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  1. #1
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    Driver shaft length and weighting...hummmm

    Hi everyone. I am new here and just wanted to first say hello and that I hope to particiapte in some great golf discussions. To start, I do have a question. I am considering buying a driver that comes stock at 45 1/4 inch shaft length. A fitter recommended to me that I use a shaft length at 44 inches instead as it was much more managable for me. This fitter said that he could order the driver straight from the factory with a 44 inch shaft. Now, I understand that as you cut down the shaft length, the weight of the club becomes different (lighter feel at the head). If I decide to have the club shorten from the factory, do they literaly just do the cutting there and leave the head unmodified or do they ballance the club and add weight to the head to counter the effect of cutting the shaft down? The reason I ask is because this fitter wants to charge me $299 for a club that I can get $100 cheaper and if I decided to get it somewhere else, could I just have the shaft cut by a shop here instead of getting it from the factory? In orther words, is a club cut at the factory equivilant in weighting to a club I buy from a store and have cut myself "aftermarket." Sorry for the ramble and I hope this is clear. Thanks for all the help guys.
    CPG

  2. #2
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    You could have the swing weight and total weight checked before cutting. Cut the shaft from the grip end and have lead tape added to bring it back to the specs it was to begin with. You may have to live with a gram or two difference but you probably would never notice that amount of weight.

    You will change the flex slightly too. I wouldn't think this to be a problem either but you may want to talk with a "club maker".

    When you monkey with shafts all kinds of things change, but sometimes the change is for the good
    Cheers,
    Jay

  3. #3
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    perfectly clear but ....

    beware of what your dealer seems to do ;)
    i don't know about the manufacturers processes but what you're talking about is not "Custom fitting" it's "custom build" the process is not the same !!
    IMHO the shaft size may impact the lie angle more than the manufactured face weight but that should be verified
    should you cut your shaft by yourself ? not sure because of lie angle and so on...
    should you buy this manufactured expensive club ? not sure too
    should you buy the same club and get it fitted according to your size (shaft, angles) ?IMHO yes
    what the difference will you ask ?? and i thank you asking me this question ;) the price !! it seems possible to fitt your club based on the standard one for less money than the custom build !

    but wait for more experienced golfer or clubmaker answer will be a excellent option too because i'm not a pro , neither experience fitted club ;)
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  4. #4
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    Welcome aboard, CPG!
    Is the stock length not manageable because of your swing, or are you "vertically challenged"? If VC, are you still growing? The reason I ask is that you may want to just buy the club standard and get it reshafted with a 44" at whatever swing weight you'd like. If you're going to grow into the club, this would be a cheaper alternative, unless you're eyeballing a super expensive shaft.
    If your swing isn't yet consistent enough to handle the longer shaft, this could also work.
    Or, just choke down on the shaft an inch or two.

  5. #5
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    You guys are fantastic and gave me some good info to chew on. I am not vertically challenged but I am not the tallest guy either- I am 5'7" & 1/2. The reason I wanted to have the shaft cut down to 44 is more or less that my swing can't accomodate the length. I certainly have to take more lessons and practice, pcratice, practice. However, I noticed that when I choked down roughly an inch, I was able to get the club around more quickly and consistently therefore squaring the face better and hitting straighter shots. I am definitely not educated in the different shaft choices and all the details that go along with that (flex, kick points ect) I am more or less a beginner. So, I guess from all your inputs, I should get the club, have it cut from the grip end and deal with that. If for some reason it makes it worse, perhaps I will have to look at selecting another shaft.

    "Horseballs"- so what you are saying is that I could buy a 44 inch shaft, that is exactly 55 grams like the stock 45.5 inch? Could I even get the same manufacterer and same specs do that? I guess that is a custom order, right?

    How much typically do shafts cost? How much to put them in? Any websites that explain this stuff? I know as with everything else, it all varies but ball park estimates will do.

    Thanks again all. This is a great place to talk.
    CPG

  6. #6
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    cpg80

    I have changed shafts many times in my drivers. I may have as many as 15 shafts laying around. It would not be uncommon to change a shaft and save your old one. The so called old one will probably only fit the club it came out of perfectly.

    Many shafts you can trim the tip end and use them in a fairway wood, I've done that as well but you must be very careful messing with the tip end of any shaft.

