One of the easiest ways to change up the performance of your golf clubs is to replace the golf driver shaft. Of course, there are times when your driver shaft may break, but most replacements are because of a change in performance that golfers would like to see.
As a professional golfer, I have noticed that most golfers do not have enough knowledge about golf shafts to put the proper ones in their hands. I’ll go through the driver shaft replacement cost, how much you can expect to pay and whether or not you can
What is the replacement cost of the driver shaft? [Quick Answer]
The average replacement cost of a driver shaft is between $50 and $500 dollars. The total pricing will be greatly impacted depending on the type of shaft you purchase and the brand name.
In addition to the brand and the overall performance attributes of the golf shaft, it’s also important to consider who will be installing it. Some shafts come with an easy-to-install adapter, and you can make them work with almost any clubhead.
Others will need a bit of work from a qualified club-fitting professional. Most of the time, you will find that replacing a shaft on the driver will be considerably lower than purchasing a new driver. The real details in pricing totals will come down to why you need the replacement and what you are looking for.
Is it worth replacing a driver shaft?
The key to determining whether or not a driver shaft replacement is worth it is to look at the issues that may have you considering a shaft replacement. For some golfers, it is better just to get a new golf club; for others, it makes sense to replace the shaft and move forward. Here are some things to consider:
Broken Or Damaged Driver Shaft
Sometimes a golf driver shaft breaks. This is an unfortunate situation, but it can happen. Players report this issue when they hit behind the ball with a driver or sometimes if they travel and the golf driver is not properly protected.
Most times, a replacement driver shaft is a much better way to get your driver functioning again instead of having to completely replace it.
Change In Swing Speed
Learning how to generate more clubhead speed is really important for golfers. Changing swing speed is something that you have to work hard for. Gaining just a few mph in swing speed can take months.
However, once you earn that extra speed, you will want to use it on the golf course. The more speed you can get, the easier it is to hit the ball further. Choosing a golf shaft that accurately matches your swing speed is a must.
Accuracy Issues
If you stand on the tee box of every hole and continue to slice the golf ball repeatedly, chances are that it is not the right golf ball for your needs. Finding a golf club that is accurate and easy to use will certainly be a welcome change.
For many players, that may include changing the shaft in the driver. Most players find that going with a driver shaft that is slightly more flexible is the smartest way to increase accuracy and become a better player.
Ball Flight Problems (Ballooning of Golf Ball)
The ball flight of a driver should be piercing. This does not mean low, but it also doesn’t mean high. If you are hitting the golf ball too high, chances are you are losing distance.
With the ballooning of a golf ball, take a look at a heavier golf shaft, one that allows you to keep the ball just a little lower but still get plenty of long distance out of your shots. Don’t settle for less-than-perfect ball flight with all of the technology out there.
Decreased Performance Throughout The Round
Some golfers notice that as they reach the end of their round, they will start to slice the ball more or hook it a bit. Therefore, consider using a golf club that you can hit from the 1st to the 18th hole.
When you get to the 18th hole having a driver that you still feel confident with can really help you get to the next level in your game.
How Much Does it Cost to Replace a Driver Shaft?
The price to reshaft a golf driver is largely dependent on the shaft that you choose. Golfers need a graphite shaft in their driver, and graphite is more expensive than steel.
Replacement Cost Based On Shaft Flex
The main shaft flexes golfers can purchase are extra stiff, stiff, regular, senior, and ladies. We will take a look at some of the sample costs that you can expect based on the type of driver shaft flex that you are considering.
Ladies
Ladies’ golf shafts are really lightweight. The lightweight shafts allow for higher loft and better overall clubhead speed. For the most part, golf manufacturers do not put out their most premium shaft options in a ladies’ flex as there are not that many women interested in a $500 shaft upgrade.
In addition, many lady golfers are beginners. So there are times that you can get a very inexpensive golf shaft for a lady golfer. Expect to pay anywhere from $60 to $350 for ladies’ golf shaft replacements.
Senior
Senior golfers need similar technology to lady golfers. Senior players struggle to get the distance they need off the tee, so it makes sense to choose a golf driver shaft that is easy to swing and has higher launching.
Senior golf shaft replacement costs are around $60, and they can go as high as $500. For the $500 shaft, you have to have a big budget or have an interest in a different level of performance that you may need to be more benefiting from.
Regular
Regular flex shafts are considered the most popular standard shafts on the market. The regular flex is where you will see some of the best deals. Since these shafts are the most popular, there are companies that put out bargain versions of the regular flex shaft.
The bargain version will be close to $30-$50, and it works for those who maybe broke their golf club shaft and just needed to put something new in place.
