Driver Shaft Spine Direction

[SMRT]

I am fairly new to golf and I have heard a lot about shaft spine for driver shafts. I have heard some people say it doe snot matter and I have heard others swear by it. I am curious if anyone can help educate me on the pros and cons of locating the spine in the top, bottom, front, and back positions? What is the main changes when you rotate the spine away from the top center position? What is the best position to make the shaft feel the stiffest?

Thanks,

Chris

[GolfSpy WD]

Spining a shaft is more about consistency than anything else. You spine *all* of your clubs the same way and they'll feel the same way. Most people align the spine facing the path of the swing. I guess you could put the spine 45* from the path to get it stiffer.

 

IMO, if you want stiffer, just tip trim more if it's a parallel tip or hard step if it's a taper tip.

[furu]

Modern shafts are in my opinion so good that spine is a thing of the past. Graphite technology is amazing.

[GolfSpy WD]

Modern shafts are in my opinion so good that spine is a thing of the past. Graphite technology is amazing.

 

I've talked to Robin Arthur about this. I don't think it's something that should be outright ignored, but for the most part it's taken care of for you in terms of graphite shafts. With graphite shafts, the natural bend point (NBP) is usually marked these days and the graphics are *usually* set 45* from the NBP so the NBP faces the path of the swing.

 

With steel shafts though, the spine is usually very noticeable. If you are removing the shafts and re-installing, then you might as well spine them. If you weren't planning to remove the shaft, then it's probably not worth the effort.

[JMiller]

I am fairly new to golf and I have heard a lot about shaft spine for driver shafts. I have heard some people say it doe snot matter and I have heard others swear by it.

 

I am curious if anyone can help educate me on the pros and cons of locating the spine in the top, bottom, front, and back positions?

NBP = Natural Bending Point

~ Spine normally has the NBP axis on the 3 or 9 o'clock position in the hosel (pointing towards the fairway is most common).

~ SST Pure puts the NBP at 12 o'clock position, which would increase droop but still be consistent, maybe feel a little softer during the swing as well.

~ FLO is for graphite most time, you get the shaft to bounce back and forth in a clamp on a flat line, it's more complex then that but you get the idea.

 

To locate it you need a spine tool, or have the shafts sent to someone for FLO / SST Pure... you can suse a spine tool to get a basic idea of FLO / SST Pure but the process of both is more a fine tuning.

 

What is the main changes when you rotate the spine away from the top center position? What is the best position to make the shaft feel the stiffest?

I'm assuming "top center" means 12 o'clock position to the hosel. When you rotate that to the 3/9 o'clock positions (parallel with the target line) you get a stiffer feeling shaft in the load and more kick after imapct from the shaft basically.

 

 

All methods are good you just ave to end up with a personal preferences to feel and such. I like a Spine on steel (spine pointing towards the target at 6 0'clock as a RH golfer), and my graphite FLO'd in the Driver, Fairway, Hybrid shafts.

[RoverRick]

I have a Talamonti Driver shaft that is spine aligned and marked and a TMag R11 driver. When set to the standard position it is correct but if I adjust the loft, than it is no longer aligned. I have played this in the standard position 99.999% of the time so it is a moot point, The few times I did "adjust" the driver, I will not say that I played it enough to feel the difference. Not only that since it was changing more things than just shaft alignment I could not tell you for certain it felt different because it was a higher lofted driver, or if it was because there was a different shaft alignment, or if it felt difference simply because I expected it to feel differently.

[SMRT]

Thanks for all of the information everyone. It sounds like this is another typical golf process of trial and error until I find the best fit for my swing. That is what I kind of expected. I will post my findings as soon as it warms up around here so I can get back to the range. Thanks again.

[Blade]

NBP = Natural Bending Point

~ Spine normally has the NBP axis on the 3 or 6 o'clock position in the hosel (pointing towards the fairway is most common).

 

I'm assuming "top center" means 12 o'clock position to the hosel. When you rotate that to the 3/6 o'clock positions (parallel with the target line) you get a stiffer feeling shaft in the load and more kick after imapct from the shaft basically.

 

 

All methods are good you just ave to end up with a personal preferences to feel and such. I like a Spine on steel (spine pointing towards the target at 6 0'clock as a RH golfer), and my graphite FLO'd in the Driver, Fairway, Hybrid shafts.

JM Did you mean 3 and 9 o'clock instead of 6?

[JMiller]

JM Did you mean 3 and 9 o'clock instead of 6?

 

yea good catch my bad i'll edit my op

[SMRT]

I was tracking what you were saying. Thanks again.

[RookieBlue7]

The spine should go at 6:00 and the NBP (90 degrees out from the spine) should go at 3:00. Least that's what the person that helped develop the SST pure system (and one of the foremost experts on shaft analysis, as hes developed 2 other systems as well)told me should happen most often. Occasionally, there will be those that have different needs, but those are the most natural orientations. You want the spine (hard side of the shaft) at 6:00 to minimize shaft droop and the NBP along the swing's axis.

