Question

2.04K viewsSeptember 16, 2021

BMGC27 18 September 15, 2021 0 Comments

Is it possible to trim discreet length iron shafts, e.g. Nippon N.S. Pro 950GH with a .370 tip diameter, to make the flex play between Regular and Stiff? With combo flex shafts I know to tip trim between the amounts shown in trimming instructions to accomplish this but I’m unsure if this can be done with discreet length shafts. Also, with the shaft I’ve referenced above, a 4 iron length shaft is 38″ raw, an 8 iron shaft is 36″ raw, yet the specs show both weigh 94 grams. I’m quite the novice at club building/tinkering, so I don’t see how 2 shafts separated by 2″ in raw length will weigh the same. I need all the help I can get.

Britt Lindsey Answered question September 16, 2021

1 Answer

You are viewing 1 out of 1 answers, click here to view all answers.

Answer 1 · 2021-09-17T15:37:01+00:00

The parallel tip section length is only abut 2.5″, so you really can’t trim any additional. Possibly 1/2″, but the discrete lengths on the Nippon are a little shorter so if you trim the 1/2 inch from the tip you might run into a length problem, depending on how long your playing length is. As far as the weight goes, almost all discrete length shafts, .355 and .370 tip, are constant weight products by design. That is why many players prefer them. Nothing wrong with parallel tip blanks that are 41 or 42 inches to start and then being trimmed from the tip and butt end. Those type of shafts result in heavier shafts in the long irons and lighter in the short irons simply because you are trimming more of the shaft as the irons get shorter. Again, nothing wrong with that and you don’t loose any performance vs constant weight shafts, but they can feel different for some players.

Britt Lindsey

Thanks for the info, Britt. A quick follow-up question for you. What may happen if I hard step (?) a shaft and head combo, e.g., put a 9 iron Nippon Pro 950GH R flex shaft into a Maltby TE Forged 8 iron head. I have these irons built to standard length per the Maltby playing length chart and it seems to me this may be doable?. Thanks again for your help. BMGC27
You can put the 9 iron shaft in the 8 iron head. The Nippon 950 GH #9 iron shaft is 35.5″ to start with. If you install and assume 1″ bottom of the bore to heel dimension (could be 1.25″), then your length without cutting from the butt end on the #8 iron would be 36.5 – 36.75″. Standard length for an #8 iron is 36.5″, so I guess you could do it. The shaft would play a few cycles stiffer since the head weight is lighter on the #8 iron.
Britt Lindsey