The Truth About Golf Shafts That Every Golfer Should Know
- Conversely, a player that extends early in their swing (most recreational golfers) would require a shaft with a softer tip. ...
- Stiff vs Regular flex. ...
- 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 ...
- But they have "Soft Regular" shafts. ...
What are the best golf shafts?
Jun 30, 2020 · 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. The effect of soft stepping works identically even if the shafts are parallel or taper tipped.
What does soft stepping a golf shaft mean?
Feb 26, 2021 · 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 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.
What does soft stepping a shaft mean?
What Does the Term “Soft Stepping” Mean? In the process of soft stepping, club shafts are designed to be more flexible. You know different flexes like regular flex shafts and stiff are preferred by different golfers. Consider you have a stiff flex that you can make almost similar to a regular shaft by soft stepping the club. What do you think?
Should golf beginners play with a stiff shaft?
Soft stepping a set of irons This is the process of making a clubs shaft a little more flexible. The 3 iron shaft would be fitted into the 4 iron head, the 4 iron shaft into the 5 iron head a so on. The 3 iron would require a new shaft and the PW shaft would be left over.
What does soft stepping An iron shaft do?
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 much difference does soft stepping make?
Higher Ball Flight When you soft step a set of irons, you are putting the golf shaft of a nine iron into the pitching wedge. This helps to make the club a bit longer, and it has a softer feel overall. In turn, golfers are able to get a higher ball flight and more performance from their golf clubs.
What is hard and soft stepping shafts?
0:122:10What is Hard Stepping or Soft Stepping a Golf Shaft? - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipAnd what a soft stepping. So hard stepping soft stuffing is a method that some of the best fittersMoreAnd what a soft stepping. So hard stepping soft stuffing is a method that some of the best fitters in the world use to really dial an in-between flex in for a certain player.
What does soft tipping a golf shaft?
But what does that mean to a golfer? Well a shaft that has a soft tip has a low bend point and this helps lift the ball in the air by adding dynamic loft. Players who hit the ball too high should look for a tip stiff shaft which does not add so much loft, which produces a lower and more penetrating trajectory.Aug 13, 2007
Does soft stepping Really Work?
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. The effect of soft stepping works identically even if the shafts are parallel or taper tipped.Jun 30, 2020
Does soft stepping change swing weight?
Soft stepping, putting the 5 iron shaft in the 6 iron, moves the flex of the shaft about 1/3 of the way toward the R flex shaft. A double soft step, 4 iron in the 6 iron will move the flex another 1/3 toward the R flex. The weight of the shaft changes very little with stepping.Oct 4, 2013
Do longer shafts play softer?
Not only does the shaft become more flexible than before, thus further affecting accuracy, but it lowers the kick (or bend) point of the shaft. And while the kick point change may only affect strong players with higher swing speeds, any player may feel that the club doesn't contact the ball as solidly as before.
What is wedge stepping?
Soft stepping is simply installing a lower numbered shaft than the shaft designated for a specific iron. For your C-Taper Lite shaft putting an 8 iron shaft in your 9 iron or pitching wedge would be soft stepping 1 X i.e. on time.Aug 27, 2020
What is iron 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.
What is tip and butt flex?
The difference being that the tip end is clamped and the load is applied to the butt end of the shaft. The more a shaft bends in this configuration, the softer the tip. Tip flex has a similar effect on performance as static flex, in that the softer the tip the greater the launch angle and spin rate.Jun 22, 2016
What does torque mean on a golf club shaft?
a twisting force thatTorque is defined as “a twisting force that tends to cause rotation.” In the case of a golf shaft, it's the amount of twisting (or lack thereof) that occurs during the swing.Jun 5, 2020
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 ...
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 ...
Fitting the True Temper Dynamic Designs
From a club fitting perspective EI Bend Profiles give us a new understanding of fitting the True Temper designs. Adjustment made with hard and soft stepping have a small effect on stiffness and flighting. Adjustment made with flex changes have a significant effect on both stiffness and flighting.
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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.
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.
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Day 12 (10/30/21) - Rain today, so I practiced "use the bounce" chipping motion with my 58* wedge in the house.
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. ...
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.
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.
