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.
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What is a stepped shaft?
The stepped shaft was introduced by the True-Temper Division of The American Fork and Hoe Company which initially manufactured shafts with a smooth taper from butt to tip.
What are soft stepping golf shafts and how do they work?
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 are step patterns in golf shafts?
Those ridges are called “steps,” and they play an important role in how the shaft performs during the swing. Let’s use Rory McIlroy and Dustin Johnson as examples. McIlroy plays a stepless Project X 7.0 product while Johnson prefers the step pattern found on True Temper’s Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100.
What is a golf shaft?
Either way, the golf shaft is where power is stored and released at impact. Sitting in between the golf grip and club head, a solid connection is what allows the golf shaft to do its job. So when choosing a shaft, it's important to know what specifications to look for.
What does it mean to step a golf shaft?
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 a soft stepped shaft?
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 are steps on shafts?
There's a good chance it features a uniform smoothness or has some subtle ridges in the lower section of the shaft. Those ridges are called “steps,” and they play an important role in how the shaft performs during the swing.
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 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.
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.
Why stepped shafts are used?
Stepped shafts are made to deal with different levels of stress that varies along the shaft in a mechanical system. Some shafts are also stepped to stop bearings from moving out of place.
Why are stepped shaft employed?
Stepped shaft with worm The application of the billet of this shape should eliminate the operation of final waste cutting, and thanks to that: reduce material consumption, shorten the forming tool and increase the rolling effectiveness.
Why use shaft steps?
The steps on the shaft provide shoulders for positioning transmission elements like gears, pulleys and bearings.
Does hard stepping lower ball flight?
Hard stepping a set of irons 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.
Does soft stepping change shaft weight?
The weight of the shaft changes very little with stepping.
Should I hard step my iron shafts?
1:062:10What is Hard Stepping or Soft Stepping a Golf Shaft? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipSo if they want to go at one they can really keep up with them. And they have confidence over theMoreSo if they want to go at one they can really keep up with them. And they have confidence over the ball. It's a method used by some of the best fitters on tour some of the best fitters in the world.
What is soft stepping on a parallel tip 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. This is called soft stepping once and would decrease the stiffness by a quarter flex. Soft-stepping twice would be cutting the shaft as a 3-iron ...
What is hard stepping?
Hard stepping is the opposite of soft stepping whereby you elect to tip trim more than the amount suggested by the manufacturer to create a stiffer flex. There are two things to be aware of when doing so.
What does it mean to soft step twice?
Soft-stepping twice would be cutting the shaft as a 3-iron or two clubs more and would decrease the stiffness by a half flex. If you soft step once for one club, you will do so on all the irons and wedges to have a uniform progression of flex throughout the set. The downside to soft stepping is two-fold.
What is the downside of soft stepping?
The downside to soft stepping is two-fold. First, since you are cutting less off the tip, that means you are cutting more from the butt end. While the variation is small, it can lead in some cases to a smaller grip size under the lower hand.
Is a taper tip shaft hard stepped?
The concept of hard stepping a taper tip shaft is just the opposite of soft stepping. However, this is rarely done because you run out of raw lengths when you get to your shorter scoring irons and wedges. If you examine the row labeled "hard stepped once", notice the 9-iron and wedge entries.
Is a 39.5" shaft stiffer than a 4" shaft?
The 39" 5-iron shaft is not only shorter, but stiffer than the 39.5" 4-iron shaft to offset the heavier weight. Therefore, if we placed the 39.5" 4-iron shaft into the 5-iron (or soft stepping once), then the club will become more flexible. Soft stepping twice would be placing the 40" 3-iron shaft into the 5-iron.
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 ...
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 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 ...
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 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 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 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 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 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 is the shaft of a golf club?
Many consider the golf shaft the "engine of the club". Golf shafts are either made from graphite or steel. Both types have its benefits and disadvantages. Either way, the golf shaft is where power is stored and released at impact. Sitting in between the golf grip and club head, a solid connection is what allows the golf shaft to do its job.
What is shaft flex?
Shaft flex is a description of how much a shaft will bend under the force of a golf swing with a head attached at the tip end. The speed and frequency of your swing will determine what flex you need. There are generally 5 different flex notations (from most bendable to least bendable): A-flex (Senior), L-flex (Ladies), R-flex (Regular), ...
How long is a 0.370" iron shaft?
decreasing in length from #3-PW). 0.370" parallel iron shafts arrive in uncut lengths, usually 41" or 42" for irons or 46" or more for woods.
What happens if you swing too heavy?
If the overall club is too heavy, you can lose swing speed which can result in a loss of yardage. Too light of a club will be hard to guide and control which can lead to mishits. Players with faster swing speeds or more accelerated tempos can benefit from heavier shafts.
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 .
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Sorry for what may be a dumb question, but what's the difference performance-wise between a stepped and stepless putter shaft? Why would you choose one over the other? Or is there really no difference? Thanks for any info.
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FWIW - the .355 tip True Temper stepless shaft that is sold by GolFWorks or Golfsmith has a thicker butt than the typical stepped shaft. Probably the difference between .600 and .580. I don't like the thicker butt so I don't use that shaft.
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I agree with Stage...lighter headweights feel better with stepped shafts, and almost all of my putters have them. The only putter I own with a stepless shaft is my Red X5, and this is my heaviest putter.
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Can someone tell me the difference between stepped and stepless steel iron shafts? Is it strictly cosmetic? Are the playing characteristics different, etc.? I'm looking to build an iron set soon and can't find any solid information on the difference between the two. Thanks
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The original rifle shafts felt different than the stepped DG S300s. The stepless had a feel a bit more like a graphite shaft. Not sure if the PX or any other stepless shafts have that same feel.
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