How to stiffen a graphite shaft

[pganapathy]

Hi Guys,

I have an old graphite shaft Mizuno 3 wood (Silvex flex 8), that I want to make into a stiffer shaft.  I know the standard instruction is pull the shaft and tip trim it, but I do not have the equipment and don't think it is worthwhile paying somebody to do that for me.  Are they any simpler solutions.  Does a butt trim actually work or is gripping down on the shaft going to produce the same result.  I have heard some people talk about putting in a filler or insert into the shaft as a way to increase stiffness and also weight.  Is this a simple solution given I have no club modding equipment or experience.

[SavvySwede]

Do you know how much it cost to pay a clubmaker to pull the shaft and trim it for you? I figure it would be very cheap because it would only take 15-20 minutes at most.

[Mr. Desmond]

2 minutes ago, SavvySwede said:

Do you know how much it cost to pay a clubmaker to pull the shaft and trim it for you? I figure it would be very cheap because it would only take 15-20 minutes at most.

Agree. A decent counterbalance weight insert that is about 5 inches with weight will cost more than a club maker pulling, tipping, gluing. The length of a steel insert only stiffens the butt section. In some shafts, that may work. In shafts with an already stiff butt, it will have less effect.

[pganapathy]

That is interesting.  Will check on the cost of pulling the shaft to see if it makes sense.

In any case, assuming the cost does not work or I can't find a good guy for the job, or maybe the cost of pulling is more than the club is worth, are there any cheaper options.  Assuming the shaft filler is not economical, how does butt trimming the shaft sound.  Ask as the grip is dead and needs to be replaced anyway so butt trimming is a very practical option.  Would I then need to add weight to make up for it, or is that a personal preference.  Also, would something like lead weight/tape on the club head do anything to change the swing dynamics of the shaft (changed kick point or stiffness or torque etc) or would it affect the swing but not the shaft stiffness.

[rkim291968]

Butt trimming, gripping down works for me.  I don't grip down often but when I do, I get a lower trajectory ball flight I want from stiffer shaft.  

I'd recommend butt trimming and experiment.   That's the fun part of this I think.

BTW, you can always add the "trim" back with a club shaft extender if it does not work out.

[Pretzel]

1 hour ago, pganapathy said:

Assuming the shaft filler is not economical, how does butt trimming the shaft sound.  Ask as the grip is dead and needs to be replaced anyway so butt trimming is a very practical option.  Would I then need to add weight to make up for it, or is that a personal preference

The weight issue would be personal preference. My 3-wood shaft is actually a driver shaft that I butt trimmed 3.5 inches before installing it. My hybrid has the same driver shaft in one flex softer but is tip trimmed 2 inches and butt trimmed another 4 inches. I have no issues with weight for either of these clubs, but I'm not too particular about having a specific swingweight.

1 hour ago, pganapathy said:

Also, would something like lead weight/tape on the club head do anything to change the swing dynamics of the shaft (changed kick point or stiffness or torque etc) or would it affect the swing but not the shaft stiffness.

The lead weight/tape would not affect any part of the shaft, it would merely change the swingweight of the club. Butt trimming does change the shaft dynamics in that it slightly raises the kickpoint of the shaft. A higher kickpoint generally leads to a lower launch, which is why I went for trimmed driver shafts in my 3-wood and hybrid. I can hit my 3-wood fine off the deck, but rarely have occasion to so it is mostly used for tee shots on holes to better position myself. To this end the driver shaft helps it not go overly high off the tee and it has become a great club for windy days since it is tremendously easy to hit low. My hybrid had serious ballooning issues in the past, and by putting the driver shaft with the various trimming operations I was able to get a club with a fairly high kickpoint to help me keep the hybrid from flying straight up into the wind (I had issues with using it on windy days in the past). The shaft gave me extra distance by helping to reduce spin and flatten the overall trajectory, while still keeping enough spin and height for my hybrid to hold greens.

 

All this stuff is pretty personal, but I would say your best bet is to either tip trim your current shaft or purchase a new shaft and have it installed. Most clubmakers will install a shaft for free if it is purchased from them, or will have fairly modest prices (~$15-30 depending on where you go) to perform the trimming and reshafting operation you describe. I bet that if you asked them to trim your shaft they'd be willing to re-grip the shaft for free if you provided or purchased the grip!

[Club Rat]

Another option would be buying a used club, there are so many available and probably cheaper than going through the cost and time of reworking the Mizuno 3 wood.

Did a quick search on Ebay and there are several to choose from, MST, F-50's under $50 US dollars. Many ship international customers.

[vangator]

I always wondered if filling the shaft with "Great Stuff" would stiffen the shaft?  Don't know.  Might be too flexible and/or break down.