    The lie angle will become more flat the more you shorten the club. I think it is 1 degree per half inch but you better double check that figure.
    Cheers,
    Jay

  7. #7
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    You can also have a shaft extended, later, if you decide it's too short. Won't play exactly the same as a non-cut, non-extended shaft, but you probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference (difference will be minute). We're talking an extension of 1/2" or 1" here, not 3 or 4 inches. Very, very simple job, and not at all expensive. I typically buy a club (or shaft, even a used one) at a longer length, thinking that if I want it shorter, it's easy to cut down and regrip. The key strategy is to reduce length in small, finite steps, using very inexpensive grips until you find your ideal length. Of course, some golf shops use an air compressor to "save" and re-use grips, making your options even more open.
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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by cpg80
    "Horseballs"- so what you are saying is that I could buy a 44 inch shaft, that is exactly 55 grams like the stock 45.5 inch? Could I even get the same manufacterer and same specs do that? I guess that is a custom order, right?

    CPG
    Yeah, I know at least UST makes pre-cut shafts in a variety of weights. I'm sure many other manufacturers do the same but I haven't looked. When I reshafted a 3 wood awhile back, Golf Galaxy had several 44" shafts in stock. The shaft itself was around $30, grip $10, install $10.

  9. #9
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    I am definitely going to check out golf galaxy and see what they have to offer. If I could find the original shaft in 55grams in 44 instead of 45.25, then that's great. It's good to know that a shaft can be extended an inch or so. But, hopefully I make the right decision the first time. I have been choking down on the club roughly an inch and I seem to get much more control in that it's easier to bring the head around and square the face.

  10. #10
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    Hi cpg80.

    I'm curious where you're holding the club when you are not choking an inch down on the driver? Do you not leave any space between your left hand (assume you are right-handed) and the nub?

    I hope you're not.

  11. #11
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    Hi golf_freak,

    Humm, you mean, the nub being the end of the grip, right? Usually there is a line or the name of the brand is printed on there right? Well, I guess I leave a half inch showing from the nub. Is that the correct way to hold it? I was told once that you weren't supposed to hold the grip at the nub end and that a little space was good. Please adivse. Thanks!

  12. #12
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    Hi guys, I don't mean to hijack my own thread but another question/thought came to my mind. I went to a fitter and he had me swing with this electronic monitor rating my swing speed and all that other stuff. I usually swing around 98mph on average. He said, a regular flex shaft would be appropriate for my swing speed. I tried out the nike ignite 460cc regular flex and it flet a little floppy to me. Then, I took out a stiff flex in the same club and it surely was stiffer. Between the two, I was hitting neither better nor worse. Surely I have imperfect mechanics and thats why the results are the same. Generally speaking, how to you guys pick the flex of a shaft? Acoording to swing speed only or are there other considerations? Considering my case, what would be your recommendation given the limited info I gave you here?
    CPG

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by cpg80
    Hi guys, I don't mean to hijack my own thread but another question/thought came to my mind. I went to a fitter and he had me swing with this electronic monitor rating my swing speed and all that other stuff. I usually swing around 98mph on average. He said, a regular flex shaft would be appropriate for my swing speed. I tried out the nike ignite 460cc regular flex and it flet a little floppy to me. Then, I took out a stiff flex in the same club and it surely was stiffer. Between the two, I was hitting neither better nor worse. Surely I have imperfect mechanics and thats why the results are the same. Generally speaking, how to you guys pick the flex of a shaft? Acoording to swing speed only or are there other considerations? Considering my case, what would be your recommendation given the limited info I gave you here?
    CPG
    Hey CPG, welcome. I'm somewhat new myself. Anyway, shaft flex is a funny thing. There is no industry standard with the flex of a shaft...meaning that one manufacturers stiff could feel like a regular flex in another manufacturer. For example, I play with UST proforce gold shafts in my driver, 3, and 5 woods...all stiff flex. They feel great and I love the ball flight I get with them. My irons though are a different story, I have Hogan irons with the Apex steel 3 shafts. This is Hogans measure for a regular flex shaft. Prior to these irons I had always played stiff shafts. These though feel awesome. I can feel the clubhead all the way through the swing and I get a nice high ball flight with all clubs (they don't balloon either). I guess the moral is...test, test and test.
    I'm not sure about the ignite shafts but i had an older Nike driver with a stock Xstiff shaft and it felt a little softer than other Xstiff shafts. anyway i hope this helps

  14. #14
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    Very old Newbie to site

    Just another country heard from here, well Georgia which folks up north consider another country anyway.

    My suggestion is to forget buying a Factory anything and purchase a good quality Custom made club. There are several reasons for this. First is price vs. quality. A good custom made club is going to be as good as any factory made club, and the best part is you get it made to your specific needs. Just for example, you mentioned your swing speed being 98, assuming that is relatively constant most custom makers, and no I'm not one just use custom clubs for over 20 years, would recommend a firm flex shaft. That is between the stiff and Regular Flexes and is probably right for you. The second thing about a custom club is what if you make a mistake buying a club. Well if its a Taylor Made, Nike, Or Titlest most dealers will trade within the first couple of weeks if the club isn't too badly damaged. If its a custom made club and heavens forbid you got stuck with it, its still cheap enough that you aren't ruined for a whole season, you can buy another, and another.

