Soft stepping golf shafts is a way to do this. What Is Soft Stepping? Soft stepping is the process where club shafts are made slightly more flexible. For example, if you had a stiff flex, after soft stepping the club it would become closer to a regular shaft and easier to hit if a player had issues with it being too stiff.
What is a ‘soft step’ in golf?
A “soft step” is the opposite — it means putting a 3-iron shaft into a 4-iron head (and so on through the set) to make the shaft play a little softer. To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.
What is the effect of hard step and soft step on clubs?
The effect on each club would be that each clubs shaft would be a little bit stiffer than they originally were and produce a slightly lower ball flight. Remember, when you hard step, the club lengths will decrease. 3 iron will become 4 iron length, 4 iron will become 5 iron length and so on. When you soft step, the club lengths will increase.
What does it mean to soft step or hard step irons?
What does it mean to "soft step" or "hard step" a set of irons? Stepping shafts is a method of reshafting that focuses on a flex between the specific designations, say, between a regular and a stiff flex. "Hard stepping" would make a shaft stiffer, "soft stepping," more flexible.
What is soft stepping on a tip shaft?
As head weight increases, the amount of tip trimming increases incrementally to maintain the flex the manufacturer designed into the shaft. Soft stepping on a parallel tip shaft is simply the process of trimming less than what the manufacturer suggests. For example, if you have a 5-iron, you tip trim the shaft like a 4-iron.
What does soft stepping a golf shaft mean?
Soft stepping is the process where club shafts are made slightly more flexible. For example, if you had a stiff flex, after soft stepping the club it would become closer to a regular shaft and easier to hit if a player had issues with it being too stiff.
What happens when you soft step a golf shaft?
0:592:10What is Hard Stepping or Soft Stepping a Golf Shaft? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHead. So keep that in mind when we're describing. This so for soft stepping a set let's take thatMoreHead. So keep that in mind when we're describing. This so for soft stepping a set let's take that six iron shaft in this example. Once again half inch longer tip section so it's a softer tip section.
How much difference does soft stepping make?
By using a soft stepping golf iron, you can expect to increase your distance by 10-15 yards.
What is hard step and soft step?
Stepping shafts is a method of reshafting that focuses on a flex between the specific designations, say, between a regular and a stiff flex. "Hard stepping" would make a shaft stiffer, "soft stepping," more flexible.
Does soft stepping add length?
For instance, when you soft step your irons, each of them gets a bit longer. If you are able to adjust this so that the lengths are still the proper fit for your game, you can order them directly from the manufacturer this way.
What does soft stepping do?
Soft stepping is the term used to indicate changing flex of a taper tip shaft by adjusting the stiffness of a set of irons by putting the lower numbered iron shaft throughout the set. For example, the 8 iron shaft is put in the 9 iron, the 7 iron shaft in the 8 iron and so on through the set.
Does soft stepping increase spin?
"The main reason for soft stepping or hard stepping is to change the feel of the shaft for golfers who really want their shafts to feel just right. The second reason is to try to change the launch angle and trajectory of the shot or to reduce or increase spin. A ½ inch can exhibit the beginning of a 'feel' difference.
What is Tiger stepping?
0:585:39TIGER STEPPING / TIGER WOODS WEDGE BUILD SETUP - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipHead on any shaft. It's going to make it more flexible. So for consistency's sake the whole pointMoreHead on any shaft. It's going to make it more flexible. So for consistency's sake the whole point really is we're trying to get the shaft to flex consistently regardless of what iron.
Can you soft step a graphite shaft?
1:276:04Hard Stepped and Soft Stepped Golf Shafts Explained - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipWell you can you can soft step it by instead of using if this is a five iron.MoreWell you can you can soft step it by instead of using if this is a five iron.
Do longer shafts play softer?
Also, longer clubs should play 1 to 1.5 flexes stiffer than shorter clubs. So, if your driver is S(6.0), your irons should probably be R(5.0), etc. Some golfers swing harder with their drivers so they may need stronger flexes in their longer clubs.
Can you soft step parallel tip shafts?
Parallel tip shafts Soft stepping on a parallel tip shaft is simply the process of trimming less than what the manufacturer suggests. For example, if you have a 5-iron, you tip trim the shaft like a 4-iron. This is called soft stepping once and would decrease the stiffness by a quarter flex.