Since I build clubs, I would go to a Salvation Army or Goodwill and find a driver that has a decent stiff shaft.  Pick it up for a couple of bucks and trim it for the hybrid.  I picked up a Graffaloy Blue on a cheap driver for $2 and put it in a 5 wood.  Sometimes there is gold in the Salvation Army.

[billchao]

10 hours ago, pganapathy said:

Ask as the grip is dead and needs to be replaced anyway so butt trimming is a very practical option.  Would I then need to add weight to make up for it, or is that a personal preference.

Some people need to, others find that they don't. It's really based on the individual.

I trimmed a driver shaft to experiment with it once and didn't like the result at all. I couldn't feel the head whatsoever and I found out I had to stick so much lead tape on the head to make the swingweight normal again that I just gave up on the entire club.

[pganapathy]

Thanks for all the feedback guys.  I know the simplest solution is to buy a used club, but greenbacks are one part of the equation in me asking this question.  The used club market in India is also a lot smaller and much less diverse than America.  4 woods for example are very hard to get here.  Also, I have a variety of clubs at home (my current set, my dad's current set which is my old set, my dad's old set, my mom's half ladies set and then a variety of clubs that we bought or were given to us) and I figure either I can experiment with these extra clubs or I have to sell them and fund a purchase.  Plus, the thought of tinkering to find the perfect club is too tempting to resist.

Just wondering if there is anything specific you need to use as a filler, or can anything be used.  Also does using a filler add considerably to the weight and does that make a difference in the final analysis of how the club plays.

Does cutting a graphite shaft need to be done with any specific equipment.  Is there a risk of it cracking if I use a hacksaw for example.

[Mr. Desmond]

I would not use filler -- 

Have you tried swinging easier, just make a smooth, full swing to get the most out of the present club. Cutting the butt may not stiffen significantly -- it depends on the shaft profile. If it is butt stiff, and you are cutting 3 inches off the butt from a new shaft, and the mid-profile is softer, you may not be stiffening the shaft...

[WUTiger]

Butt-trimming the shaft will increase the stiffness slightly, but not enough that you would notice it. (This assumes you're not whacking off 2" or something radical like that).

Tip trimming 1/2" (you shorten the most flexible portion of the shaft) would increase stiffness noticeably more than butt-trimming that amount.

[Pretzel]

7 hours ago, pganapathy said:

Thanks for all the feedback guys.  I know the simplest solution is to buy a used club, but greenbacks are one part of the equation in me asking this question.  The used club market in India is also a lot smaller and much less diverse than America.  4 woods for example are very hard to get here.  Also, I have a variety of clubs at home (my current set, my dad's current set which is my old set, my dad's old set, my mom's half ladies set and then a variety of clubs that we bought or were given to us) and I figure either I can experiment with these extra clubs or I have to sell them and fund a purchase.  Plus, the thought of tinkering to find the perfect club is too tempting to resist.

Just wondering if there is anything specific you need to use as a filler, or can anything be used.  Also does using a filler add considerably to the weight and does that make a difference in the final analysis of how the club plays.

Does cutting a graphite shaft need to be done with any specific equipment.  Is there a risk of it cracking if I use a hacksaw for example.

For cutting you can use a hacksaw (I did trimming my shafts) but wrap done tape on the cut location to keep the shaft from splintering. As long as there is tape on the side of the cut that will stay (the side that is the actual shaft, rather than what you're trimming off) you should be good. 

[toomanymatts]

If you are in India, I can't imagine the cost of labor is so high that a tip trim is prohibitive. I am in Vietnam, my club maker charges me something like $4 to do this job. 

[pganapathy]

@toomanymatts, I never actually checked the cost of pulling and tip trimming, but part of the reason for not wanting to do that was I wanted to figure out the simplest way.  Of course, if pulling and tip trimming is only going to cost me 5 to a maximum of 10 dollars, then I would seriously consider it.  Additionally, I have so many other extra clubs, that pulling all of them gets expensive.  I ideally want to use all the extra clubs and then find the one that suits me best.

@Pretzel, thanks for the advice on cutting the shaft to ensure no cracking.

@Mr. Desmond, that info about the shaft profile was very useful,  Did not realize that you could actually trim it and make it more flexible, not less.

Edited November 9, 2015 by iacas
added @mentions

[toomanymatts]

Think you will find pulling and tip trimming IS the simplest way

 

[Pretzel]

3 hours ago, toomanymatts said:

Think you will find pulling and tip trimming IS the simplest way

 

This ^^^

[onthehunt526]

On 11/5/2015, 11:15:37, SavvySwede said:

Do you know how much it cost to pay a clubmaker to pull the shaft and trim it for you? I figure it would be very cheap because it would only take 15-20 minutes at most.

Maybe $10-$15, but if he has to reinstall the shaft maybe a little more (24 hours for the epoxy to cure)... tip-trimming is your most cost effective way to stiffen the shaft.