QUESTION: Hi,

I currently own a set of Hogan Edge Blades with the #4 Apex Graphite shaft, a
fit for my swing and tempo.

I have another set of Blades that I want to keep at my vacation house to use and
I have a chance to Purchase a new set of Apex #3 Graphite Shafts.

Would it be feaseable to “tip trim” the shafts, probably a 1/2″ to move the flex
to firm or stiff?  I have done it many times on Driver or 3-wood shafts for
custom fitting, but never on iron shafts.

Jimmie

 
ANSWER: Hi Jimmie,

You have several issues that would make this idea a no go.

First, there may be more differences between the 3 and 4 graphite models besides just the flex. Sometimes, companies will have heavier shaft models in the stiffer graphite version, and lighter in the regular flex version. Also, they may have moved around the geometry between the different shaft flexes.

Next, it typically takes more than an inch of tip trimming to have a regular graphite iron shaft play more like a stiff graphite iron shaft. This extended amount of tip trimming will certainly change the balance and feel- so the sets will not feel the same. 

Finally, your biggest problem- these shaft are likely .355 taper tip models, which after trimming will no longer fit into your irons without severe alteration of your iron hosels.

With this being a set to be kept at your vacation house, I am guessing it doesn’t have to be a perfectly matched set.  However, I would certainly determine if these shafts will match your hosel before purchasing the shaft set.

Regards, Mark

QUESTION: Hello,

I love my Titleist 822 OS with NS PRO S shafts, but sold them. I currently have
NS PRO 950GH Taylormade pull-outs in 3,4,8 to PW shafts and a Nike Slingshot OS
5 iron 950 pull-out. Will the 5 iron shaft behave differently from the rest of
TM shafts?  I think the 5 iron shaft has a parallel tip, while the TMs are taper tips,
will this be problem? Planning to install these into a Cleveland TA7(TT release)
or a Cobra forged cb(TT DGS) iron set . Tnx, Gerick

ANSWER: HI Gerick,

Sounds like quite a science project you have going….

For a variety of reasons, I certainly never recommend installing used shafts. You don’t really know how these were trimmed previously, have they been compromised in anyway, what length are these going to play at?, what flex and balance are they going to play at?, etc.

I understand that you are merely asking- will they attach into the head? Which is a major consideration and may never happen without quite a lot of alteration to your existing iron sets.  Also, these shafts may then have quite a different variation in weight, balance and flex. Most golfers/installers do not recognize that the actual installation methodology of a given shaft will have a profound impact on the feel, flight and performance of a given club. My main point is that these shafts have already been previously installed, trimmed and prepared to perform in a very specific set of iron heads, and now you are asking to install these into a different head geometry, expecting these shafts to perform up to the standards of a premium Nippon Shaft model. You may find a way to “attach” the heads, but they will play differently within the set, and they will certainly offer less than “new” performance.

The best example I can give is that you have bought a used car, and you have some missing parts from another manufacturer. You may find a way to attach these parts, and you may even get the car up and running, but it most likely will never perform the way it was originally designed, and it will constantly be a compromise to what you really deserve.

My best recommendation, when time and finances permit, is to start with a new set of clubs, designed and installed in a premium manner, and fitted to your specific needs.

Best regards, Mark

  

QUESTION: Hi Mark:

I have a few questions on behalf of one of my members.

Is the Titleist N.S. 100 anywhere close to the Callaway N.S. 1100?

He loves the Callaway X Tour head, and loves the N.S. 100 shaft in his friends
AP2s.  are there any solutions?

Thanks, Lyle

 

ANSWER: Hi Lyle,

Thanks for your note. Both of these heads and shafts are entirely unique, but they are similar. Like a Chevy Malibu, and a Toyota Camry. These two models are entirely unique, but they are similar in size and class and use.

These two shaft models are proprietary to the specific manufacturers, and one could figure a way to order each of the sets and then, using an uniform installation methodology, achieve a certain head/shaft configuration. However, this would be more than twice as expensive, and the real problem is that this combination is essentially untried. Using the car example- it’s like saying, I want the power, ride and handling of one car model, but I also want the passenger and cargo space of another car model. It might not be realistic to truly forecast what to expect and then to achieve this installation.

The good news in this case is that these two shaft models are not that dis-similar. The other issue is that your customer might be liking a certain flex or sole or swingweight, or any of a number of specifications specific to a given set.