How to make a club shaft more flexible?
Making the club shaft more flexible requires a process. For example when soft stepping, the 3 iron shaft would be put into the 4 iron’s head. The 4 iron shaft would go into the 5 iron shaft and so forth. The only shaft left would be the extra pitching wedge shaft but it is discardable since the 9 iron shaft replaced it.
What is a stiffer shaft?
Stiffer shafts are meant for golfers who have higher swing speeds and can help with straighter and more accurate ball flight. Regular flex shafts are easier to hit and are for slower swing speeds. Some players want to change their shafts to be between the two for their swing speed and style. Soft stepping golf shafts is a way to do this.
Why is hard stepping important?
The effect of hard stepping helps the shafts become a little stiffer while lowering ball flight after contact. The club lengths will become longer after hard stepping. If you wished to keep the original shaft length, you will have to make changes to the shaft’s butt end.
Does soft stepping work on a parallel shaft?
The effect of soft stepping works identically even if the shafts are parallel or taper tipped .
Benefits of Soft Stepping Irons: 3 Major Benefits
The ball flight differs in hard and soft stepping by changing the shaft’s flex. No matter the shafts are parallel tipped or tapered, it works the same way. It depends. Stiff shafts can give you a softer feel where a regular shaft gives a firmer feel. The best practice is to remove all the shafts and then put them in the proceeding club.
Additional Benefits of Soft Stepping Irons
Now that you know why soft stepping irons are needed, if you find your clubs are too stiff, it’s time to soft-stepping them for better results. On the other hand, opt for hard stepping if you like to have stiffer clubs. The decision depends on your choice how you want your swings.
What is spin in golf?
Spining is another entry in the long line of "new" innovations in the golf industry that aren't really new at all, such as bore-thru heads, shaft butt-weighting, freezing, shock absorbing, and magical pendants. The TrueTemper Company espoused spining in the 1970's with very limited success, and there is a good reason why.
How is graphite shaft made?
A graphite shaft is produced by the wrapping of several layers, or plies, all beginning and ending at different points to form the body of the shaft , leaving several seams present. Shaft manufacturers have made great strides towards perfecting consistency and have nearly eliminated any weak or strong sides of the graphite shaft, ...
Why do golf clubs have soft stepping?
"The main reason for soft stepping or hard stepping is to change the feel of the shaft for golfers who really want their shafts to feel just right.
What is hard stepping?
Hard stepping and soft stepping is a way changing the flex of a shaft in a club to obtain an in-between flex which will also produce a slightly different ball flight. It works the same way regardless if the shafts are taper or parallel tipped. Depending on which way you go, a regular shaft can be made to feel a little firmer ...
What is a taper tip shaft?
The taper-tip shaft, as the name indicates, tapers down from the last step in the shaft. Taper-tip shafts are manufactured to the correct length and flex for each club so it is important that the correct shaft is fitted to the corresponding club. A 3 iron shaft would fit into an 8 iron, for example, but it would play far too soft in flex ...
How to get flex on a parallel tipped shaft?
To obtain the correct flex with a parallel-tipped shaft, the shaft is cut from the tip end at the appropriate point to achieve the correct flex. Then the shaft is cut from the butt end to achieve the desired length. The taper-tip shaft, as the name indicates, tapers down from the last step in the shaft. Taper-tip shafts are manufactured ...
What shaft would fit a 9 iron?
The PW s haft would be fitted into the 9 iron head, the 9 iron shaft would fit into the 8 iron and so on. The PW would require a new shaft and the 3 iron shaft would be left over. The effect on each club would be that each clubs shaft would be a little bit stiffer than they originally were and produce a slightly lower ball flight.
What is the size of a Wilson over fit shaft?
There are others such as the Wilson over fit shaft (fat shaft) manufactured by True Temper and Apollo which measures in at .500 but most the common are .335, .350, .355 and .370. The smaller sizes,.355, .350 and .355 are what a wood would usually require and. .355 and .370 for irons but this is not a steadfast rule as club manufacturers are ...
What are the two ends of a golf shaft?
There are two ends of the shaft to consider. The butt end (the end to which the grip is fitted) and the tip which fits into the club-head. There are two different types of tip, parallel and taper-tip. The parallel-tip shaft is a constant diameter from the last step down to the tip of the shaft. The idea of this is that one shaft can be manufactured ...
