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how much stiffer with 1/2 inch cut from the butt end of golf shaft

by Christian Ebert Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago

The more shaft you cut off, the lighter, more stiff, and effectively flatter the club becomes. For every 1/2 inch you remove, you will lose approximately three swingweight points. You can readjust the swingweight by adding lead tape to the head of the club. Any amount of cutting will slightly stiffen the club.

Full Answer

How much does trim increase the stiffness of a shaft?

"There are some shafts in which trimming an additional one inch from the tip will change the stiffness barely at all, while in other shaft designs a 1-inch additional cut from the tip end will increase the stiffness quite noticeably." Trimming Shafts to Improve Accuracy: Cut from Grip End

Why do golfers cut the shafts on their clubs?

They do this to make their clubs better fit their swing, which might mean cutting the shaft simply to change length, or to change swingweight, flex or other playing characteristics. What effect does trimming the shaft have on a golf club?

Can you cut a golf club from the butt end?

Cutting a club from the butt end will have somewhat the opposite effect, making the shaft stiffer overall but shorter as well. The most fundamental difference in a shorter club is shorter shot distance, and you might find the change in stiffness is not worth the change to your club.

Does cutting the grip end of a shaft make it stiffer?

"Cutting more of the grip end will still stiffen the shaft a little bit, but only because in doing so you make the shaft shorter, and not nearly as much as when trimming more from the tip end."

Does cutting down a golf shaft make it stiffer?

In most cases, tip trimming a shaft makes it meaningfully stiffer. It also increases torsional stiffness, known as “torque,” which is a shaft's resistance to twisting. On the other end of the shaft is the handle, which is also generally trimmed some amount when building a golf club.

How much can you cut off a golf shaft?

If you are going to shorten a golf club, there are a few things to keep in mind. The more shaft you cut off, the lighter, more stiff, and effectively flatter the club becomes. For every 1/2 inch you remove, you will lose approximately three swingweight points.

How does tip trimming affect Flex?

0:301:51What Does "Tipping" Your Driver Affect? // True Temper SchoolYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipYou know you can tip an inch half an inch inch and a half whatever you want and obviously the moreMoreYou know you can tip an inch half an inch inch and a half whatever you want and obviously the more you tip you're gonna affect stiffness and increase in tipnis there.

Does half an inch make a difference in golf clubs?

Master clubmaker Ralph Maltby says that adding 1/2 inch length can add about 5 to 7 yards in distance for irons. But the longer shaft still makes it harder to control the clubhead, which is even more important the closer you get to the green.

Is it OK to shorten a driver shaft?

Shortening the shaft will make the club shorter but it will also make the shaft stiffer and adjust the swing weight as well. Plus, the more length you remove, the less flex your club will have. Depending on how much you cut it down, it could move a regular flex to a stiff or a stiff to an extra stiff.

Does shortening a shaft make it stiffer?

"Cutting more of the tip will have the effect of getting rid of some of the weaker end of the shaft which, in turn, makes the shaft play and feel more stiff.

Do pros tip their driver shafts?

The reason players tip shafts is to make them slightly stiffer than they were designed. But tour players don't have to worry about paying for shafts, and the components can be swapped out in mere minutes.

Does tip trimming change swing weight?

To decrease length, trim the shaft from the butt, or grip, end (do not trim from the tip of the shaft, as it will stiffen the shaft's flex). For every half inch of length added, the swingweight increases by three swingweight points.

What happens when you tip a golf shaft?

What Is Tipping A Golf Shaft? Getting a golf shaft tipped is when the shaft is cut back (tipped) from the clubhead end, shortening the club and making the tip of the shaft stiffer. If you tip it from the clubhead end, the club will maintain the same length with a stiffer shaft at the bottom of the club near the ball.

How long should my golf clubs be for my height?

Using the ratio of every 6" of height there should be a 1" change in length then there should be a 1 ½" difference between their 5-irons. For example, recommend 36.5" for the lady and 38" for the man (or 36.75" / 38.25").

How do you add 1/2 on a golf club?

5:529:01Extending Golf Shafts 1/2 Inch | How to at home! | Simple - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd then simply take your golf club and the extension. And insert one into the other. And twist itMoreAnd then simply take your golf club and the extension. And insert one into the other. And twist it down until you have no gift between the shaft and the extension itself and that will then rest.

How do I know if my clubs are too short?

How Do You Know If Your Golf Clubs Are Too Short? The most common way to tell if your clubs are too short is that your back will be bent over too much, the heel of your club will be off the ground at address, and you'll often make contact towards the heel of the club.

