How to Install a New Shaft

From Dennis Mack
Class A Clubmaker

Once you have chosen a new shaft, you can have a club repair shop install it or you can install it yourself. If you're the do-it-yourself type, follow these steps to prepare the clubhead for a new shaft:

Step 1 - Removing the Old Shaft
The old shaft - or whatever is left of it - must be removed from the head. To do this, you must apply enough heat to the clubhead to break down the epoxy bond between the shaft and the head. A heat gun or torch can be used.

If there is enough shaft left in the head to do so, place the shaft in a vise (if replacing a shaft that is not broken or a shaft you plan on saving, purchase a rubber shaft holder to prevent damage to the shaft). Apply the heat evenly to the hosel (where the shaft is attached). After a minute or so the epoxy will break down and you can twist the head off the shaft.

Wear protective work gloves to prevent burning your hands - the part of the hosel that is heated can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees!

Step 2 - Cleaning Out the Hosel
Once the shaft is removed, the epoxy residue that is left in the hosel must be cleaned out. You can purchase hosel cleaners or use a round file. When the hosel is relatively clean, squeeze some Acetone (or equivalent) into the hosel to remove any grease or similar materials that might be present.

Step 3 - Preparing Shaft for Installation
First, follow the manufacturer's recommended tip trimming. Next, measure the depth of the hosel and mark this dimension on the shaft. If the shaft is graphite, be sure not to splinter the graphite during cutting as this will weaken the shaft. I suggest that you place several wraps of masking tape around the area to be cut.

On a graphite shaft, remove all the paint from the tip - I suggest using a razor knife to do this - and again, be careful not to damage the graphite fibers.

For a steel shaft, use a heavy-grit sandpaper to take the plating off the tip.

Step 4 - Installing the Shaft
Once the hosel and shaft have been prepared you are ready to install the shaft.

Mix your epoxy and apply it to the inside of the hosel, making sure to coat the entire surface. Then apply the epoxy to the end of the shaft. Slowly push the shaft into the hosel, being sure to turn the shaft at the same time.

If the shaft requires a ferrule (the small plastic piece that goes over the shaft and butts against the hosel), place a small amount of epoxy on the shaft tip and twist and push the ferrule on until a small part of the shaft shows. Then place the clubhead over the shaft and, holding the head in your hand, tap the end of the shaft on the floor until the shaft is seated at the bottom of the hosel.

Use a soft rag and some Acetone to clean any epoxy residue from the hosel area. If installing a graphite shaft, line up the shaft graphics.

Carefully place the shaft against the wall and in about 12 hours the epoxy will be fully cured and you can proceed to the next step.

Step 5 - Trimming and Adding Grip
Once the epoxy has completely cured, decide how long the finished club is to be. Cut the shaft and install your grip. To properly choose and install a grip, see my article on grip installation.

Everything necessary for this process - ferrules, epoxy, etc. - can be purchased from any component company. Good luck and have fun!

About Dennis Mack
Dennis Mack is the owner of DenMak Golf and Certified Class A clubmaker. He served as the golf pro at Como Golf Club in Hudson, Quebec, from 1993-97, and has been in the retail golf business since 1997. Email Dennis.

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Choosing the Right Shaft Flex

If you want to avoid giving your game the shaft, you need to understand the effect that shaft flex has on your game.

"Flex" refers to the ability of a golf shaft to bend as forces are applied to it during the golf swing.

Those forces are generated by the type of swing that you have - fast or slow, smooth or jerky.

There are five generally used ratings for shaft flex: Extra Stiff, Stiff, Regular, Senior and Ladies, usually denoted by the letters X, S, R, A and L ("A" is used for Senior because this flex was originally called "amateur").

Having a flex that doesn't match the needs of your swing will result in the clubface being misaligned at impact, causing your shots to go off-target.

What Flex Impacts

Shaft flex impacts, either directly or indirectly, the accuracy, trajectory and distance of your shot. Three pretty important things, eh?

As the shaft flexes throughout the swing, the position of the clubhead changes. And the face of the club must be square (perfectly straight) at impact to get the most out of the shot. If you have the wrong flex for your swing, there is less chance that you'll make contact with the ball with a square clubface.

Some General Guidelines

The degree of flex in your club shafts is something you control. You can choose to buy stiffer shafts, or softer shafts, depending on your needs.

But how can you tell what you need? Here are some general guidelines:

• Take a look at the distance you hit your driver. This is a good, but very general, indicator. If you carry you driver 250 yards or more, go with Stiff; 230-250 yards, Regular; 200-230 yards, Senior; less than 200 yards, Ladies. Only the biggest of the big hitters is going to need Extra Stiff. For most of us, Extra Stiff isn't even in the picture.

• If you have a very smooth swing, you might benefit from a softer flex even if you swing fast. A swing that gets jerky at the top - when transitioning into the downswing - will probably need a stiffer shaft.

• If your drives go left, you might benefit from a stiffer flex; if your drives go right, you might benefit from a softer flex.

If Your Flex Is Too Stiff
What effect does a too-stiff shaft have on your golf game?

