Cutting down shafts

Par4QC

Never read anywhere of a max to tipping, or shortening a shaft, before losing effectiveness. Just keep in mind that any time a shaft gets shorter, from either end, it will get stiffer.

bigshank

Par4QC I shortened my m2 an inch and added some lead tape in the channel on the sole. I didn’t notice any stiffness but a tad lighter. It was 46 inches a bit much

scotts33

What I think most that tinker with clubs is that the heft match gets really mucked up when you shorten or lengthen a shaft not so much shaft flex or stiffness. IMO that's a huge deciding factor on playabilty and also why I haven't used swing weight for years as a heft match for a specific individual golfer. As Tim Hewitt used to say swing weight is just a letter and a number and not interesting. Tim was ahead of his time.

Typhoon

I don't notice any change in stiffness when I butt cut, only a change in weight where I would need to add lead tape to the head. My Ping G400 Max I picked up felt really light. I measured the shaft and saw it was an inch shorter than standard. I added the inch back and it feels like it should to me.

Rickochet

VaughnRoss Is there a max that you can cut down a shaft and not have it affect the clubs playability?

Wow, what a can of worms. I have had some wood shafts that felt totally dead after tip trimming anything.

scotts33

Rickochet VaughnRoss Is there a max that you can cut down a shaft and not have it affect the clubs playability?

Wow, what a can of worms. I have had some wood shafts that felt totally dead after tip trimming anything.

I believe the OP said cut down not tip trimming.

azgreg

Anything over 36 inches makes it unplayable.

Par4QC

Ok, if you take a branch off a willow tree, and cut it from either end, it's going to get stiffer with every cut. Now, if you hang a car off 1 end, it is going to stay flexible. But, at that, it's still not going to flex the same, or in the same place as the branch gets shorter.

I answered the OP. Correctly.

I don't even tip shafts for use in 3 woods, because I'm making it stiffer from the butt end. Why shorten it from both ends(not all mfgrs. say to tip for 3/5 woods)? And I do try to use shafts that are 'designed' for fw heads only.(44", no tipping, no loss of flex status)
jmo, which may be nuts. Or is it?

scotts33

Par4QC I answered the OP. Correctly.

Nope sorry take a frequency meter and measure cpm's as you butt trim. It won't matter very infinitesimal. (maybe less than 2 - 3 cpms per inch and as you add head weightt o correct shaft flex even less.....that's the kicker you need to add head weight as you go shorter.) Your analogy is not interesting.

BTW it's the shaft bend profile that is interesting not these other factors that folks are adding to the discussion. On 3 and 5 woods etal we tip trim not butt trim except for wood shafts that flat profile.

Par4QC

scotts33 2 - 3 cpms per inch

And if you take off 3" , is that not almost 1 whole flex?

And the OP says nothing about adding weight. How much weight needs added to keep flex same, per inch shortened? Frequency meters are a rare animal for 1000's of (forum member) builders out there.

scotts33

Flex or stiffness is effected the majority from the tip not butt. If as the OP suggest how is play ability effected by cutting down a shaft. My answer is not much. 3"s is not the normal or average for a club that is cut down. I'd guess for irons not more than 3/4" and woods less than 2"s. Using those norms the factor to worry about is heft "feel" not flex or stiffness.

As, an example;e using the old PCS Equalizer Freq. Tables. A driver that is 5.5FM for a golfer that has 100 mph driver club head speed at 45" is 254cpm cut down 1" to 44" the same club at 5.5FM is 262cpm. That is the same 5.5FM flex. It does not change flex. The same club would change 6 points for 1" length change IMO that's a lot not to account of adding head weight and that's the most important factor to worry about or factor in. Heft makes a club playable or not first and needs to be accounted for more than flex change from the butt.

Clients ask me often I want to cut my driver down. OK but we need to account for all playing factors not just the playing length. I believe that's what the OP is asking. This is what a good fitting should contain. We change the equipment to fit the golfers swing not the swing to the equipment. That's just how I feel about fitting.

Par4QC

scotts33 45" is 254cpm cut down 1" to 44" the same club at 5.5FM is 262cpm. That is the same 5.5FM flex. It does not change flex.

Yet most would feel a big change in the flex; I know I do.
So, how does one know the proper amount of weight to add to compliment the shorter length?
I've always used 5-7 gr. when using a stiffer(driver) shaft than I normally would, at MY normal playing length. Say, 250 CPM vs. 240 CPM.(neither shaft was tipped) So far, it works for me.

scotts33

Par4QC So, how does one know the proper amount of weight to add to compliment the shorter length?

2 g of head weight for every point is the old rule.