What does shortening the shaft do to a golf club?

Shortening the shaft can make the golf club less flexible.

How much off will change the flex of the golf club?

Taking 2 inches off will change the flex of the club.

How to cut a club in a vise?

Align your cut mark with the blade of the saw and secure the club in the vise. Put your safety goggles on and hold the club so it will not fall as you cut.

How many swingweight points do you lose when you remove 1/2 inch?

For every 1/2 inch you remove, you will lose approximately three swingweight points. You can readjust the swingweight by adding lead tape to the head of the club. Any amount of cutting will slightly stiffen the club. It will probably go unnoticed if you take 1 inch or less off the club.

How to shorten a golf club shaft?

To do that, the DIY golfer will have to: 1 Remove the existing grip. 2 With steel shafts, use a tubing cutter to trim the shaft; with graphite shafts, shorten using a hacksaw. 3 Re-install a grip on the newly shortened shaft. 4 And, most importantly, Wishon says, add weight to the clubhead in some manner to restore the swingweight feel of the club. "If clubs are shortened and no weight is added back to the clubhead, the chances of the length reduction having the desired effect are somewhere between slim and none."

What is the difference between a golf shaft and a tip?

All golf shafts taper; that is, their circumference is greater at the grip end than at the tip end. That means that the grip end is the strongest part of the shaft and the tip end the weakest, which, Wishon says, leads trimming to have different effects: "Cutting more of the tip will have the effect of getting rid of some of the weaker end ...

Why add weight to a clubhead?

And, most importantly, Wishon says, add weight to the clubhead in some manner to restore the swingweight feel of the club. "If clubs are shortened and no weight is added back to the clubhead, the chances of the length reduction having the desired effect are somewhere between slim and none."

Do all golf shafts have to be cut down?

Did you know that almost all golf shafts are cut down to size before being installed in golf clubs? It's part of the manufacturing and club-building process for new clubs.

Should the reduction in length be made from the grip end only?

"If the goal in making the clubs shorter in length is a desire to gain an improvement in accuracy, the reduction in length should be made from the grip end only ," Wishon said.

How much CPM for Titleist TS2 19?

Some may not change at all for the first 1/2", some may jump. A general rule of thumb is about 1/8" to 1 CPM. Titleist TS2 19* Hybrid w/ PX Evenflow Blue 85 6.0.

How much stronger is Hireko Golf?

Hireko Golf and Jeff Summitt uses a average of 5 CPM stronger for each inch tip trim on woods.

Can you tip trim a S Flex?

So, if the question is, “can we tip trim a S flex to become like its stronger X flex model”, the answer is absolutely NOT, that’s only possible on “multi-flex models” where the tip section is long enough to make the needed tip trim who would be in the area of 2.0 to 2.5 inch depending on EI profile.

Is there a standard for how strong R or S flex is?

Its NO standards for how strong R or S flex is, thats not what those letters is telling us, they can only be used for compare within its own model and weight series.

Is shaft measurement strait forward?

It’s of highly importance that you do so, since the words from a official webside of a shaft manufacturer “counts” and might considered correct and valid for all shafts, but the reader dont understand the context and might think this is simple and “strait forward” like the text gives the impression of, but shaft measurements and judgement is not strait forward like that.

Do shaft profiles respond to EI profiles?

Since ALL shaft profile respond a bit different depending on EI profiles, we only have a general guideline of what we can expect, and all 3 scenarios is now explained the way we should judge them.

Does progression vary with shaft model?

If we look at different flex charts out there we will see that there is a progression to CPM vs play length, that progression will vary depending on what chart we look at, or more correct, what shaft MODEL we look at, since each shaft model has a flex progression rate of its own.

How to cut down a golf shaft?

Most clubmakers use a shaft cutter–the same as a small pipe cutter a plumber would use. This cuts a small groove in the shaft slightly deeper each circle around the shaft until it cuts through.

What does cutting the shaft shorter do to a golf club?

The swing weight, or weight at the head of the club and any additional weighting inside the shaft, is still in place, and cutting the shaft shorter changes the balance of the club as well.

Why do tour pros have their shafts tipped?

Tour pros often have their shafts "tipped," or cut back from the clubhead end slightly to make the tip of the shaft stiffer. This enables them to keep the same length club but have a slightly stiffer shaft near the ball. Cutting a club from the butt end will have somewhat the opposite effect, making the shaft stiffer overall but shorter as well.

Why do golf clubs tip?

The idea behind tipping is to make the clubhead end of the shaft stiffer and even lower torque than it was designed to be to minimize twisting of the club at impact .

How does changing the length of a golf club affect the swing?