1. The ball will probably fly lower and shorter for any given loft, compared to a properly fit shaft.

2. The ball may tend to go to the right, or fade side, for right-handed golfers because with a too-stiff shaft the clubface is harder to square (the clubface is more likely to be open at impact, in other words).

3. The shot may feel less solid, more like a mis-hit even if you make contact on the center of the clubface.

If Your Flex Isn't Stiff Enough
And what will happen if your flex isn't stiff enough?

1. The ball might fly higher for any given loft, compared to a properly fit shaft.

2. The ball may tend to go left, or to the draw side, for a right-handed golfer (because with a too-flexible shaft, the clubhead may tend to come into the ball closed).

3. Shots may tend to feel more solid, even when they aren't.

Macho, Macho Men

Men like to hit Stiff shafts. It's a guy thing. Unfortunately, it's not always the smart thing.

No macho man wants to be seen hitting a wimpy little Regular flex club, or, Tiger Woods forbid, a Senior or Ladies flex.

But overswinging is a common problem among male high-handicappers. Choosing a softer flex often has the effect of forcing macho men to slow down their swings. And slowing down the swing often makes those macho men into better players.

And the fact is, the harm in hitting a shaft that is too flexible is much less than the harm in hitting a shaft that is too stiff. As equipment guru Tom Wishon has said, when unsure about flex, always err on the side of more flex (meaning, a softer shaft). If you can't decide between Regular and Stiff, go with Regular.

The Foolproof Way to Choose Flex

A clubfitting with a golf professional is the recommended way to choose the proper flex.

The pro will take a lot of measurements, watch your swing, measure your swing speed, watch your ball flight and be able to recommend the flex that is right for you.

Clubfittings are available at many pro shops and almost all golf schools and from teaching professionals.

If a club-fitting isn't in your future, the next best thing is a demo day. At demo days, you'll be able to hit many different types of clubs with different types of shafts.

The key, short of a club fitting, is hitting lots of different clubs and watching the effect that changing shaft flex has on your shots.

If you find a flex that feels good and produces a good ball flight, there's a good chance that's the right flex for you.

Golf Shafts FAQs
• How do steel and graphite shafts compare?
• What makes finding the right flex so important?
• What are the elements that go into choosing the correct shaft flex?
• Are there industry-wide standards for shaft flex?

For much more about golf shafts, see Tom Wishon's Golf Shafts FAQ, from which some information for this article was taken.

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How to Choose a New Shaft

Sooner or later you will break one of your shafts, and I'm sure it will be purely accidental! When this happens you have two choices. The first is to take your broken club to a clubmaker for repairs. The second is to replace the shaft yourself. Either way, there are a few things you should know about choosing a new shaft.

The first thing to decide is whether you require a steel or a graphite shaft. Then you need to decide on shaft flex and what bend point (or kickpoint) is required. You'll need to choose the right torque rating for the shaft, and finally, determine what length the club should be when it is finished.

All these things are important and must be decided before you order and install a shaft. I will discuss each point individually, which should help you decide what shaft to buy or to make sure the shaft someone else recommends is the right one for you.

Shaft Type
There are two basic types of shafts, steel and graphite. The choice is usually quite simple because your club will have been originally assembled with either of these types of shafts. However, if you decide to change the type of shaft, you should know a few things about each.

1. Steel shafts are heavier, their torque ratings are low, and when assembled at the same length as graphite they will result in a club that has a heavier feel. Steel is more durable and does not have painted surfaces to scratch.

2. Graphite shafts are lighter, and their torque ratings have a more extensive range, providing more choices for the golfer.

HOW TO CHOOSE: The easiest way is to just replace the broken shaft with the same type. However, you may want to experiment a little. Maybe you find the shafts in your clubs too stiff or too weak. If you hit a 7-iron about 150 yards, then a Regular Flex shaft would be recommended. Choose a shaft with a Swing Speed Rating of 70 to 80 mph in graphite or steel. If you use a 5-iron from 150 yards, you would want to use a shaft with a Swing Speed Rating of about 60 to 70 mph. Most component companies list the Swing Speed Rating of every shaft in their catalogues.

Shaft Flex and Bend Point
Every shaft has a Flex Rating (usually L, R, S, XS) and a bend point (Low, Mid and High). (Bend point, by the way, is also called kickpoint.) The unfortunate thing is that there is no industry standard for shaft flex - one manufacturer's Regular Flex shaft may be firmer or weaker than another manufacturer's. These differences will produce shafts that, even though they have the same Flex Rating, will play differently.

One difference will be in Swing Speed Ratings. One 'R' flex shaft might be rated for 65 to 75 mph while another is rated for 75-85 mph. Bend point determine the ball's trajectory so the golfer has to decide what type of ball flight he wants.

HOW TO CHOOSE: My experience as a club builder is that most golfers play with clubs that are too stiff. As noted above, you should determine what your swing speed is and choose your new shaft flex accordingly. (Note: The effect of torque on shaft flex is discussed on the following page.)

If you find your ball flight is too low or too high, then choosing a shaft with the right bend point can help. If you want to hit the ball on a lower trajectory, choose a bend point of High. For a higher trajectory, choose a bend point of Low. For something in between, go with Mid rating for bend point.

Next Page: Determining Torque and Length

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