My best recommendation is to try working with one of the head models of choice and the dozens of shafts options available. Regards, Mark

QUESTION: HI,

I was at a Callaway Demo day and I was using a Callaway X22 7i w/ Nippon NS Pro
990 shafts and I would like to outfit my current set of irons w/ the shaft - 5i-SW. I am currently overseas in Germany and would just like to know how much it would cost to get the 7 shafts. Thank you for your time. Kent

 

ANSWER: Hi Kent,

The NS PRO 990GH is a proprietary shaft model manufactured for the Callaway Company and is exclusively available for installation in their iron models. This shaft model is not sold as a shaft only option. For more information on Callaway iron models and their 990 shaft model, please visit their site or contact them directly. For more information on Nippon Shaft iron shaft models, please go to www.nipponshaft.com.

Regards, Mark

QUESTION: Hi,

I currently play with Callaway Big Bertha irons with RCH90 Firm Flex Graphite
shafts.  I am switching to Callaway X-20 irons and have the option to buy them
with Nippon NS Pro 990 GH Steel or Nippon NS Pro 1100 GH Steel (Uniflex Only). 
Which shaft would be better suited for me? Lee

ANSWER: Hi Lee,

There are dozens of great shaft designs out there, with many hundreds of installation variations to maximize your game, and I never like to see golfers limit themselves to just two choices. However, the answer to your question is- if you generally like lighter shafts, the 990 model will be to your liking. If you like heavier feeling shafts/clubs, then the 1100 model will be better.

As always, the only definitive method to determine the best performance for your body, swing and game, is via live testing. For the sweetest contact and the straightest shots, I strongly urge you to find a fitting cart, demo day or ultimately, a fitter with interchageable test clubs.

Regards, Mark

QUESTION: Hi,

I’m 54 years old. low handicap, quick transition in my swing. I am now debating from going from DG S300 S to DG 300 R. My swing speed with driver is 96 mph. What do you think? Tom

ANSWER: Hi Tom,

My first suggestion is to read through some of the other posts in this Q&A section. You will quickly see that speed and power is not a performance-based or even a reliable formula-based method of shaft selection. Your learning about finding the best performing shafts will accelerate if you unlearn notions about swing speed as a set matching tool. Okay?

Next, if you are considering switching to a more flexible shaft, based on age, you might want to re-consider. If you have had success with a stiffer flex, and are currently having success with a stiff flex, but just noticing some distance loss, going to a more flexible shaft will not gain your distance back, and will likely cause contact and consistentcy issues.

If I am reading your question correctly, your best options are to get out there and test several shaft weights and designs to determine the optimal performing shaft, with regards to feel and flight. There are many, many shaft designs that will have a huge impact on your game, but changing the flex is typically not the solution.

Finding the best shaft is all about maximizing feel, distance, direction, face contact, and for sure, optimizing your golf swing. Search for demo days, fitting carts, and inquire with our Authorized Installation Centers. Use any reliable information to help in your goal. Regards, Mark 

QUESTION: Hi,

I am 63 years old. I have had by-pass surgery and play the Dynamic Gold shafts
125 to 138 gram weight, and it causes my chest to hurt. I have switched to graphite
and I just don’t get the feel.  My nephew golf pro says I need to use the NS PRO
Shat light weight.  Help!!  I am looking to place your shafts in a set of Callaway
X22’s. Thanks, Mike

ANSWER: Hi Mike,

Your post is great because it gives me the opportunity to express a wonderful concept that all golfers should learn.

First- most golfers, especially those who gone through a serious physical event, should not typically be playing with heavier steel shaft models. I could recommend some of our heavier models for you, but I would be negligent.

Second- for golfers who have been playing in their golf career, with reasonable success, with a steel shafted model, will never find success with a light graphite shaft model, for the very reason you described- there is just no weight in the shaft in order to feel and sense the club and thus, your swing. The result is inconsistent swings, inconsistent contact and poor play.

Next- the answer is to find a shaft that is light enough to swing with some speed and power, but heavy enough to swing with feel and stability.

Finally- it is easy to get to this awareness, and Nippon shaft offers dozens of models in this category- the tricky part is to decide which of our models are for you- our most popular model is our industry leading NS PRO 950GH, which weighs in at 95 grams, almost right in between the weight of a 125 gram heavy steel, and a light 65 gram graphite shaft.

The definitive method of determining the best performing weight, feel and flight is via live testing. you may want to contact one of our centers and inquire as to the opportunity to test some of our various models. Go to www.shaftology.com and click on the CENTER LOCATOR link for contact information. 

Other options include demo days, fitting carts, etc. Please consult the major equipment manufacturer’s sites for info on these options.

In general, the 950GH model, (95 grams), is most popular for golfers in your situation, followed by the slightly heavier 1050GH, (105 grams), and then the 850GH, (85 grams).

All of our specifications for these models are located at www.nipponshaft.com.

