How to Find the Spine of a Golf Shaft

[@JAW_73]

When you rotate the shaft is it popping to the spine or the natural bend point, and point of least resistance. The spine is the hardest part to bend and I think you want that 90 degrees from the face. 12 and 6 o'clock to the face

[@JAW_73]

Is this mark the actual spine (bend resistance) or is it the NBP - Natural Bend point? From what I see you should put the spine (hard to bend) 12 and 6 to the club face, The NBP - Natural Bend Point - (Easier to bend) 3 and 6 to the clubface

[@jdbar014]

Hi Jeff, Please make clear to your viewers that the "hump" is the spine located 90 degrees to the right of the mark you are making at the top of the shaft. The spine should be at the 9 o'clock position.

[@jdbar014]

correction, the spine should face at the 9 o'clock (towards club face) for consistency and accuracy.

[@JAW_73]

Can you clarify this? I thought the same thing, but then you replied to your self and contradicted this post above

[@jdbar014]

From all that I read on the subject, 9:oclock seems the best all around position for the spine. @@JAW_73

[@user_1664]

6 oclock for the nbp , i say this because your basically swinging a bent stick and want the majority of your swing to be pulling through the natural bend , as you close the face this should aid keeping the toe up . In my limited experience the most important thing is that each club matches and from there you can experiment . I personally dont like 9 or 3 oclock , but i have no problem with launch ( in irons) i want the same face to path more

[@mytube411]

One small error in the video. You said when you install the shaft you want to point the lines towards and away from your target line, which is correct. But then the graphic shows towards the target line being where the "spine" is located. That is incorrect. The spines are located at about 90 degrees to the neutral bend planes, and when the NBP is installed towards/away from the target line, the spines will be perpendicular to that at the 12 & 6 positions.

[@mytube411]

I agree that it makes a big difference, I'm a professional clubmaker and I do it on every single club that I build. And I too align the NBP pointing towards the target (or towards & away if there are two NBP's). I was just saying that the graphic shown in the video at 2:45 is wrong because it shows the spine pointing at the target when it's actually the NBP which is aimed at the target.

[@HirekoGolf1]

When you pull down on the shaft and it snaps in place, you will encounter the soft plane. I always position that toward or away from the target as shown. 90 degrees from there will be the stiffer plane. You will find that some clubmakers who prefer to put the shaft in this orientation (12 and 6 o'clock). As long as these are neutral planes that is perfectly fine. The USGA doesn't want you positioning them at the 1:30 or 4:30 position as an example as it could unduly affect ball flight.

[@mytube411]

@@HirekoGolf1 you're missing my point. I was just saying that the graphic shown at the 2:45 indicates the spine is pointed towards the target line, but that is not correct. You said it correctly in the video, that than NBP is pointed towards the target line, but the graphic shows the spine pointin in that direction. It's just labelled incorrectly, that's all I was saying.

[@jalan8171]

@@HirekoGolf1, Regarding spline positioning, have you produced a presentation to specifically address this issue? Do you know of any instance when the USGA DQ'd for having a 'mal-aligned' shaft spine? I can not find a reference for such action via my (limited) sources. My thanks, J. Stern (former PCS member)

[@Samson.Boedefeld]

@@mytube411 i‘m writing this 3 years later, but whats wrong with the graphic? He says the spine (i guess thats the line on top while bending the shaft down) points at or away from the target. Thats what the graphic also shows.

[@rcnatec64]

I am just coming across this video. Can you do this procedure clubheads on shafts?

[@user_1664]

No , nor grips if its irons .

[@timgagni5861]

how do you handle this with shafts with adapters like modern day woods? do you align the spine with the "neutral" setting of a shaft?

[@HirekoGolf1]

Tim, it is a catch 22. You need to first put the adapter in the position you think you need it in and then put in the shaft as outlined in the video. The good news is if you rotate the adapter 180 degrees or 90 degrees, then you still will have it aligned. The problem positions will be where the adapter is moved 45º or 135º either way

[@RJAH355]

Hi. I can ask. How can spineing the shaft make that much difference in modern shafts. Nearly every club maker these days make there woods with adapters with a lot more setting then 180 and 90 degrees. So why would they make that many setting if it made the club under preform and there for make the club worse. Surly they would give you 2 settings not 10. I can’t understand how it can make that much difference with it spine’d.

[@BourneAccident]

Adjustable clubs throw the spine identification right out the window. You have to commit to "guessing" or "knowing" when it comes to flexing from club to club.

[@roblowe9846]

Can't speak to other manufacturers, but the Callaway adjustments do keep the shaft in the same orientation. There are two cogs that you position differently but the shaft orientation and 12 o'clock remain the same.

[@EaglePutt90274]

@@roblowe9846 Can't all the OEM's adopt a COG system that doesn't move the shaft? Callaway for the win... I use Callaway Epic driver.

[@Godisnotjesus1967]

Can you explain my Dunlop irons shaft. It has on the sticker.....and FM 6.5. PRO MODEL DP 501

[@HirekoGolf1]

It was a heavy and pretty stiff shaft - slightly stiffer and about the same weight as Dynamic Gold S300. These were premium steel shafts as they were frequency calibrated.

[@tvs3497]

Maybe someday shafts will get so good that they won't need this step.

[@chrisrichardson5309]

does this work for steel shafts or is it just for graphite

[@HirekoGolf1]

This applies to any material shaft. In steel if you find the "spine", it is not the weld and some would think. Rather you are finding the residual bow of the shaft as no steel shaft is perfectly straight or concentric.