Most high-end golf shafts will have regular shaft offerings, but they are typically less commonly sold than the stiff or extra stiff.
Stiff
Stiff shafted golf clubs are for the faster swing speed player. One thing you will notice with the stiffer golf shafts is that they tend to be marketed towards the better players. Lower handicap golfers often look for premium performance and control from a stiff shaft; the stiff-shafted golf club can ensure that this will happen.
Expect a good quality stiff shaft driver replacement to be around $300, and many of them cross over the $500 mark.
Extra Stiff
Extra stiff driver shafts have a small percentage of golfers that will be able to use them. However, among this percentage of players are the professionals. Since professionals demand specific performance from their golf shafts, you can expect them to be some of the more high-end golf shafts on the market.
An extra stiff golf shaft replacement can start at around $100, but it will increase to more than $600 quite quickly!
Replacement Cost By Brand
The brand of the golf shaft can also impact the overall price. Look for something like Graffaloy if you are trying to keep the price down. For golfers that want only the best materials on the market, you may look at something like the Aldila, Fujikura, Graphite Design, Mitsibushi, and others.
Cost To Reshaft
When we talked about the driver shaft costs, those did not include the actual shaft replacement. You will have to pay for this process, which can cost as much as $40 or $50 to have the driver shafted.
However, if you have an adjustable club head, you can sometimes purchase the adapter, and you will be able to replace the golf club shaft yourself. Club fitters do much less shaft replacement than they used to.
Through the years, golf manufacturers have made it considerably easier to put a new shaft in your golf driver; take advantage of this technology while you can.
Advantages of Replacing a Driver Shaft
Replacing a driver shaft can give you an entirely different performance on the golf course. Most golfers will tell you that how the golf ball responds off the clubface has more to do with the golf shaft than anything else.
Some of the advantages of replacing a driver shaft can include:
- More distance from the tee
- Lower dispersion rates
- Better spin rates
- More roll and total distance in the drives
- Easier control of the ball flight
If you have noticed some issues with your golf driver’s overall performance, a shaft replacement could benefit you greatly. To test out which golf driver shaft is the best for your needs, it’s best to use a personal golf launch monitor or head to a golf club fitting.
How to Replace a Driver Shaft? [Replacement Process]
Now that you know why a golf driver shaft needs to be replaced and the estimated costs, we will take a look at the process of replacing a golf driver shaft. If you have never worked on golf clubs before, you may find that this process is a bit more involved than you expected.
Step 1: See If You Have An Adjustable Driver
The great thing about changing shafts in a golf driver is that it has only gotten easier through the years. With adjustable golf shafts, you can simply pop off the old shaft and put a new one in. The only thing you need to worry about here is whether or not the adapter matches.
Adapters will tell you exactly which club heads they will work with, and they make the replacement process incredibly easy. With the drivers that do not have this adjustability or an easily removed golf shaft, move to the next step.
Step 2: Remove The Old Shaft
Most of the time to remove the old shaft, you must heat up the area around the clubhead where the shaft and clubhead attach. This extra heat will help the glue loosen up, and the clubhead will come off.
Make sure to put the club in a vice when you are doing this so that you can work with it a bit more easily. Make sure you are ready to catch the driver clubhead as it falls off the shaft; you won’t want this dropping on the floor.
Step 3: Prepare The Shaft and Clubhead
Take a look at the clubhead connection, where the shaft and head will work together. Make sure that there is nothing in the clubhead causing issues that could block the new shaft from fitting in.
Also, check the tip of the new shaft and make sure that it will work properly in the club head.
Step 4: Use Epoxy
Next, you will take epoxy and use it on the shaft’s tip before putting it in the driver’s clubhead. The epoxy is going to fill up the entire area where the club head and shaft meet so that they will stay properly connected.
Remember that we swing golf drivers at more than 100mph of speed at times, but to do this with confidence, you must make sure that the club is in place.
Step 5: Check It
Once you have pushed the new shaft in with the epoxy, take the club out of the vice and set it on the ground. Take a look at how the clubhead looks and whether or not it seems to be aligned correctly.
Wipe everything down to ensure that it is properly cleared up and that there is no excess glue. In addition, we recommend waiting at least 6 hours before you start swinging with the driver.
FAQ
Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about the cost of driver shaft replacement. For the most part, you can expect that this process is less than purchasing a new driver.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you now have an idea as to what to do when it comes to driver shaft replacement. The driver shaft replacement cost is relatively affordable. Of course, those looking for premium golf shafts may end up spending more than $300 on a replacement shaft. The key is to check the flex, kick point, and overall weight of the shaft to make sure it is the right fit for your needs as a player.