Regards, Mark 

QUESTION: Hi,

I am a 17 year old girl and have a 86 mph swing,  and play with a driver that has a men’s R flex shaft. I would like to get my irons reshafted. What would be the best shaft for me from Nippon? Do I need R??? Thanks for your time, Shelby

 
ANSWER: Hi Shelby,

Some of the lighter Nippon Shaft models, like the NS PRO 750GH, NS PRO 850GH, and 950GH are widely popular among women players. On the Women’s Futures Tour, 6 of the first 8 events have been won by players using Nippon Shaft models in their irons. On the LPGA Tour, there are regularly 50-75 players using our iron shaft models. In the 2008 U.S. Womens Open, Nippon Shaft was the Number 1 iron shaft brand in play.

The question of which flex should always be determined by which flex PLAYS the best. If you like the R flex in your driver, there is a strong chance that you should be playing with an R flex in your irons. Most golfers like a shaft flex in their irons that is the same as their driver, or a bit softer in flex.

You may want to contact one of our Authorized Installation Centers and inquire if they have some of our models and flexes available to test. They can be found at www.shaftology.com by clicking on the CENTER LOCATOR link.

Regards, Mark

QUESTION: Hello,

If someone were to bother with a study they would undoubtedly find that the same person going to different CUSTOM golf club fitters, all having access to the
same equipment choices, would be fit differently from shop to shop. If only by
brands.

Now narrowing this to an IRONS fitting  - Suppose that most forged iron heads (
Miura, Vega, Scratch, KZG etc. ) are all going to play quite similar ( according
to groupings - blade, cavity, improvement ).  I am leaving out the subjective
but very important differences of impact sound, visual / physical /
psychological feedback because these are taste issues and while they do affect
performance they are a subjective choice made, hopefully, by the purchaser. 
And foregoing basic loft and lie adjustments to these heads it now really comes
down to the shaft and then to a slightly lesser degree grip selection to custom
fit a club. ( spline alignment & weight adjustments are valid services but at
this point the shaft would have already been selected ). 

So I think many would agree - 1) Custom fitting is also subjective on the
fitters side as well.  2) If you’re using a quality head it’s performance comes
down to your skill.  3)  The shaft & grip are probably 80% of the custom clubs
performance. 

I already know that I want Mirua CB 202 heads ( ego driven choice but should
transfer well from my current Mizuno MP 60’s ) so now it comes down to just
shaft selection ( for me ).

I am having a great deal of trouble finding a fitter that tests off of a REAL
GRASS range. They all want to have you swing an iron on a plastic mat.  I don’t
want to go into the details of how wrong that is so I will just say that for me,
and this has NOTHING to do with the many problems of hitting off plastic grass,
I need to see actual ball flight and I can’t imagine why anyone would choose
indoor virtual reality simulation over actual reality if they take club fitting
seriously. Rarely do I see video of the pros demoing their new clubs indoors. 
Besides It takes many of us time to warm up, were not pros, and I want to dial
in and be fit for my best swing not my ” I haven’t a clue where the ball is
going ” swing.  Constant improvement is the real joy of this game and I want
clubs fit for where I’m going not where I have been.

So after talking to many, many, custom fitters up and down the west coast and
listening to their wildly differing views and blatant contradictions to what
their own websites state I am at a loss. Or better yet a new understanding -
maybe I should just fit myself since it’s just a shaft selection.

Q: Who has a large selection of your shafts fitted onto club heads that do
fittings on a real grass range ?  Not the ones that say they do but the ones
that if you showed up tomorrow to see for yourself would actually have them and
not because your ‘records’ show that they do.

Q: If you can’t be sure or there aren’t any local to me ( Studio City, CA 91604
) then can I get a PDF of a Nippon swing type chart that I can check against my
own swing tempo, speed, etc. so I can buy my own and at least start from there ?

Q: Perhaps you know of a non-dealer person who is highly regarded whom I could
meet at his range and pay for their time to get their advice.  Everyone says
they are a custom fitter but I am a particularly discerning person and my
bull–it meter usual pegs in the red within 10 seconds of meeting these guys.  (
There’s a guy at a local range I met the other day, we’ll call him ‘Ki’, he
builds (so he says from scratch ) custom shafts for many of the junior players
and others. Many of these kids take lessons from Brady Riggs and others. Yet
when I asked to see ‘Ki;s’ shop he suddenly balks with some baloney about
secrets & patents. So basically the guy has no shop, just buys some decent shaft
from somewhere puts some weights in there and always give you a choice of shaft
color so he can spray paint over the shaft he bought - you get the idea ).

