.....I thought I would pose a question,

Have many of you spine aligned your driver/ 3 wood?  Did you notice any difference.....would you recommend it?

I'd be interested to know......I'm guessing that the lower quality (standard oem stuff) could benifit from this more than the high end shafts.......as maybe the high end stuff is more consistant through better manufacturing

All shafts (except the REALLY top end stuff) has a spine in it.  The aligment of this spine can significantly change the flex of the shaft, in some cases enough to move a flex between regular and stiff.  All the serious players (including the long drivers) ensure their shafts are aligned.  The same is the case for steel shafts. 

No shaft is perfectly round or consistent across the cross section.  Composite shafts are made from layers of material and a liquid that before being cured (cooked) has a thick treacle like consistency.  This liquid can be either impregnated into the material during it's manufacture or added as part of the shaft manufacture process.  When the shaft has been built, it is placed into an oven for a set period of time, curing the liquid and causing it to set hard.  Until that liquid sets hard, it behaves like all liquids and starts to run to the lowest point and as the shafts are cured on their side, this results in a spine along the length of the shaft.

To help explain how it makes a difference, take a plastic ruler.  Place it flat on a desk with one end overhanging and hold down the end that is on the desk.  press down and release the free end like you did at school (bet the noise brings back memories!).  Now repeat the exercise, still pressing down, but with the ruler on it's edge.  You will find it hardly moves.  This is the same principle (albeit more extreme) as with  aligning a shaft. 

I've seen plenty of those osillation tests that show how a badly alinged can act if twanged......how does this actually translate to a swing, we dont 'twang' the golf shaft during a swing do we?? We load it and release it once.

I can totally seen how an aligned shaft would be better than one that is not......but I'd be interested to hear if made a noticeable difference to the average golfer.

Is it worth the £20 getting it done?

Ta

Look at this way.  You try a driver out on the range and it's sweet as a nut.  Shots are going long and straight.  You decide to buy one and they give you a shiny new one, still wrapped in it's cellophane.  However, despite being the same flex shaft, neither are spine aligned.  How do you know whether the regular you tried out on the range is the same as the regular you have just bought?

Explanatory MPEG:

http://www.clubmakerschoice.com/page1.html

Many shafts are now spined by the manufacturer and they arrive at my workshop with the shaft logo placed top centre, or rather they should do.

Often the spining has not been done accurately, and even when it has dominant neutral is often placed in the reverse position to which I build to. Such then places the logo at the shaft's bottom centre. 

I consider Aerotech to be the leading spineless shafts:

http://www.aerotechgolfshafts.com/

P.S.

Lewis,

£20. for spining?!  Bring your unfitted shafts round to me. I'll do them all for free, and throw in a free cup of coffee! 

Sanders,

Lovely offer indeed....the reason I think it is £20 to do just my driver is because it is currently already installed in a head.

As Mr Perry points out....my driver seems far more difficult to get going where I want it to compared to a guy at my club who has the same model.

I'm half thinking of buying a shaft puller and spine finder and doing all my clubs.....I may even take a goldsmith course first.

sanders, where are you and do you have tea? oh, and if there's a hobnob going spare then that'll be lovely

Alan,

33 Alledge Drive, Woodford, KETTERING, Northamptonshire NN14 4JQ.

My wife has more than a dozen varieties of tea, which I do not indulge in myself but you are most welcome to.

I do not know what a hobnob is. Is it an informal gathering/ chat?

I have organic vegan food! It's far better than most carnivores imagine. I have not seen lettuce for months!