How do you know whether to butt trim or tip trim a shaft?

[Mjr. D]

I have an Accra SE 80 M5 shaft (great great shaft by the way, if anyone's thinking about getting one) and i want to shorten it by an inch. I've looked everywhere and i can't find informtion on trimming the shaft. I don't know if butt trimming affects kickpoint or tip trimming screws something else up. Please help me out here.

[Spoon]

I have an Accra SE 80 M5 shaft (great great shaft by the way, if anyone's thinking about getting one) and i want to shorten it by an inch. I've looked everywhere and i can't find informtion on trimming the shaft. I don't know if butt trimming affects kickpoint or tip trimming screws something else up. Please help me out here.

id like to know as well.

[Duffer19]

You always butt trim a shaft to length but if you tip trim, it would make the shaft much stiffer. Butt trim should not affect the kick point as most people use driver shafts for FWs. Most JDM recommend no tip trimming for a 3 wood but could be 0.5" for 5 wood. I personally would not even tip trim for a 5w. Once you tip trim, there is no going back but if you butt trim, one can always add extension at a later date.

[Spoon]

You always butt trim a shaft to length but if you tip trim, it would make the shaft much stiffer. Butt trim should not affect the kick point as most people use driver shafts for FWs. Most JDM recommend no tip trimming for a 3 wood but could be 0.5" for 5 wood. I personally would not even tip trim for a 5w. Once you tip trim, there is no going back but if you butt trim, one can always add extension at a later date.

thanks. i have a 39.25" speeder hybrid shaft that i want lengthened to fit a 3 wood head. will this work? how much do i have to add?

[Duffer19]

thanks. i have a 39.25" speeder hybrid shaft that i want lengthened to fit a 3 wood head. will this work? how much do i have to add?

You are probably looking at 42.5 to 43" for a 3 wood depending on SW but that's a lot to add. At the sametime, a few hybrid shafts are 0.350 vs. 0.335 for most JDM FW. You could have a problem here.

[Spoon]

You are probably looking at 42.5 to 43" for a 3 wood depending on SW but that's a lot to add. At the sametime, a few hybrid shafts are 0.350 vs. 0.335 for most JDM FW. You could have a problem here.

i know. unless i use it in one of my gfield hybrids:) hate putting a good shaft to waste. here are the specs of my shaft

Fujikura Speeder Tour Spec 652 Regular Flex Fairway Wood Shaft - 39.25"

.335 Tip - 3.7 Tq - High Launch - 65g - Mid Kick

[Duffer19]

i know. unless i use it in one of my gfield hybrids:) hate putting a good shaft to waste. here are the specs of my shaft

Fujikura Speeder Tour Spec 652 Regular Flex Fairway Wood Shaft - 39.25"

.335 Tip - 3.7 Tq - High Launch - 65g - Mid Kick

I think the 652 is not a hybrid shaft (by design) and should be ok for a FW. 39.25" must be the pull length hence extension would not be too much for a playing length of 42.5 for a 3w and 42" for a 5w.

[Spoon]

I think the 652 is not a hybrid shaft (by design) and should be ok for a FW. 39.25" must be the pull length hence extension would not be too much for a playing length of 42.5 for a 3w and 42" for a 5w.

yes i bought it as a pull. looks like the original owner trimmed the butt, but by how much i dont know. will most likely attempt to put this in my epon 3 wood. this means i would have to add 3.25". seems like much but no harm in trying

[Duffer19]

yes i bought it as a pull. looks like the original owner trimmed the butt, but by how much i dont know. will most likely attempt to put this in my epon 3 wood. this means i would have to add 3.25". seems like much but no harm in trying

You should not have to add so much for a playing length of 42.5 to 43".

[acrazygolfer]

If you like the shaft "as it" then butt trim to playing lenght after installation. Tip trimming is similar to "fine tuning" an engine, making it plays to its maximum potential based on your swing characteristics. You must also take into consideration the depth of the hosel and the depth of installation of the tip into the hosel. Here is an example - I've an SR flex shaft tipped 1/4", installed 1" into the hosel & played at 44 1/4", the head weights 200 grams. It played a bit soft to my 105 mph SS. I then had the same shaft installed 1 1/2" deep into a 200 grams head, then extending the butt and trimmed to 44 1/2", the club now plays much better and I'm getting better results.

Spoon, install the shaft before adding extension and then butt trim. Use graphite extension available at GolfSmith, Golfworks, etc.

[Mjr. D]

Besides hosel fitting reasons, are there some shafts that you just shouldn't tip trim for whatever reason? Wondering if i should tip trim my Accra shaft, but don't want to ruin what the designers of the shaft strive to ahieve with it's tip feel.

[acrazygolfer]

Besides hosel fitting reasons, are there some shafts that you just shouldn't tip trim for whatever reason? Wondering if i should tip trim my Accra shaft, but don't want to ruin what the designers of the shaft strive to ahieve with it's tip feel.

Good question. I don't know of a specific shaft that cannot be tip trimmed.

[Duffer19]

Besides hosel fitting reasons, are there some shafts that you just shouldn't tip trim for whatever reason? Wondering if i should tip trim my Accra shaft, but don't want to ruin what the designers of the shaft strive to ahieve with it's tip feel.

Usually there is not recommendation for tip trimming for JDM shafts. Tip trimming is a bit of an American thing.