Why such a long rant ?  Maybe you should think of a sales model whereby you
offer your shafts to be demoed at ranges since the heads are a lesser issue ? 
The public would then begin to see shaft manufacturers as more important than
club head manufacturers and you would increase market share and influence.  Being relegated to off course, off range small boutique golf shops isn’t as great an
exposure as you may think. S

ANSWER: S,

I read your post with much enjoyment. You are hereby nominated for Post of the Year. You have identified many ills of our industry, and even some of the woes of specialty club shops.

It is correct to say that different fitting shops yield different recommendations for a given golfer. However, most of these are not really fitting shops. They deal in a predictive world- meaning, your swing does this, so most likely you need that. These are really clubguessing shops, and the recommendations have little relationship to reality. Yet many golfers are OK with this.

After 20,000 plus fitting assessments, both predictive and now, solely interactive and comparative, I am well aware of the problems with a predictive fit methodology. This is why, in 10 years of working with Nippon Shaft, I have never recommended any of our Authorized Installation Centers as the perfect fitting site. I always ask the golfer seeking advice to contact our Centers, express their needs, and inquire as to the capabilities and services offered.

I am also in agreement with you about the notion of plastic mat versus grass surface. Any golfer serious about a proper fitting will always choose the real thing and not the simulation.

However, here is some information that you might consider in your search for that set that will help you improve your game.

1) One of the reason grass tees are vital to the fitting test, is the sole of the iron and the center of gravity of the head. The relationship of the sole and balance of a given head is critical to the fitting analysis, and should never be dismissed so lightly. Based on how you deliver the club to the ball at impact, you will have a high degree of success or failure because of the sole and head design. My opinion, based on many assessments, is to never assume that similar looking head shapes will play the same. This thinking becomes more of the same predictive quagmire. 

2) A PDF chart for Nippon Shaft models based on swing types or swing speed does not exist.  If these charts exhibited any connection to real live performance, then the stores you deride, would certainly be implementing them in their fitting routine, with great success, and we would not be having this email exchange.

3) Not every golfer plays this game for constant improvement. I have found that most gofers play for the experience. Some golfers play to escape their work life. Others to connect with family and friends. Some just want access to an outdoor environment. These different needs that the game of golf gives to us, profoundly affects how golf equipment is marketed. Since many golfers do not want to spend time on the equipment issue, they are content to just look up a chart on the internet, or ask a local shop, or so-called fitting guru, for the hurry-up recommendation.

So, as I reach the end of this post, there is one major unanswered question. Where does one go, who is interested in the best possible performance, to find their best iron set? I have the same answer for everyone. A starting point is our Installer Group. Some of these shops have fitting capabilities, at grass ranges, with the ability to test and compare, specific name brand head and shaft combinations, to determine your best possible performing set for your body and swing. I would start here at www.shaftology.com and click on the CENTER LOCATOR link. Other resources include clubmaking shops listed on sites like www.tttourconcept.com, www.usttourshop.com, www.royalprecision.com, and www.sstpure.com. 

If you inquire with these shops, asking about their services and rates and guarantees, you should attain an understanding if they are capable of meeting your needs. You may not find what you are looking for in your area, and you may need to travel a bit.

Regarding pricing. If you expect a high level of performance, beyond what a typical fitting shop is capable of, then expect to pay a rate equal to that high level of performance.

If this recommendation doesn’t work out, you can always schedule a trip to Chicago, and I will fit you for a set of irons, using a premium interactive and comparative assessment. It would be a pleasure to work with you.

Here’s hoping that you find what you are looking for. Regards, Mark 

 

QUESTION: What is the change in flex of a shaft when an

extra 3/4″ is added to the length?  Is there a chart 

denoting the flex change due to length changes?   Thanks, Steven

 

ANSWER: Hi Steven,

This question is not entirely reasonable. For most golfers,

the flex will play the same or slightly more flexible. If

the butt frequency is measured before and after the length

change, we will find a lower CPM number, or more flexible.

However if we plot that number in relation to its new length,

depending on the shaft geometry, we may see that the graph

rates the longer shaft as a stiffer flex, (with regards

to butt frequency only). 

The bigger issue is that any golfer will absolutely adjust

their swing, stance, tempo, etc., to a specification that

is as variant as +3/4″ long. 

With regards to this type a change, a golfer will have a

club that is longer, with a heavier swingweight, and a need

to adjust for the lie angle as well. These variables create

quite a different approach with regards to body and swing. 

The answer to most every question posed here has a familiar

mantra- live testing and comparison is the only true method

of determining the effect on performance. The answer to your

question is 100% based on this principle. No chart is 

capable of estimating how you will swing and how your body

will react to a change in the length, feel, swingweight, lie,

and flex. Best regards, Mark