Why do golfers use soft stepping?
A paraphrased quote from Tom Wishon (Master Club Maker. "The main reason for soft or hard stepping is to change the feel of the shaft for golfers who really want their shafts to feel just right. The second reason is to try to change the launch angle and trajectory of the shot or to reduce or increase spin. A ½ inch can exhibit the beginning of ...
What is hard and soft stepping?
Hard and soft stepping is a way of changing the flex of a shaft in a club to obtain an in-between flex which will also produce a slightly different ball flight. It works the same way regardless if the shafts are taper or parallel tipped. Depending on which way you go, a regular shaft can be made to feel a little firmer and a stiff shaft can be made ...
How to make a stiff shaft feel firmer?
The most common practice is by removing all the shafts from your matching irons (3 iron through to PW) then put each shaft in either the following or proceeding club.
What happens when you soft step?
3iron will become 4iron length, 4iron will become 5iron length and so on. When you soft step, the club lengths will increase. PW will become 9iron length, 9iron will become 8iron length and so on.
Can a PW shaft fit a 9iron?
This is the process of making your clubs shaft a little stiffer. The PW shaft would be fitted into the 9iron head, the 9iron shaft would fit into the 8iron and so on. The PW would require a new shaft and the 3iron shaft would be left over.
What does it mean when a golfer soft steps his irons?
When a player elects to soft step their irons, they are typically electing to either achieve lower or higher launch from the club. For lower launch, an example would be a strong player needing a stiffer tip to prevent shots from ballooning without going to X-Stiff.
What is the increment in golf clubs?
The increment is usually in between Stiff and Regular shafts. Most club manufactures use 1/2" increments in shaft lengths. Some players may prefer only 1/4" or longer 3/4" for taller players. Many golfers like 1" over standard. Using stepping methods, player can fine tune their clubs for personal preferences.
Do custom clubs have matched shafts?
Custom Club makers may refer to their process as "Frequency Matching Shafts" for the similar performance. Granted factory clubs for the most do not have matched shafts, which most players would never notice the difference in "feel". Some players will note they like the feel when club testing between shaft variance.
Is a soft step good for a young player?
While for other players a soft step will benefit them. A young player may hard step and increase shaft length for more yardage. While an older player may soft step and benefit a few yards. It's more about launch and ball flight trying to optimize the shaft performance to benefit any player.
gmoney77
When you soft step a shaft (taper iron shaft), do you think it makes it play between flex?
jaskanski
Basically, yes. You understand the princple behind it. You could also hardstep the regular shaft to get a similar result. It's not an absolute mid flex between the two flexes, but rather a sub-flex either above or below the desired flex of the category it is intended for.
rymail00
I believe its 1/3 of a flex. So stiff soft stepped would be like reg and 2/3. What shaft are you thinking of soft stepping?
bradski
if you are talking about dg s300's then softstepping would be 1/3 flex or equal flex to an s200..
gmoney77
Thinking of soft stepping Dynalite Gold XP (from Mizuno custom). Weight of the stiff feels better to me, just want some extra kick, so they suggested soft step, but they said only once/
midirons
I've done this with DGS300 (soft-stepped twice) on my MP60's with very effective results. Based on several shafts that I hit using a fitting cart we were going to soft-step once. The fitter installed the 4 iron shaft in the 5 iron and checked the frequency and thought it would still be a bit stiff for me, so we decided to soft-step twice.
jaskanski
Rubbish. The S300 flex is exactly the same as the S200. The only difference is about 2-3g of weight tolerance when sorted at the factory.
What is a hard step in golf?
A “hard step” is to put a 5-iron shaft into a 4-iron clubhead and so on through the set. This makes the shaft play a little stiffer. A “soft step” is the opposite — it means putting a 3-iron shaft into a 4-iron head (and so on through the set) to make the shaft play a little softer. To receive GOLF’s all-new newsletters, subscribe for free here.
What does it mean to tip a golf club?
“Tipping” or “tip trimming ,” as it’s sometimes called, means trimming a club shaft from the clubhead end, not from the grip end where it’s most often cut. ...
Does tipping affect spin rate?
Lastly, tipping won’t do much to affect spin rates and launch angle — two popular misconceptions when it comes to trimming the lower end of a shaft.