Changing swing characteristics: Changing the length of a golf club can moderately or severely change the swing characteristics of the club. Removing length from the butt end of the shaft also removes weight from that end and changes the swing weight and balance of the club. Cutting a shaft from one end or the other also changes the kickpoint ...

How to adjust length of golf club?

Step 1. From the butt: The easiest and quickest way to adjust the length of a club is to remove the grip and cut a given amount of the shaft off the butt end. Traditionally, this is how many youngsters get their first sets of golf clubs. Their parents cut the clubs down so they are easier for them to handle. Keep in mind, though, that cutting the ...

Is a shorter shaft stiffer than a longer shaft?

A shorter shaft is typically stiffer than a longer one. Although a shorter golf club shaft tends to be firmer than a longer one, it is important to understand the changes trimming a shaft will make to a club before making such a permanent change.

Why do golfers tip their shafts?

Better players tend to make the most use of this technique in order to fine-tune their shafts to precisely the amount of flex and feel they’re looking for. And sure, they could just as well switch to a different shaft, but tipping affords even greater fine-tuning to a particular flex profile. In most cases, shaft tipping is done to steel iron and wedge shafts but occasionally is done in graphite shafts for woods and drivers as well.

How does tipping differ from “shaft stepping”?

Shaft stepping, another common practice seen usually among better players, means altering your club’s shaft profile by offsetting your shafts based on what iron they’re designed for. 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.

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. ...

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 cutting off a shaft tip do?

Cutting off a section of the shaft tip can make it feel as if it were stiffer.

When you tip a shaft, do you need to have parallel shafts?

When you tip a shaft — which by the way, you need to have parallel shafts to do this — you alter how the shaft performs by making it slightly stiffer and increasing torque for less twisting through impact.

What is a parallel shaft?

A parallel shaft is one that has a constant diameter from the tip and up to a specified distance on the shaft. Conversely, a taper tip is as it’s described — the shaft tapers towards the tip. Most new clubs (irons and woods) are designed to accommodate parallel shafts, but can also accommodate a taper shaft using brass adapter shims.

Why trim a shaft?

Why trim or cut a shaft at all? When the manufacturers make a shaft, they do so in mind that is could be used for a wide number of golfers and applications, so the manufacturer makes the shaft longer than it will most likely be used in the final golf club. The number one reason for making the shaft longer is to accommodate taller players so they ...

What trim chart to use for R Flex?

For instance, if you see R: IH17 / S: IH22, then you would use trim chart IH17 for R-flex and trim chart IH22 for S-flex.

What does a trimming chart show?

It is also important to understand the trimming charts show how much (if any) to take off the tip end (the skinny part or where the head will be attached). The trimming charts will not tell you an amount to take off the butt end (the fat part where the grip is installed).

Do you cut a shaft at the tip end of a golf club?

In certain cases, you will not cut a shaft at all from the tip end. This may be due to the shaft is designed for a putter, driver, a hybrid or an iron or wedge requiring a taper tip shaft. Parallel tip shafts (where the shaft remains a constant diameter from the tip up a specified distance up the tip) will most often require some tip trimming. This is required to offset the increasing heads weights as the clubs become shorter and maintain the flex the manufacturer designed into the shaft for a finished club. So, there is a rhyme and reason behind tip trimming.

Can you have more than one shaft?

Occasionally you will see where a shaft may have more than one option on tip trimming a shaft. These "combination flex" shafts are designed to reduce inventory by being able to create multiple flexes from a single shaft rather than produce two different shafts. Here are the most common ones below.

What is a bend signature on a shaft?

The bend signature of this shaft design gives further insight into the effect of tipping a shaft. We see a very small shift in the profile signature of the tipped vs untipped shaft in comparison to the next higher flex. The designer of this shaft chose to make a significant change in the mid section of the stiffer shaft.

Is it common to tip a driver shaft?

It is a common practice to tip driver shafts. This is a quick overview of the effect of tipping. The charts in this article show three shafts, a 60 S, a 60 X and a 60 S tipped 1 “. The first chart shows be bend profiles. Notice how the tipped shaft slightly shifts the profile toward the tip. It is unchanged, just slightly shifted. In this model, the 1” tipping is not even a small percentage of the difference between the S and X flex versions of this shaft.

Does tipping a driver shaft change the ball flight?

One golf instructor looked at this illustration and commented that on this shaft tipping would move the soft section closer to the tip creating higher launch and spin. An excellent observation. Tipping driver shafts will produce a very, very small change in ball flighting. However, you must know the tip characteristic of a shaft before you alter it.

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