How to Spline a Graphite Shaft

Spline is a term in golf that is short for "spine align." It is a process of locating the spine of a shaft and aligning it the same way on all your clubs so as to theoretically give more consistency. The spine is the point at which the edges of a flattened sheet of graphite meet when being rolled into a shaft. It is thought to be best aligned with the back of the club, opposite the side of the club face, which can be right or left depending on whether you are left or right-handed.

Things You'll Need

  • Vice grip
  • Spline locating device
  • Silver marker
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Instructions

    • 1

      Clamp the shaft in the vice grips tight enough to hold it firmly in place but loose enough for the shaft to rotate or spin.

    • 2

      Place the butt of the shaft in the entry hole of the spine locating device which has the appearance of a big pencil sharpener.

    • 3

      Turn the device on and the shaft will begin to spin slowly. Once the device has located the spine it will stop spinning, leaving the spine at the top or at 12 o' clock if thinking of the shaft edge as a clock face.

    • 4

      Make a small mark with your silver marker and remove the shaft from the vice grips.

    • 5

      Attach the head of the club first with the face opposite the spine, then slide a new grip over the marked edge.