cutting down an iron shaft

[Johnnyrogs]

Lets say i order a set of shafts and I don't need the 3i shaft that comes with the set. Can it be cut down to be put in a wedge without changing the overall properties of the shaft? TIA

[jaskanski]

Nope. 

[null]

As mentioned above, no. Each length shaft is designed and manufactured to provide a specific performance in a specific club

[Kenny B]

Depends on the shaft.  Not .355 tapers.  For .370 shafts the amount cut from the tip depends on the  the manufacturer and shaft model.

[MDGolfHacker]

Nope. Flex would be totally different.

 

MDGolfHacker

[Johnnyrogs]

Even if you're cutting from the butt?

[chisag]

Lets say i order a set of shafts and I don't need the 3i shaft that comes with the set. Can it be cut down to be put in a wedge without changing the overall properties of the shaft? TIA

 

 

... As others have stated, no. However, what you can do is soft step your irons. Put the 3 iron shaft in your 4 iron, 4 in the 5, 5 in the 6, etc. You will end up with an extra wedge shaft you can install in your wedge. I have soft stepped my irons for years mostly because I don't like my 9i and pw to have the same flex. 

[null]

Even if you're cutting from the butt?

Yes even if you're cutting from the butt. It's an completely different shaft.

[null]

... As others have stated, no. However, what you can do is soft step your irons. Put the 3 iron shaft in your 4 iron, 4 in the 5, 5 in the 6, etc. You will end up with an extra wedge shaft you can install in your wedge. I have soft stepped my irons for years mostly because I don't like my 9i and pw to have the same flex.

You should note that soft stepping will result in the shaft playing around a half flex weaker than it's initial flex

[Johnnyrogs]

Thanks for the input. Not looking to soft step as it's just potentially an extra shaft. I'm already going a flex weaker due to the nature of the shaft.

[null]

Thanks for the input. Not looking to soft step as it's just potentially an extra shaft. I'm already going a flex weaker due to the nature of the shaft.

Yup, you're better off just buying another wedge shaft

[Smalls1588]

Maybe if it's a single length iron set

 

 

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[Johnnyrogs]

so chopping 4 inches off would add a little stiffness to it then huh?

[Kenny B]

If you buy TT DG .370 shafts they are all 41 inches.  Each iron is tip trimmed, then cut to length from the butt.  It's not the wedge shaft, but will play similar to the 9i.

[Johnnyrogs]

If you buy TT DG .370 shafts they are all 41 inches.  Each iron is tip trimmed, then cut to length from the butt.  It's not the wedge shaft, but will play similar to the 9i.

 

It's a graphite shaft that i'm looking at, Aldila RIP Tour iron shafts to be exact.

[chisag]

You should note that soft stepping will result in the shaft playing around a half flex weaker than it's initial flex

 

 

... You would have to soft step twice to get to 1/2 weaker flex and even then it os not quite a full 1/2 flex. In my experience most can tell zero difference in irons soft stepped once. 

[chisag]

It's a graphite shaft that i'm looking at, Aldila RIP Tour iron shafts to be exact.

 

 

... I can see why you went to a softer flex. I have played 5 different sets of Aldila graphite iron shafts and the very low torque of the RIP Tours makes them feel like a full flex more than they really are. I play S flex but in demoing the RIP's found better performance hitting the R flex. 

[ole gray]

I had to buy a TT GS95 steel shaft for a 8 iron. Golf Works said they were out of stock at the moment however they had a four iron length I could buy and cut it down. That didn't sound right and I found an eight iron length shaft on eBay although it comes an inch longer than what my eight iron spec is. I suppose the extra length is for the hosel? My eight iron was loss/stolen after I left it on the range. Never turned in... I found one with graphite however I want it back to conform with my set.

 

 

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[Kenny B]

It's a graphite shaft that i'm looking at, Aldila RIP Tour iron shafts to be exact.

