Looking for a location or event?
Find a Location Find an Event
August 01, 2015 At 12:59 PM By Gary G
Gary GGainesville, FL
Trying to understand concept of soft stepping shaft. What impact on launch and flex does putting a DG S300 3 iron shaft in a 5 iron have on playability of AP2 iron especially if making shaft 5 iron length.
Stephen MSonora, CA
August 01, 2015 At 12:59 PM
Steve SLeominster, MA
Steve M is correct. Soft stepping a shaft is cutting it "longer" than what's called for. So if the trimming instructions called for cutting 1 inch off of the tip, you would only cut 1/2 inch. That makes the tip slightly softer and increases your launch angle because of the more flexible tip.
Most shaft manufacturers now a days don't create just driver shafts, or just 3 wood shafts or just 5 wood shafts. They instead make one shaft with a tip that can be trimmed different amounts to achieve the correct flex for a driver or fairway wood. Same with iron shafts. If you bought a set of Project X raw shafts, they would all be the same length. Then you would start trimming for the iron you were building. That gives you the flexibility to slightly increase or decrease the flex of a shaft depending on how you trim it.
I was speaking in regards to soft-stepping a taper tip shaft. I think Steve S is referring to parallel tip shafts
Sign In
Haven't registered for Team Titleist yet?
Sign Up