Truing shafts

[Lagavulin62]

I don't want to revise a tired old debate but I do want to get some thoughts so any comments are appreciated.  

I just had a driver shafted with a trued graphite shaft I purchased seperately. I had the shop install the head.  

Although I believe a trued shaft prob makes a difference, I don't know if it's enough for the average weekender to benefit from. But that's not really my question.

When they fitted my trued shaft they had to cut an inch to get it to 45". Did this cutting negate the benefit of the true orientation? 

Second question: As pros have reportedly benefitted with this, i also speculate they reshaft quite often, certainly much more frequently thanthe hackers. So given a weekender has his clubs trued, probably never reshafts for years, even decades, and given the wear and tear of banging around in bag, dropped repeatedly, sat in a steaming trunk for hours, etc...... just how long would wear and tear eventually negate any benefits of the trued clubs? 

So looking at it from that perspective what do you think? 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 28, 2016 by Lagavulin62

[WUTiger]

Pros can get shaft pured (or trued) for free. For them, it probably is as much placebo (peace of mind) as actual benefit.

The average golfer has enough wobble in his or her swing that the puring may not deliver that much benefit.

At the GolfWorks school, our instructor said that quality improvements in shaft manufacturing have made puring less useful (unless you get a bad batch of shafts). That said, he showed us a manual method for puring: You put a ball-bearing ring inside a vice, and insert the shaft through the ring, and spin it. The shaft heavy side will fall to the bottom. You then mark it and insert it accordingly.
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I'm recalling the process from memory... sorry so sketchy.
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On some graphites, however, we couldn't really find a heavy side.

[GolfLug]

Of all things for optimization 'puring' would make the least difference in consistency. Shafts are not out of round or lacking in straightness as they used to.

1 hour ago, WUTiger said:

Pros can get shaft pured (or trued) for free. For them, it probably is as much placebo (peace of mind) as actual benefit.

The average golfer has enough wobble in his or her swing that the puring may not deliver that much benefit.

At the GolfWorks school, our instructor said that quality improvements in shaft manufacturing have made puring less useful (unless you get a bad batch of shafts). That said, he showed us a manual method for puring: You put a ball-bearing ring inside a vice, and insert the shaft through the ring, and spin it. The shaft heavy side will fall to the bottom. You then mark it and insert it accordingly.
------------
I'm recalling the process from memory... sorry so sketchy.
-------------

On some graphites, however, we couldn't really find a heavy side.

So, I agree. Puring can be not as beneficial considering how good new shafts are.

The ball-bearing puring is a lazy way of doing it. I think using frequency counter is a proper method. And even with that all you are really doing is confirming that the frequency (stiffness) of the shaft is what it says it is.  

If the orientation of the heavy side is made facing the target (generally direction clubface expected at impact) it may give you the stiffest orientation. It may not necessarily be the best, i.e., there's no point finding the stiff orientation spine if you are expecting a R-flex. Mind you, all of this is splitting hair in the first place.

I am not sure how any of this affects consistency of shaft kick shot after shot anyway. Any shaft is consistent to a flex level in whatever orientation it is set at - heavy side, light side, strong side, weak side, etc.

2 hours ago, Lagavulin62 said:

I don't want to revise a tired old debate but I do want to get some thoughts so any comments are appreciated.  

I just had a driver shafted with a trued graphite shaft I purchased seperately. I had the shop install the head.  

Although I believe a trued shaft prob makes a difference, I don't know if it's enough for the average weekender to benefit from. But that's not really my question.

When they fitted my trued shaft they had to cut an inch to get it to 45". Did this cutting negate the benefit of the true orientation? 

Second question: As pros have reportedly benefitted with this, i also speculate they reshaft quite often, certainly much more frequently thanthe hackers. So given a weekender has his clubs trued, probably never reshafts for years, even decades, and given the wear and tear of banging around in bag, dropped repeatedly, sat in a steaming trunk for hours, etc...... just how long would wear and tear eventually negate any benefits of the trued clubs? 

So looking at it from that perspective what do you think? 

 

 

 

 

Bottom line.. hit the ball on a launch monitor and if launches and spins best then that is the purest shaft in combo with the head and grip.

I will say this that bending fatigue (flex of shaft softens over hundreds of hits..) is a real phenomenon and if you are an avid hack (once a week) then you should consider shaft or even driver replacement every 3-4 years as a rule of thumb IMHO. Of course performance would have to be your best guide.   

  

[Big C]

Interesting. Would extensive travel place extra wear on tear on driver shafts? I fly with my clubs at least 5-6 times per year for work trips involving golf. Even though I pack them in a golf carrying case, it's a soft cover and I always feel like the driver is particularly exposed (every time I unzip the bag, I'm halfway expecting the head to roll out on it's own). 

[WUTiger]

14 minutes ago, Big C said:

... Would extensive travel place extra wear on tear on driver shafts?...

I suspect that hitting shots with your 7.3 HDCP swing would put a lot more stress on your driver than travel would.