Shaft tipping question.

[gunning4u]

I will be getting a new driver in a few days and it’s a R7 460 8.5 and I will be putting in a new shaft. I’m thinking of going with a NVS or maybe a VS Proto. I was thinking of cutting it down to 44inches for better control. Also I’m right in between a stiff and x with a swing speed 108-112 mph. If I have them take the length out of the tip will it firm up the shaft or will it play the same. What are the main reasons people tip their drivers. I currently play with a NV65 stiff in my Cleveland 8* and I like it but it’s a little soft and I hit it a little low for my liking.

 

[demon]

I will be getting a new driver in a few days and it’s a R7 460 8.5 and I will be putting in a new shaft. I’m thinking of going with a NVS or maybe a VS Proto. I was thinking of cutting it down to 44inches for better control. Also I’m right in between a stiff and x with a swing speed 108-112 mph. If I have them take the length out of the tip will it firm up the shaft or will it play the same. What are the main reasons people tip their drivers. I currently play with a NV65 stiff in my Cleveland 8* and I like it but it’s a little soft and I hit it a little low for my liking.

Tipping a shaft will increase the stiffness of the shaft.

 

[dave.]

Lyle will come along and give the correct answer,he does it for a living.It will play stiffer if you cut it at the tip end than at the butt end,this is what is called tipping I think.I have no idea why some people tip their shafts,I assume its about feel and 'tweaking' the playability.I had mine cut to 44 1/2 cutting it at the butt,but its a bore-thru head so it plays stiff enough.

 

[demon]

Lyle will come along and give the correct answer,he does it for a living.It will play stiffer if you cut it at the tip end than at the butt end,this is what is called tipping I think.I have no idea why some people tip their shafts,I assume its about feel and 'tweaking' the playability.I had mine cut to 44 1/2 cutting it at the butt,but its a bore-thru head so it plays stiff enough.

Sometimes a shaft isnt stiff enough so people tip them. I used to play tipped stiff shafts then went to blind bores in my bore throughs with x-stiff so they play true to torque.

 

[warbirdlover]

I haven't found a shaft company yet that recommends tipping when used for a driver. They all say NOT TO. I had a guy tip my $95 Graf Prototype NT Comp and screwed it all up. He was supposed to buy a stiff flex but bought a reg flex and then tipped it. I was rather disturbed. Don't tip the shaft if you want it to play the way it was designed, only if you want it stiffer. Cut to length from the butt end. (Two good shaft choices also)....

 

[ualtim]

Tipping is tradionally not done on a driver shaft unless you are intentionally trying to change the shaft's characteristics. There are a few shafts on the market that do require a slight tip trim unless they are in a thru-bore type head (most Callaways and Titlesists) but there are more of an exception rather than a rule. Check out the shaft makers website and they usually will have a tip trimming guide for their shafts. If not, Golfsmith has a tip trimming chart for all the shafts they sell or have sold in the past available on their website in the clubmaking section.

Hope this helps.

 

[ezra76]

The Green NV is a pretty soft playing stiff so I'm not surprised at your results. I was recommended and NV-75 in an X at a fitting with swing speed between 111-113. The NVS plays at a much stiffer flex in a stiff. Higher ballflight but I can't control a lower kick shaft very well at all. Not sure on the VS-Proto. Lyle will know more about "cycles per minute" and what not in determining flex.

If you are looking to get more height why not go with a higher loft? I play a 10.5* with a mid/low flight shaft and carry it 265-270 at around 110SS. It finds a lot more fairways than hitting one 250 with 30yds. of roll.

 

[warbirdlover]

As far as what loft you hit you really need to get on a launch monitor and find the club loft and shaft kick point combo that gives you 14º-16º "actual" launch angle. That's the optimum for maximum distance. I had to drop down from 10.5º to 9º to get into that angle on the launch monitor and it really has made a difference on the course.

