Shaft aligning, is it for me?

[null]

Company that pures and spines shafts argues puring and spining shafts helps performance.

 

News at 11

[ChristopherKee]

I paid $15 a club to get my irons pured, played them that way for a while till the logos being in odd positions started to annoy me.

 

So I pulled the shafts, out all the logos the same way, and played them like that for another 6 months on course and in my hitting studio. What I learned was I 100% couldn't tell the difference OR see any change on the launch monitor.

 

I'm sure everyone's experience will differ.

 

 

 

 

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[Maverickping]

Sorry for not getting back to you sooner on your suggestion on taking lessons. You are correct; everyone can benefit from them. Other than being hurt a few times I usually take lessons in the winter since when I took up golf in 1999. Been very busy the last few years but if I do have the chance I end up playing right around a 9 or 10 cap. Hoping if time permits to get lower. Thanks again for the suggestion.

[Zeasy]

I know for a fact Kuchar used SST at least once. Watched his shafts get pured.

[hckymeyer]

Like most things in golf equipment it comes down to money.  Personally I don't spine or flo my shafts.  On any given swing the strike on the ball is going to vary by more than the tolerance gained from SST.  So for me I don't feel that paying $15 a club is worth it for my game.  Now if it was free I would absolutely do it.  It can't hurt right? But I'm not paying for it.

 

I do believe in the science behind the SST PURE system, I just don't think it matters for my game.  If spending $15 a club to have it done gives you piece of mind and confidence though, that's a relatively small price to pay.

[jaskanski]

Just to clear things up - I was not meaning to sound rude or facetious in saying take lessons to improve your golf (although it is a good idea lol).

I think by the gist of my posts, you can probably tell that the claims of certain companies that a proprietary form of shaft aligning can transform your game don't sit well with my opinion and I believe they are completely exaggerated and misleading.

Anyone spending a lot of money on this anecdotal equipment tweak would be well advised to take any performance claim with a healthy pinch of salt - there are certainly many other claims to the contrary from other well respected sources and club builders. 

With that in mind, I will leave the topic open for individual debate and for the time being, you can clearly see which the side of the fence I reside. But don't just take my word for it - here's a list a major winners who don't use......

[Sschaffer24]

Isn't this more of a conversation around the idea of paying for confidence?

 

I am fortunate enough to have my shafts SST Pure'd. It was included in my purchase at Modern Golf and honestly was a no-brainer for me, because it was free.

 

What is ironic though is that every single Fujikura MCI Iron shaft I have is in the exact same position throughout my bag. They are all pure'd and all facing the exact same way. That shows the model of consistency and the tolerances that exist in graphite shaft manufacturing these days.

 

In my wedges and woods though, the graphics are all over the place though. It's the same as purchasing an extended warranty on your vehicle. it gives you peace of mind that each club is built to the most precise and exacting specs that are out there. Can that be scientifically quantified how the difference in perception makes you play? I don't think so.

 

I think knowing my clubs are custom fit, pure'd, and built as precisely as they are lets me play golf with a different attitude than if the standards weren't so high.

[hckymeyer]

Isn't this more of a conversation around the idea of paying for confidence?

 

I am fortunate enough to have my shafts SST Pure'd. It was included in my purchase at Modern Golf and honestly was a no-brainer for me, because it was free.

 

What is ironic though is that every single Fujikura MCI Iron shaft I have is in the exact same position throughout my bag. They are all pure'd and all facing the exact same way. That shows the model of consistency and the tolerances that exist in graphite shaft manufacturing these days.

 

In my wedges and woods though, the graphics are all over the place though. It's the same as purchasing an extended warranty on your vehicle. it gives you peace of mind that each club is built to the most precise and exacting specs that are out there. Can that be scientifically quantified how the difference in perception makes you play? I don't think so.

 

I think knowing my clubs are custom fit, pure'd, and built as precisely as they are lets me play golf with a different attitude than if the standards weren't so high.

Just don't adjust your driver

[Sschaffer24]

I can adjust it anywhere in three of the settings on my sleeve and it won't mess with the Pure'ing. Already had that conversation! Haha.

 

Cool thing is if I would need to change to a setting outside of where it is, Modern Golf is willing to pay for return shipping and redo the process for me complimentary. Which is pretty cool.

[PMookie]

My question is this: adjustable hosels, the spine will be all over the place as one changes the orientation of the shaft for fade/draw/loft, correct?

If so, why do it with a driver shaft, or any other one that will be rotated?

 

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[null]

My question is this: adjustable hosels, the spine will be all over the place as one changes the orientation of the shaft for fade/draw/loft, correct?

If so, why do it with a driver shaft, or any other one that will be rotated?

 

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Well if you're fit for a driver and shaft, would you really be messing with the settings afterwards?

