Wedge shafts

[Kor.A.Door]

Just a quick question for some of the shaft guys, as I am confused on something I read, at Renegar site they say they don't lengthen here wedges because it affect the stiffness in the shaft, but I thought that the stiffness of the shaft was contributed to the tip of the shaft not the butt, I understand that the butt end length can change the weight but how does it affect stiffness. As a tall player I add at least 1 inch to everything I play. Just curious as I am getting ready to get some new wedges soon and I want to understand how the added length will affect the shaft.

[fozcycle]

I agree with you Kor......changing the legth at the butt end really does not affect the stiffness.  It does change the swingweight, but only slighly.

 

[jaskanski]

It depends what type of shaft it is. 

If you take for example the industry standard of Dynamic Gold, then variable length does indeed equate to a variable flex, because such a constant weight shaft is directly related to length in terms of flex. The longer the shaft, the more flexible the shaft is. The usually equates to roughly 5cpm per half inch - not earth shattering by any means in a short shaft, but enough to be noticeable by advanced golfers in both feel and spin.

For players going 1 inch or over in playing length, this can be problematic. It can be offset by hard stepping through the set, or other the shaft itself can be tipped if using .370" parallel and boring the hosel out.

To some extent, some players find it desirable to have slightly softer flex shafts in the wedges to enhance feel and spin and because they are usually employed for partial shots not requiring a full swing for instance.

For other shafts (such as woods) then a similar principle applies to stiffness versus length, but other factors have to be taken into account to build a club at the correct length, swing weight and flex. I could write another whole page on the subject of tipping shafts, but it's probably best to stick with the topic initially raised by the OP.

[fozcycle]

What about the DG Spinners?

 

[jaskanski]

What about the DG Spinners?

 

The same thing applies. However, for a shaft such as the Spinner (as the name suggests) you are actually looking for increased spin. Therefore extra length isn't necessarily such a problem, but since the shaft only comes in two flex categories (wedge and wedge+) then it is up to the player how much spin is introduced using which shaft at which length. The only downside is that the wedge+ is slightly heavier at 131g untrimmed versus 124g untrimmed for the normal wedge spinner shaft.

[Kor.A.Door]

So, if I go with say a heavier x100, instead of S200, and then had an inch added, it would play softer, which is ok, I think that some of the inconsistency in my wedge play is from shafts that are too soft in flex. I think by having the inch added to the lighter S200 it has caused the shaft to be light in flex, or too soft.

[jaskanski]

The S200 and X100 are near identical in weight - there's about 1g difference. The S2/3/400 shafts actually have a stiffer tip section when you profile them against X100 taper shafts too - even if the X100 of course has the stiffer overall profile. If you check quite a few of the bags on tour, then many players opt for the S400 in their wedges (if they're using X100 in their irons) for it's stiffer tip profile to control excess spin together with it's softer overall profile to compliment the slower swing speeds and swings associated with the wedges. 

It's always difficult to match the exact preferences with shaft flex and profile with wedges because they tend to have longer hosels which in turn creates a longer playing length and a necessity to trim more butt section. The heavier head weight of wedges also contribute to the overall cpm of the build. 

This is why it is important to test out your intended wedge set up for your personal taste in terms of trajectory, spin and feel - and of course to meet your yardage gapping requirements. It's more of a balancing act of fit and function, but once you get it set up right, the performance compared to OTR wedges is vastly superior in every regard. 

[Kor.A.Door]

I'm going to set up a wedge fitting with one of the fitting academies here in the Charlotte area. So hopefully they will give me the answers that I really need

[That Bob Guy]

Just a quick question for some of the shaft guys, as I am confused on something I read, at Renegar site they say they don't lengthen here wedges because it affect the stiffness in the shaft, but I thought that the stiffness of the shaft was contributed to the tip of the shaft not the butt, I understand that the butt end length can change the weight but how does it affect stiffness. As a tall player I add at least 1 inch to everything I play. Just curious as I am getting ready to get some new wedges soon and I want to understand how the added length will affect the shaft.

Don't agree with Renegar on that/their policy. Give the man what he wants. Not a big deal, he really only wants the head anyway. Explain the pros and/or cons of what he wants, or thinks he wants, then sell it to the man. Simple exercise to shorten it. 

[That Bob Guy]

Oops, sorry! This post originated back in March. I'm a little late to this dance huh. Oh well. How about..."good morning". That should work.