Are Your Shafts Too Stiff?

Hello Frank,

Firstly thanks for reading my question. I have recently re-shafted my Mizuno TP19 irons, the clubs date back to ~ 1992, the original shafts were becoming pitted so I decided to re-shaft with the same shaft; (DG300 s flex) and grips. I made sure the new shafts were cut exactly as the ones I took out, however, I found the new shafts felt totally different, in that, they felt to be quite a bit more flexible, my question is, is it possible for the old shafts to become “stiffer” over age, or are the newer shafts these days made to be more flexible?

Thanks,
Colin

Colin,
Thank you for your support and I hope you are a Frankly Friend. If not sign up on www.franklygolf.com  to stay in the equipment information loop. It would be good to get your friends to do the same. The more Frankly Friends there are the more influence we will have on the game we all love so much.

There may be some work hardening of shafts over time and heavy usage, but I doubt that this is what has happened in your case. I assume that you noticed this difference in all of the clubs in your re-shafted set. If work hardening had taken place then it would be different throughout the set because you use some clubs considerably more than others.

I believe that in your case the new shafts are a little more flexible. You should know that there are no standards across the industry for shaft stiffness but one would expect the shafts from the same manufacturer to have similar properties. However, these may have changed over the last seventeen years.

As you have re-shafted your clubs with the same (we believe) shafts, cut the same way, the same length, and same grips they should have the same natural frequency. If the frequency is lower than that of your previous set then the shafts are more flexible because everything else is the same.

A frequency measurement is done with a device which counts the number cycles of vibration a club will have when clamped at the butt end and plucked.  It is similar to a long bladed knife being  stuck in a piece of wood and plucked. The cycles (vibrations) per minute will change if the weight of the handle of the knife different and/or the blade is stiffer etc. The frequency test  is a good means of matching clubs as it takes shaft stiffness into account.

A frequency check will answer your question.

It is not be a bad thing – if we are looking for a sliver lining-- that the shafts are all a little softer. Try them out before you decide to switch back to a stiffer shaft.
Good luck
Frank