I'm not familiar with trimming for that shaft, but if all the shafts are the same length, another half inch seems reasonable.  However, I am not a proponent of graphite shafts in wedges unless it's heavy graphite.  Most graphite iron shafts are too light for wedge play.

[jaskanski]

Just to clear things up, most iron shafts sold in sets or individually are specific to each iron head or "discrete". That means if you have a 8-iron head, then you need an 8-iron shaft to make it play as intended. The extra length from a replacement shaft is for trimming the butt to your desired playing length only. This is the normal procedure for .355" or taper tip shafts.

.370" or parallel or unitised shafts are a little different in that the tip is trimmed first to get the correct flex for each specific head. These are usually in specific 0.5" increments for each iron and then they too are butt trimmed to the desired playing length.

[Kenny B]

Just to clear things up, most iron shafts sold in sets or individually are specific to each iron head or "discrete". That means if you have a 8-iron head, then you need an 8-iron shaft to make it play as intended. The extra length from a replacement shaft is for trimming the butt to your desired playing length only. This is the normal procedure for .355" or taper tip shafts.

.370" or parallel or unitised shafts are a little different in that the tip is trimmed first to get the correct flex for each specific head. These are usually in specific 0.5" increments for each iron and then they too are butt trimmed to the desired playing length.

I would also add that tip trimming is not the same for all .370 parallel shafts.  The amount you cut for an 8-iron can be different depending on the manufacturer and shaft model. 

[jaskanski]

I would also add that tip trimming is not the same for all .370 parallel shafts.  The amount you cut for an 8-iron can be different depending on the manufacturer and shaft model. 

 

That's right - it also depends on head weight and hosel depth too. The biggest difference (though not always the case) is that parallel tip shafts tend to be descending in weight and taper tip shafts tend to be constant weight. Naturally there are exceptions to the rule and it is always advisable to build any individual iron or set with the specific parts in mind - but as a general rule of thumb and specifically to address the question raised by the OP - use the right shaft for the right head!!

Once you go down the route of getting an odd shaft to fit an odd iron, you tend to run into problems - not least of which is normally length (or lack of it) and weight (or lack of it) and lastly flex (and too much of it lol!)

[Johnnyrogs]

It's a .355 shaft that's going into a .370 head.

[Kenny B]

It's a .355 shaft that's going into a .370 head.

Nope!  Don't do it.

[jaskanski]

It's a .355 shaft that's going into a .370 head.

 

Generally, that's a no-go. Once you have two components that have a different fit to one another, then you have a problem. The difference in shaft length alone should ring alarm bells. The fact that you are trying to make a square peg fit into a round hole should make you think that this is a bad idea. Once you have two discrepancies - it's time to walk away.

[chisag]

It's a .355 shaft that's going into a .370 head.

 

 

... Not a problem if ALL shafts are .355 going into .370 hosels with a shim, but as others have said I would not mix and match. 

[Johnnyrogs]

I gave some wrong info. Shaft would be going into a .355 wedge head. The iron shafts into .370 heads. Oops!

[Kor.A.Door]

You can't cut a .355 taper shaft down from the tip, those shafts are made for a specific club and flex. If you have a .370 parallel tip shaft, it can be cut down. Just look for the manufacturers tip trimming chart and findthe difference between the 4i and the wedge/9i length. Should be about 2.5 inches difference.

 

If you have a .355 tip and cut it down you will change he characteristics of the shaft and it will not play how you want. Also, it may not fit into the hosel as it is tapered and will get bigger the more you cut off.

[Kor.A.Door]

I gave some wrong info. Shaft would be going into a .355 wedge head. The iron shafts into .370 heads. Oops!

It wont fit, even if you cut it down. Since the shaft is .370 it can be cut, but .370 is too big to fit into the .355 head unless you drill out the hosel. I would find a .355 taper tip shaft for a wedge. In the long run it will be best.

[Johnnyrogs]

It's a 355 shaft going into a 355 head for the wedge.

 

 

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