Question:
have broken. I have never heard of a graphite shaft breaking (during normal use!),
Then you must have missed my post about one of my playing partners breaking two of them. Of course, in the interest of full disclosure, I must tell you that the graphics on those shafts said "Warrior Golf." IMHO, graphite and steel are totally different animals. It’s either one or the other.
Then you are henceforth banned from playing with your Bimatrix!! :-) Dave Clary/Corpus Christi, Tx Home: http://home.stx.rr.com/dclary RSG Roll Call http://www.rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=claryd
Response:
Tradition holds that graphite shafts should be about an inch longer than steel. Why is that? And would I really get the same performance from a 42" steel shaft vs. a 43" graphite shaft? Could I not just make the steel shaft 43"?
Sure can…but drop about a measured 10 cpm if changing to steel, steel always ‘feels’ and ‘plays’ much stiffer than the graphite for the same measured flex! 
david
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have a hybrid 15* that I’ve been happy with but I have the itch to build a 3w. Found the Power Play Keel Steel woods that I believe I will be going with. Been looking at graphite shafts all along but I’ve been apprehensive about spine aligning. Seems easy enough but since I’ve never done it before or seen a step-by-step set of instructions, so I’m not real confident that I could do it correctly. And after hearing remarks about how filament wound shaft tend to break I started looking at steel shafts. Tradition holds that graphite shafts should be about an inch longer than steel. Why is that? And would I really get the same performance from a 42" steel shaft vs. a 43" graphite shaft? Could I not just make the steel shaft 43"? Help, as always, is greatly appreciated!
I would want to see if I were better with steel vs graphite first. Make the same club with both types of shafts and hit a lot of balls, recording what happens to each shot, and see which you make the most good shots with. I have never had a graphite shaft break on me, but several steel shafts have broken. I have never heard of a graphite shaft breaking (during normal use!), but have also heard a lot about steel shafts breaking (of course long hitters can snap graphite shafts, but they can also bend steel shafts as well). Go for spine aligning if it makes you feel better, but I don’t see it affecting play at all, but it’s your money and/or your time. How a shaft performs under a load of 200 grams and how it performs under a load of 30 pounds of pressure are two different things (and when you swing it’s 30 lbs!). A decent shaft will perform well for you in any orientation, IMHO. Graphite shafts are longer for swingweight reasons, and you don’t have to make the shafts longer. You can use heavier graphite shafts or add weight to the clubhead for swingweight, or do as I do and don’t worry about it. IMHO, graphite and steel are totally different animals. It’s either one or the other. If I were into steel, I don’t think I would have graphite even in the driver. The feel is that different to me. Graphite is demonstrably superior for me, and so I have graphite in all my clubs, even my putter. IMHO, steel tends to cause an OTT swing, wheras OTT doesn’t work too well with lightweight R flex graphite; either swing properly or die! I use lightweight graphite and thus have light clubs because they are not any shorter than they would be if they were steel. The thing is to try out different things for yourself over time and *LEARN* what is best for you based as much on personal experience as possible. JMHO, of course. — RSG Masters 2004 pre-preliminary format http://home.att.net/~frostback2002 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/?rc=frostback "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are" Joseph Campbell
Response:
I have a hybrid 15* that I’ve been happy with but I have the itch to build a 3w. Found the Power Play Keel Steel woods that I believe I will be going with. Been looking at graphite shafts all along but I’ve been apprehensive about spine aligning. Seems easy enough but since I’ve never done it before or seen a step-by-step set of instructions, so I’m not real confident that I could do it correctly. And after hearing remarks about how filament wound shaft tend to break I started looking at steel shafts. Tradition holds that graphite shafts should be about an inch longer than steel. Why is that? And would I really get the same performance from a 42" steel shaft vs. a 43" graphite shaft? Could I not just make the steel shaft 43"? Help, as always, is greatly appreciated!
Response:
I have a hybrid 15* that I’ve been happy with but I have the itch to build a 3w. Found the Power Play Keel Steel woods that I believe I will be going with. Been looking at graphite shafts all along but I’ve been apprehensive about spine aligning. Seems easy enough but since I’ve never done it before or seen a step-by-step set of instructions, so I’m not real confident that I could do it correctly.
You need the equipment to do it. A simple spinefinder can be built for $15-20 in parts (you need 3 bearings). Or you can buy a shaft that has been "pured." And after hearing remarks about how filament wound shaft tend to break I started looking at steel shafts. Tradition holds that graphite shafts should be about an inch longer than steel. Why is that?
It’s not tradition–it’s maintaining swingweight. Graphite is lighter than steel, therefore the entire club weight is lighter (and lighter in swingweight) than for a steel-shafted club of the same length. In order to offset that lower weight, the club is made longer. Even then, the 1" length differential is only an approximation. Whether you get the same swingweight depends on the actual weight of the shaft. And would I really get the same performance from a 42" steel shaft vs. a 43" graphite shaft?
No. They’re different. Assuming similar flexes that are both appropriate for you, you’d find the graphite-shafted club would likely achieve somewhat greater distance (a few yards). Depending on how tip-flexible they were, they might be different in terms of launch angle. You’d probably be more accurate w/ the steel shafted club because it’s shorter, and would likely be easier to control, and because the torque would be lower. You might or might not be as accurate w/ the graphite club depending on the spine and its alignment; it’s less important to do this in steel (meaning the effect of a misaligned shaft is less). Graphite has two innate advantages: It allows clubs to be built longer at the same swingweight or clubs to be lighter at the same length, and it absorbs shock of mishits better than steel (which can be an advantage for those with pain due to tendinitis or arthritis, for whom a mishit can be an adventure in pain). Graphite, though, has one inherent disadvantage: It’s not as consistent as steel is. Spines, and inherent inconsistency in flex means that it’s more a hit-or-miss proposition than using steel (with very expensive shafts this is less an issue). This can be mitigated, of course, by spine aligning and FLOing, and by careful matching of frequency to a standard you wish to meet, but that’s not something the average hobbyist clubmaker has the equipment to do. I have a graphite shaft in my driver, because it allows me to build to a length of 45.5". It is, of course, spined and FLO’d. Great shaft, a Fujikura Vista Pro 70. A steel-shafted driver that long would be way too heavy for me. But I have steel in my 3-wood. Why? Because I wanted a shorter club, easier to control, and more consistent. I don’t need the maximum distance a graphite-shafted 3-wood might produce for me. I need to keep it in the short stuff more than I need the distance, and this club will do it. And I have steel in my irons. IMO, unless you have pain issues, there’s little reason to use graphite in irons. You *can* make the clubs longer, but so what? Does it really matter that you can hit an 8-iron where you used to hit a 7-iron? The only place that extra length shows up on the course is in your longest iron, something most people don’t hit most of the time anyway. And the extra distance can create gaps between your wedges. Could I not just make the steel shaft 43"?
Sure. That’s about what mine is. Help, as always, is greatly appreciated!
What you need to do is think about what you want this club to do for you. Is distance an issue? Will you be teeing off with it a lot? Are you more interested in control and direction than in maximum distance? Unless you need the distance, I’d suggest you go with steel. Mike Mike Dalecki GCA Accredited Clubmaker http://clubdoctor.com RSG-Wisconsin 2003 Information: http://dalecki.net/rsgwis2003 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/members/?rollcall=daleckim I do not patronize spammers. Help keep RSG clean!