Parallel & Taper-Tip Shafts
There are two ends of the shaft to consider. The butt end (the end to which the grip is fitted) and the tip which fits into the club-head. There are two different types of tip, parallel and taper-tip.
The parallel-tip shaft is a constant diameter from the last step down to the tip of the shaft. The idea of this is that one shaft can be manufactured to fit all irons and one shaft can be manufactured to fit all woods. To obtain the correct flex with a parallel-tipped shaft, the shaft is cut from the tip end at the appropriate point to achieve the correct flex. Then the shaft is cut from the butt end to achieve the desired length. The taper-tip shaft, as the name indicates, tapers down from the last step in the shaft. Taper-tip shafts are manufactured to the correct length and flex for each club so it is important that the correct shaft is fitted to the corresponding club. A 3 iron shaft would fit into an 8 iron, for example, but it would play far too soft in flex and would be too long. To obtain the desired length for a taper-tipped shaft, the club should be cut to length from the butt end, after the tip end has been fitted into the hosel of the club-head.
The parallel-tip shaft is a constant diameter from the last step down to the tip of the shaft. The idea of this is that one shaft can be manufactured to fit all irons and one shaft can be manufactured to fit all woods. To obtain the correct flex with a parallel-tipped shaft, the shaft is cut from the tip end at the appropriate point to achieve the correct flex. Then the shaft is cut from the butt end to achieve the desired length. The taper-tip shaft, as the name indicates, tapers down from the last step in the shaft. Taper-tip shafts are manufactured to the correct length and flex for each club so it is important that the correct shaft is fitted to the corresponding club. A 3 iron shaft would fit into an 8 iron, for example, but it would play far too soft in flex and would be too long. To obtain the desired length for a taper-tipped shaft, the club should be cut to length from the butt end, after the tip end has been fitted into the hosel of the club-head.
Tip Sizes
The tip diameter is a measurement of the circumference of the shaft at the tip and is expressed in inches. There are generally four different tip sizes available and are as follows: .335, .350, .355 and .370. There are others such as the Wilson over fit shaft (fat shaft) manufactured by True Temper and Apollo which measures in at .500 but most the common are .335, .350, .355 and .370.The smaller sizes,.355, .350 and .355 are what a wood would usually require and
.355 and .370 for irons but this is not a steadfast rule as club manufacturers are constantly changing the sizes they fit.
The tip diameter is a measurement of the circumference of the shaft at the tip and is expressed in inches. There are generally four different tip sizes available and are as follows: .335, .350, .355 and .370. There are others such as the Wilson over fit shaft (fat shaft) manufactured by True Temper and Apollo which measures in at .500 but most the common are .335, .350, .355 and .370.The smaller sizes,.355, .350 and .355 are what a wood would usually require and
.355 and .370 for irons but this is not a steadfast rule as club manufacturers are constantly changing the sizes they fit.