    Lastly you can build a relationship with a custom builder that can help you for your whole golfing life. He/they will learn your game recommend products that suit your game, and be a go between if there is ever a problem with a product. Try doing that with a factory club, your local store, pro shop, or dealer changes personnel about as often as they mop the floors. Clubs are a lot like new cars or computers, what's new and hot now is ancient technology next spring, we all want the latest and greatest but most can't afford to do that with name brand equipment.

    Best of luck with your game! ;)

  15. #15
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    Talking 44"

    i've had my driver, 983K 11.5* stiff, chopped off 1" than re-gripped it.
    now it's 44". I'm 5'10".
    if golf is mental then this trick did it for me: i have confidence with my driver.

    i could spend hours just driving. somtimes the flight is balloning - sky high, other times it's penetrating, many times it'll go OB, and occasionally i'll do a nasty short hook/pull. most of times it's flying far well over 200 yards and quite often, at the risk of sounding inflated, approaching 280+...now i'm dreaming of 300 yarders.

    i could care less how high it ballons as long the ball lands far out there where i can find it. I cleared a groove of tall tress on a dog leg right. bueatiful. FW landings are nice, but as long as i get out there far, in bound, it's all cool with me. I'm soooo used to hitting out of rough by now, playing from roughs (within reason) don't bother me at all.

    in terms of going high and far...isn't a 45* launch angle, in ballistics, gets the furthest distance?
    Last edited by ironman; 10-23-2005 at 09:14 PM.
    golf's a relaxing betting game.

  16. #16
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    Welcome,
    My personal choice is always to go to a fitter to get clubs. I have a local custon-fitting shop, they do wonderful work, and it's far cheaper than buying OEM off the rack. Often, the people working these shops will be personable, and you can become good friends with them, and get some good deals down the road...
    As for shafts, in you're in between flexes, it depends on what you want out of the shaft/club. If you're looking for a few yards, go with the softer flex shaft. If you want a little more accuracy, choose the stiffer wand. I tried a KZG driver from this local shop last year, and I have been a huge fan ever since. They pretty much get all of my equipment sales now. Good luck!

    TheRod
    "Fariways and greens, and don't forget to wave."

  17. #17
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    Driver Length of shaft

    Well you proved my point, sort of. A custom builder would have fitted you with the correct length shaft to begin with. The only correct club for you is the one you hit well, regardless of manufacturer, shaft type, head, or even degree of loft. With an 11.5 degree of loft you should hit the ball high and relatively straight. the less loft on the driver usually, but not always, increases the length of a tee shot, but unless your swing is perfect and few of ours are, the lower the loft the more you spray the ball. A 9 degree driver is much harder to hit straight than a 10 Degree, 11 Degree etc. The pro Long Drivers almost universally hit a 4 degree or 5 degree lofted driver with a 50 inch shaft. Most average golfer couldn't get the ball off the ground with such a club.

    A local custom builder can make or break your game, but unlike a factory, he cares whether or not you play well with his equipment. You are his only advertising, just think about that.



    Quote Originally Posted by ironman
    i've had my driver, 983K 11.5* stiff, chopped off 1" than re-gripped it.
    now it's 44". I'm 5'10".
    if golf is mental then this trick did it for me: i have confidence with my driver.

    i could spend hours just driving. somtimes the flight is balloning - sky high, other times it's penetrating, many times it'll go OB, and occasionally i'll do a nasty short hook/pull. most of times it's flying far well over 200 yards and quite often, at the risk of sounding inflated, approaching 280+...now i'm dreaming of 300 yarders.

    i could care less how high it ballons as long the ball lands far out there where i can find it. I cleared a groove of tall tress on a dog leg right. bueatiful. FW landing are a nice bonus, but as long as i get out there far, in bound, it's all cool with me. I'm soooo used to hitting out of rough now that playing from roughs (within reason) don't bother me at all.

    i terms of going high and far...isn't a 45* launch angle, in ballistics, gets the furthest distance?

  18. #18
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    Factory, EBAY. New, custome fitter.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rebel Preacher
    ...forget buying a Factory anything and purchase a good quality Custom made club

    we got all our clubs (and most the the golf balls, 100s at a time) from EBAY or from used bins at pro shops. bags, shoes, cloths & accessories were all new.
    if we were to buy new clubs (highly likely as our family is having a blast with playing golf), we'd go with a custom fitter...one that offers KZ Golf clubs, for example.
    golf's a relaxing betting game.

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