedge, then increasing length from every iron up.

 

In other words, the longer the unfinished length shaft is used in any given club, the more flexible the club will be.

 

 

So with soft-stepping, if you use the 3 iron shaft in the 4 iron, does that mean that the 4 iron will be the same length as the 3 iron or do you cut the shaft so that it's the proper length? And, if you do cut the shaft, does that make it play more stiff (i.e., the same stiffness as the original shaft that was in there in the first place)?

 

e

 

You cut the shaft to the appropriate length, regardless of whether you're soft or hard stepping the shaft pattern. By the way, hard stepped is a bit heavier swingweight, and soft stepped is a bit lighter. Not much, just a bit.

 

With soft stepping, in comparison to the original shaft that was there in the first place depends on how the equipment manufacturer or club repairman originally did the clubs. My 1989 Mizuno MS-9's direct from the factory were actually a bit soft-stepped, one half inch progressive from pitching wedge up. My 1992 Dunlop TM-92 Australian Blades, on the other hand, were more standard, or hard stepped, same shaft in 9 and wedge and one-half inch progressivly upward from there. Some would consider it standard, some consider it hard-stepped. But if you consiously soft-step your irons, chances are they will be a bit more flexible (and slightly lighter swingweighted) than their original configuration.

 

By the way, all my experience is with Dynamic Gold shafts, as well as the old stepped Rifle shafts. But I think the same principle applies no matter what the shaft.