Tips on .350 Golf Shaft Woods

The tip of a golf shaft is responsible for the kick point, or the point at which the shaft will snap forward during a golf swing. The ideal kick point should take place after the ball has been hit in order to produce the maximum amount of force. Widening the tip of a shaft will raise its kick point and lower the ball's trajectory. The average tip size for a wood is .335 inches, making a .350-inch tip slightly larger than average.

  1. Understanding the Kick Point

    • Shafts with a low kick point are easier to control and can add force and give a higher trajectory, but only at the sacrifice of workability. They are certainly advisable to novice or amateur golfers with a slower swing who need to focus more on consistent shots than they do working shots into fades or draws. More experienced golfers with a faster than average swing will need a higher kick point to add workability to a swing that already creates a medium to high trajectory. A ball's trajectory should not be too high or too low, so a shaft's kick point should be paired with the appropriate swing speed.

    Shaft Tips

    • The tip of the shaft is the edge fitted into the hosel of the club linking the shaft and head together. Average tips in woods are .335 inches in diameter, while the average shaft tips in irons are .375 inches in diameter. The reason for the increase in irons is that they are generally used to approach shots that need more accuracy than a wood, which is usually aimed at a much wider target, like a fairway.

    Other Benefits

    • Wider shaft tips can also reduce the twist in a club head caused by a miss-hit off the toe or heel. This can be a saving grace to golfers with a powerful swing, as the slightest off center hit can cause an overwhelming slice or hook. Many professional shafts are purposely fitted with either wider tipped shafts or shafts that are "tip stiff," which gain the same results as a wide shaft without actually widening the diameter.

    Other Shaft Specifications

    • The tip of a shaft is only one specification that should be considered when buying the appropriate shaft for your woods. Shaft flex is also contingent on a golfers swing speed, requiring golfers with the fastest swings to use stiffer (s or xs) flexes, while golfers with a slow speed will need a weaker flex such as regular (r) or amateur (a). Shaft type, such as steel or graphite, also have considerably differences for golfers. Graphite is lighter and more flexible adding distance, while steel offers more accuracy.