 

[LyleG]

The main reason for tipping a shaft is to lower the ball flight. However, the results are minimal, loft will always have the biggest effect on ball flight and should be the first thing you change.

Anytime you shorten a shaft to reduce its ability to bend to some degree. An inch off the butt will usually lower the cpm's by 5, an inch off the tip by 10. These amounts are both small. Most driver shafts have a parallel tip section of 3-5 inches which allows for a lot of tipping options to fine tune flex. Just remember the results will be very small, and alter ball flight minimally.

To the original poster. No shaft shaft will increase your ball flight enough. The first thing you need to look at is more loft. Ideally you want a shaft that bends as much as you can handle. A soft shaft with a stiff tip and a more loft works best for most golfers.

Some shafts like the graphite design YS+ series require tipping in anything but a bore through head, this is done per GD's recommendations depending on bore depth.
Lately I have trying a really light weight (58g) soft shaft (butt frequency of 234 cpm) with a mid to high bend point, and then tip it to stiffin the tip. This gives me all the control of a stiff shaft and all the zip of a soft shaft. The results have been excellent.

 

[demon]

Lately I have trying a really light weight (58g) soft shaft (butt frequency of 234 cpm) with a mid to high bend point, and then tip it to stiffin the tip. This gives me all the control of a stiff shaft and all the zip of a soft shaft. The results have been excellent.

That was why I liked playing stiff tipped shafts, I would play a regular flex shaft if I could get away with it.

 

[LyleG]

Have you tried a softer flex shaft with a mid to high bend point that has been tipped?

 

[demon]

Have you tried a softer flex shaft with a mid to high bend point that has been tipped?

the only club I have ever had in a Regular was a old Callaway big bertha and i used to snap the shafts on it all the time. Callaway got sick of sending me new clubs every month so they asked me to go with a club with a hozle on it. they did keep giving me divot tools, hats, and finally a new polo besides I never would have competed with the club since I was never really accurate with it. I then switched out to a Titleist PT in stiff and loved it but didnt have the bombs like the Warbird plus the feel was unmatched to this day.

I then started to play with either the old TS100's in the Taylormade's or X-stiff in other clubs. Never truely like the feel of it till Fujikura started to get a little popular about 10 years ago and dropped in a Vista Pro 70 in my Taylormade 320 and thought it was a little too whippy due to me playing X-stiff so my clubfitter tipped it 1" and i have been playing it ever since. I then wanted to try out new technology drivers and bought the SQ 9.5 with a Diamana 83gram blueboard in stiff but couldnt work the ball like the 320. Then I picked up a 905R with the stock speeder and hit it decent till I put in a 757 Tour Spec X-flex. Didnt quite love the feel and was slicing them a little too the right so I had my fitter pull the shaft and blind bored it, cut off an inch and got the swingweight to a D1 but the club just isnt the best. I love a whippy club but I need control since I always thought that the stiffer the tip the greater the accuracy. If you can point me to a shaft that will handle my speed and give me the accuracy I want along with the feel of a whippy club then I would be all over it.

905R with 44" 757 Tour Spec X-stiff
Swing Speed 110 - 117 (117 being full throttle)
Ball Speed 157 - 167
Side Spin 50 - 150'ish
Spin 2500's
Launch Angle 12 - 13*

 

[LyleG]

Graman ul440 in about 240 cpm range. Tipped 1/2 inch. You will kill it. It will set you back a whopping $37 however.

 

[demon]

Graman ul440 in about 240 cpm range. Tipped 1/2 inch. You will kill it. It will set you back a whopping $37 however.

This is the Limey right?

Also Lyle, is this 1/2 tipped in the 905R? I am going to pick one up right now, where is the best place to order from?

 

[LyleG]

In the 905R, I wouldnt tip it at all. There are LD guys with 135mph swings hitting these in R flex.
I like these guys for Limeys, Bryant will set you up. Just ask for a 440ul in 240-245 cpm. Dont let him talk you into anything else, go with this and you will be happy.