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A bit of confusion because I have never really cared about shaft frequency but I do now....

 

When you see a frequency chart like this:

http://noswetgolf.com/App_Themes/Theme_Green/images/FrequencyGraph_Woods_Large.png

 

Is this chart for raw shaft or a shaft frequency for assembled clubs?  Or are they just the same?  

 

OK when you see a 235 cpm from a 43.5" driver, what does it mean?   According to the chart, it's very close to a L flex. 

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It says raw shaft but it doesn't say what weight they put on it. I have a frequency meter which came with two different tip weights. I can't remember how much each weighs. All that stuff is still in my garage in NM. But, the amount of weight you put on the end, or if you tip the shaft will change the cpm dramatically.

 

In the case of that chart, it looks like they're plotting raw shafts to get a starting baseline. It will change from there depending on the weight of the head installed and how much it's tipped. Some club builders attempt to create a single frequency across the set.

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It says raw shaft but it doesn't say what weight they put on it. I have a frequency meter which came with two different tip weights. I can't remember how much each weighs. All that stuff is still in my garage in NM. But, the amount of weight you put on the end, or if you tip the shaft will change the cpm dramatically.

 

In the case of that chart, it looks like they're plotting raw shafts to get a starting baseline. It will change from there depending on the weight of the head installed and how much it's tipped. Some club builders attempt to create a single frequency across the set.

 

yes regarding the amount of weight you put on the tip.  Most heads come with different weights, ranged from 190g (X2hot) to 210g (Nike Covert 2.0).   So I'm really confused.  How do you measure the frequency of an assembled club properly and what chart can I use to get the approx. stiffness? 

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Frequency is often confused with relative shaft flex but essentially they are two different things.

Frequency can only be used to ascertain the butt frequency of a shaft - at a given length and at a given head weight. Where it falls short is it doesn't take into consideration the overall profile of the shaft along it's entire length, hence it's is often misleading when comparing different shafts at different flexes. It's only a rough guide.

Where frequency does come into use is when building sets of clubs (such as a progressive set of irons) so that the relative flex (or what we sometimes call the frequency slope) remains consistent through the set, for a set of shafts that are the same. This takes into consideration the reducing shaft length in each iron and it's increasing head weight in each iron. This gives the club builder a method of tuning an iron set for the best frequency between each club to maintain the correct flex and ensure consistent feel and yardages. This applies to both constant weight irons sets where the weight of each progressive shaft is the same through the set and descending weight shafts which are tip trimmed from one common length blank (usually parallel tip .370") to make a specific flex at a specific length and specific head weight.

Using frequency to compare different weight and length (not to mention profile) shafts in drivers for example is pretty much useless. When it comes to building clubs, there is only one flex to consider - the one that fits the player. What that specific flex category (such as R, S, X etc) or indeed CPM that may be is irrelevant.

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There is no industry standard as to what is L A R S X in a golf shaft.  The club builder can use a frequency meter to test the oscillations of a raw shaft with a weight consistent with a driver weight or heavier iron head.  This measurement is a baseline to match flexibility with a golfers swing characteristics.  Measurement from the butt to a point short of the tip is useful in this endeavor.  Test clubs with similar flex or CPM readings will help the golfer and fitter determine whether both are on the right track. 

 

The most important thing to remember is that regardless of what it says on the shaft, you cannot believe the stamping without proper measurement. An extra stiff shaft along side a regular and a senior flex can have the same swing weight, can even have the same MOI reading, but will react very differently in the golfers hands.  The club head doesn't know, but the golfer knows when things don't work as they seemingly should.  There are many devices available to test the flex, Cycles Per Minute, and bend characteristics.  The real test is to see what impact results and golfers "feel" says about a shaft. 

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ok so it's only an estimation of the butt frequency.   OK so what do you think about this:

A fitter clamps an assembled driver in a frequency analyzer?  Then the machine reads 250 CPM.   The fitter mention: "yup it's pretty close to a regular flex".  The driver is 45.5" and the head weight is standard 200g.   Is this practice useful or pointless?  

 

regarding the raw shaft, I have no problem understanding reading a 46" raw graphite shaft.  I measured UST Proforce V5 65g regular flex wood shaft and got 232 cpm.  so this is a regular flex....  correct me if I'm wrong regarding this. 

 

Can anybody give me a link to the latest updated frequency chart for wood and iron graphite shaft?

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That's the thing. There is no real standard. Each mfg has their own. You can probably find some charts to give you a general idea though.

 

Another thing is checking the cpm will vary depending on whether you have a grip on or not and what kind of grip it is.

 

With a frequency meter you can also profile the shaft. Clamp it at specific intervals along the shaft. But unless you have a database of shafts done in the exact same positions with the same weight used, it won't tell you much. It's been awhile since I looked, but I did find a description of how one company profiles shafts. I could replicate what they do, but without their database of measured profiles to compare to, it doesn't mean much on its own. I can't remember who that was. If you start googling it, you'll find it.

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