 

You're exactly right, it'd be a waste of money if you do play with the settings after having your shaft spined

[Sschaffer24]

So according to Modern Golf (this may be specific to the 917D3, not sure) I can adjust my driver in one of the four settings as long as I don't change the number. So for example I have mine set to D1 right now. As long as I operate within A1/B1/C1/D1 it won't effect the spine of the shaft. If I would leave that setup, it will effect it and that is where the offer to pure the shaft for me again would come in.

 

Here is the SureFit chart for reference.

 

[Maverickping]

People I really trust since I know them are True Spec and Modern Golf. Their business ethics are beyond reproach and would not do it for money alone. Hoyt is well connected on the Tour scene and does plenty of Tour players, Justin Rose and Gary Woodland (that I know of) and a bunch of LPGA girls and then top college players and then people like me, just out for fun. Like others have mentioned (as I have no axe to grind here) whatever makes you think you've covered all the bases off, then I think that is great. For me, it all goes back to having my things dialed in as much as possible for me and I think the puring process is a part of it. 

Years ago the owner of SST (Dick Weiss) sent me their hat to wear. Funny thing I got stopped by a Police Officer as he only saw the SST Pure and not the rest. He thought I was promoting something else

[Sschaffer24]

I would second trusting Modern Golf.

[PMookie]

Well if you're fit for a driver and shaft, would you really be messing with the settings afterwards?

 

You're exactly right, it'd be a waste of money if you do play with the settings after having your shaft spined

In thinking back to my ECPC "fitting", yeah, I'd definitely be messing with the shaft!

 

 

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[Sschaffer24]

Even after a fitting that was professionally done and provided proof that a specific setting is the optimal choice for you?

 

That idea was always intriguing to me...

 

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[null]

In thinking back to my ECPC "fitting", yeah, I'd definitely be messing with the shaft!

 

 

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That wasn't a fitting.

[PMookie]

That wasn't a fitting.

You and I know that.

 

 

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[PMookie]

Even after a fitting that was professionally done and provided proof that a specific setting is the optimal choice for you?

 

That idea was always intriguing to me...

 

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See above. ^^^

 

 

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[PMookie]

Even after a fitting that was professionally done and provided proof that a specific setting is the optimal choice for you?

 

That idea was always intriguing to me...

 

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There's a whole thread of answers, I'm sure, for what constitutes a TRUE fitting, so I'll keep this short: many demo days, brick and mortar stores, and OEM locations say they do "fittings"... Most I've gone to aren't TRUE fittings where one wouldn't need to touch their driver settings. That's why I asked the question about "puring" and making adjustments. By the way, Titleist is the only company who has done a true fitting at a demo day that I've participated in, where the shaft and all adjustments were completely done and I wouldn't have to mess with everything, but alas, this is for another thread.

 

 

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[Sschaffer24]

Ahhh!

 

You're talking about one of THOSE fittings. I know exactly what you mean and have been through a few myself.

 

I supposedly got crazy low numbers from an M1 combo fitting at a demo day. When I was at modern I tried to recreate that performance with the combo and couldn't come close. Not sure which was right or wrong, but it truly is amazing how much your expectations have to shift based on where you go/who you end up with. Sometimes it's just luck of the draw.

 

I've had fittings at golf Galaxy (both Edel fittings) and they are some of the best fittings I've ever experienced. I also had another fitting at golf Galaxy which led to me walking out with stock Nike equipment with no data to back up the performance and no help whatsoever from the fitter. Worst experience I've had!

 

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[chisag]

... I will add two things to this discussion. First, steel shafts were notoriously out of round. I had some dynamic gold shafts that bowed so much they could not roll on a concrete floor unless really pushed. There was an absolute need for puring imo so your set could have some consistency. Modern high end steel shafts are produced at a much tighter tolerance and I am not sure how much Puring will help. I have played granite in my irons for well over 10 years so I don't have a definitive position on current steel iron shafts.

... Secondly and most importantly, I spent some time with the VP of Engineering that developed the original NV and most of the other Aldila shafts and he says there is zero need for puring or floing wood shafts OR graphite iron shafts. In high speed photography, the very first pass of a shaft with a laser is always perfectly straight. Subsequent passes of poor quality shafts will begin to wobble and some very badly, but of course the ball is long gone after that very first pass so that is all that matters as far as performance is concerned. Quality is a different subject. But most modern graphite shafts are so close to perfectly round over their entire circumference is is useless to align them. After checking the flo on the Extreme NV I was playing at the time and having it straight line in every alignment as well as having virtually no spine, I have not fooled around with aligning any shaft since. 

... All that said, if I could get my steel iron shafts pure for free? Sure why not, but I wouldn't pay for it. But I would pass on aligning graphite shafts with logo's all over the place when it makes no difference according to one of the foremost experts in shaft design. 

[RookieBlue7]

All shaft manufacturers, graphite especially, do a form of spine/flo. They do it to orient the graphics on the shaft. Check the butt of any new uncut graphite shaft. There will be a mark from the process, whether a cut notch or a grease pencil marking. Graphics will be oriented based upon that marking and how they choose to mark them