An Academic Club-building Question

kelco9

I am the lucky beneficiary of Shokosugi's move to the Wishon EQs -- I got his old Sterlings heads and a set of taper tip Aldila shafts. I'm really looking forward to assembling and playing these!

I have a question, but before I ask it, I have to say that I don't really believe that what I'm discussing (shaft kick point and shaft flex) will make even one bit of difference, particularly since I'm going to be playing the clubs at about a 8 to 9-iron shaft length. We mortals will hardly flex these..

I have never worked with taper tipped shafts before. I ASSUME (I'll make a few assumptions, so just understand beginning here that I don't really know what I'm talking about) that taper tip shafts are not tip trimmed, but instead have 3-iron shaft, 4-iron shaft, 5-iron shaft, etc., and they are just butt trimmed to length.

If that is actually the case, as you butt trim the shaft, isn't the kick point moving "higher" (i.e., toward the hands), which promotes a lower ball flight? That may not be a big deal when you're doing a small butt trim for a variable length set, but considering that I'm playing SL to a 8/9-iron length, doesn't that move the kickpoint a long way in the long irons?

In that case, the less severely trimmed shafts, which were originally the 8, 9, PW shafts, would actually have a lower kick point and be higher launching. If that's true, then I would put my short iron shafts in my longer irons.

Now, what about weight? 🙂

Again, I don't think this makes any difference for us mere mortals. I'm just curious

colej

kelco9

Yes taper tip shafts are meant to be butt trim only. Some, not all, are constant weight. Which means they would get heavier as the set gets shorter. I’m not sure if this is the case with the shafts you have.

There’s been some discussion about “flighting” shafts in these single length sets. Edel does this in their single length sets to give the long irons more height and the short irons less height. To me it makes sense, to do a flighted set of shafts in a single length setup.

Taki27

kelco9 Assuming I read it correctly that you are using a set of taper tips rather than a bunch of 8 iron taper tips, the issue I can foresee is that the butt ends will be very narrow on the 4, 5 & likely 6 since you will be butt trimming so much. They will also be much more flexible, but depending on your swing, that may not be a big deal

kelco9

Taki27 So are you saying that they will get softer as I shorten them more? I would have thought it would have been the other way round. (And, yes, you're right -- I'm not using a bunch of 8 irons shafts.)

kelco9

I think I know what you mean, now, Taki. I think what you were saying is that by butt trimming, say, 2.5 inches, the diameter of the shaft would be reduced so much that the shaft would become that much softer. As I say, at a 8/9-iron length, I don't think we flex the shaft that much anyways. Also, I just measured the shaft and it must have a long "parallel" butt section because I just measured down 2.5" on the longest shaft (that's about the amount I'll need to take off) and the butt still measures 0.629" at that point (with a wrap on it). FYI, these are Aldila Tour Gold iron shafts.

Par4QC

kelco9 Aldila Tour Gold iron shafts.

😲You could boil those in hot oil for a week and never soften them!! Even in A flex. 🤣

Taki27

kelco9 The top portion of the butt should be fine diameterwise. I would be more concerned with the lower part of the grip area. That sections tends to taper off fairly quickly. It is easily correctable with some build up tape.

kelco9

Par4QC As I say, I got them from Shokosugi, and he's a bit of a beast. 🙂

Par4QC

kelco9 and he's a bit of a beast.

He of the 90g. driver shaft in XX flex!! And they're too soft and light.🤣

shokosugi

kelco9 As I say, I got them from Shokosugi, and he's a bit of a beast. 🙂

Actually I've never hit them- I didn't realize they were that stiff, as i would've kept them if I had known that

shokosugi

Par4QC

Lol, not a beast at all. I was playing heavier x flex at shorter lengths but have gone back to 60-70g x-flex at 47"- will stick with this until I lose my driver swing and then I'll go back to heavy and short.

candukid

Wont the flex be different in each club?
I mean that the 4 iron taper tip eas ment for a 249 gram head. The 5 was meant for a 256 head etc. if you put all the shafts into a head that weighs about 275g then they will get progressively stiffer. They will not all be the same flex. I’m confused here. I don’t think you can use taper tip shafts unless they ere all 8 iron blanks.

Par4QC

candukid 😉I think he is building these realistically.......

We mortals will hardly flex these.

He already knows.

kelco9

candukid That's a good thought, Candu, and you may be right. But, as Par4QC points out, in my mind this is more of an academic discussion than anything, anyways. I believe that shaft weight is generally far more important than flex for most of us, which is the main reason I was interested in this set of shafts. But when it comes to 8-iron length clubs, I don't think shaft flex makes any difference. When Tom Wishon was first discussing creating SL set, he wrote that most people don't flex an 8-iron shaft, so my belief about flexing the shafts was something I got from him.

kelco9

candukid By the way, I actually don't mind if the do become progressively stiffer. I'll post what happens after I actually build these and try them out.

Par4QC

kelco9 Are these shafts actually the Tour Gold? iirc, they were the same, if not lower, torque than steel shafts. And they weighed 100g. +/-. The R flex 3i shaft was so stiff, I could not hand flex it at untrimmed length. And that was before I was 'old/weak'. 🤨

kelco9

Par4QC These say "Tour Gold" on them. They are 85g, stiff flex. On the little information I could find about them, I believe they said the torque was 3.0. Now the set of Penley IMS shafts I have, which are 105 g, their torque is 2.0!

sdandrea1

kelco9 Now the set of Penley IMS shafts I have, which are 105 g, their torque is 2.0!

Is there a hole down the shaft or are they solid?! 2.0?! 🤣

shokosugi

Well, if you put each shaft straight in and butt trimmed to length, essentially the 5 iron shaft would be the equivalent of soft stepping 3 times (SSX3), the 6 iron would be SS x 2) the 7 iron SS X1 and 8 iron would be standard and the 9 iron would be hard stepped once and so on - basically you would have the equivalent of a flighted set - it could work. You could also tip trim the long iron shafts to make them more equal in flex too. If I were you I would shaft up the 5 iron and a wedge to see the extremes in flex as the 5 iron will play the softest and your wedge will play the stiffest. If you can hit those okay then the other clubs should work fine

kelco9

shokosugi Interesting stuff. Thanks.

kelco9

sdandrea1 They kind of feel like rebar.