 

This thread gets much more in detail: http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/6168-shaft-orientation-sst-pure-peaked-moi-optomized-flo-etc/

[JMiller]

The spine should go at 6:00 and the NBP (90 degrees out from the spine) should go at 3:00. Least that's what the person that helped develop the SST pure system (and one of the foremost experts on shaft analysis, as hes developed 2 other systems as well)told me should happen most often. Occasionally, there will be those that have different needs, but those are the most natural orientations. You want the spine (hard side of the shaft) at 6:00 to minimize shaft droop and the NBP along the swing's axis.

 

This thread gets much more in detail: http://forum.mygolfspy.com/topic/6168-shaft-orientation-sst-pure-peaked-moi-optomized-flo-etc/

 

Oh the NBP in SST is at 6 not 12 hmm fair enough, I knew it sat on that axis compared to other methods, thanks for the clarification.

[BK in TEXAS]

Oh the NBP in SST is at 6 not 12 hmm fair enough, I knew it sat on that axis compared to other methods, thanks for the clarification.

I think you mean the spine (least flexible) is at 6:00.

The NBP (most flexible) is at 9:00.

[SMRT]

I think you mean the spine (least flexible) is at 6:00.

The NBP (most flexible) is at 9:00.

 

I might be over thinking this but wouldn't putting the spine at 9 o'clock make it the least flexible? My thought is that my spine bend easily side to side (12 o'clock or 6 o'clock), but if I try to bend back into my spine (9 or 3 o'clock position) I am not as flexible. If you are swinging into the spine of the shaft shouldn't that create less flex? I really do not know, so I could be thinking all wrong.

[BK in TEXAS]

I might be over thinking this but wouldn't putting the spine at 9 o'clock make it the least flexible? My thought is that my spine bend easily side to side (12 o'clock or 6 o'clock), but if I try to bend back into my spine (9 or 3 o'clock position) I am not as flexible. If you are swinging into the spine of the shaft shouldn't that create less flex? I really do not know, so I could be thinking all wrong.

I think you are confusing "spine" with "NBP". The spine is the least flexible, the NBP (neutral bend point) is the most flexible. Most "spine finders" actually locate the NBP, not the spine as the name would imply. Golf is a game of opposites.....remember

[SMRT]

I think you are confusing "spine" with "NBP". The spine is the least flexible, the NBP (neutral bend point) is the most flexible. Most "spine finders" actually locate the NBP, not the spine as the name would imply. Golf is a game of opposites.....remember

 

I have so muc h to learn. The oppisite thing still gets me. Low score wins...WHAT?

 

Thanks

[JMiller]

I think you mean the spine (least flexible) is at 6:00.

The NBP (most flexible) is at 9:00.

 

No I am not the NBP axis is 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock that is an axis. I'm not confusing SPINE for NBP. I thought the NBP1 went at 12 o'clock not 180* at 6 o'clock in SST, that was my comment that I was wrong where NBP1 went in that method but had the axis correct.

 

If this were a graph:

Y-Axis 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock

X-Axis 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock

[BK in TEXAS]

No I am not the NBP axis is 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock that is an axis. I'm not confusing SPINE for NBP. I thought the NBP1 went at 12 o'clock not 180* at 6 o'clock in SST, that was my comment that I was wrong where NBP1 went in that method but had the axis correct.

 

If this were a graph:

Y-Axis 12 o'clock to 6 o'clock

X-Axis 9 o'clock to 3 o'clock

So you're saying SST puts the NBP (weakest axis on the shaft) at 12/6 ?

 

I do it like Rookie said with the spine (strongest axis on the shaft) at 6 and the NBP at 3/9. During the swing I want the shaft to flex along the axis it wants to bend along and return square without any wobbling.

[Kor.A.Door]

You tube has very good videos on this. And they ones I have watched always put the spine of the shaft facing the target, which would be the 3 o'clock position while standing at address.

[LT59]

I think you are confusing "spine" with "NBP". The spine is the least flexible, the NBP (neutral bend point) is the most flexible. Most "spine finders" actually locate the NBP, not the spine as the name would imply. Golf is a game of opposites.....remember

 

I have recently been toying with "SPINE" locations and have been having GREAT success and feedback with placing the spine of the shaft facing the ground while at address. The first set I tried this on was a set of older mizzy's that I reshafted with OBAN i083 graphite shafts which actually have 2 spines on the shaft opposing one another. One happens to be stronger than the other but they def. have 2. I proceeded with this build with the STRONGER of the spines nearest the ground. Going this route the freqs were 100% spot on and the feel of the club at impact was incredible. I have sense built 5 sets in this fashion and had the customers hit their go to club on the monitor to see the performance and the feedback has been FANTASTIC.

 

LT

[BK in TEXAS]

I proceeded with this build with the STRONGER of the spines nearest the ground.

 

Yep, you're installing them with the spine at 6:00, which is exactly how I do it too.