Average Cost to Reshaft a Driver — (Golf Instructor’s Advice)

Is your driver shaft starting to look a little worn? Could you use an upgrade? Perhaps you could benefit from having a new shaft fitted. 

As the head golf coach at Tell Me More Golf, with over 50 years of golf coaching experience, I’ve seen my fair share of driver re-shafts, and I’m here to share my thoughts on this subject. 

You don’t always need new golf clubs in your bag, maybe what you need is a simple re-shaft. That’s what we’re here to talk about so let’s get into it. 

Cost to Reshaft a Driver

How much does it cost to reshaft a driver? That’s a great question, to which the simple answer is not a lot!

Many golf outlets and pro shops offer a reshafting service. Such places can reshaft your driver in no time at all. They typically charge between $30-$40 for this service. Of course, you do have to buy a grip and a new shaft.

If you go down the cheap route, you’ll be looking at anywhere between an extra $20 to $80 dollars on top of the labor cost. 

If you want to get real expensive, then you could end up paying anywhere between $100 and $500 dollars on a new grip and shaft. 

The bottom line here is that driver reshafting can be quite cheap or it can be quite expensive, but it’s generally a lot cheaper than buying a new driver. 

Is It Worth Replacing A Driver Shaft?

The short answer is yes, it can be worth replacing a driver shaft. Why? Well, for starters, there may be absolutely nothing wrong with your driver, you may simply need a new shaft, so why fork out for an entire new club when you can fit a new shaft for a fraction of the cost? 

The most obvious answer here is that it is of course worth replacing a driver shaft if the job needs doing. For example, if your driver shaft is cracked or damaged, then replacing is a must, as playing with a defected driver shaft will do you no favors at all out on the course. 

For example, you may experience certain symptoms during your golf swing and when hitting a shot that suggest you need a different shaft. 

Stiffer Driver Shaft 

One reason to replace a driver shaft would be that you need a stiffer shaft. If your club feels too light, if it feels too whippy, or if you’re hooking too many shots and missing the fairway, you could very easily benefit from having a stiffer shaft fitted to your driver. A stiffer shaft can also help beginners who tend to hit the ball too high off the tee. 

Weaker Driver Shaft

Another reason to change your driver shaft would be that you require something less stiff. Moreover, you require a weaker or more flexible shaft. You may need to swap your current driver shaft for something more flexible if you’re consistently driving the ball too low off the tee.

A noticeable lack of height and very low launch are common symptoms of a driver shaft that is too stiff for you. 

Materials

When it comes to driver shaft materials, there are generally only two options. Golf club shafts generally come in either graphite or steel. 

Graphite 

Nowadays, pretty much every golf driver in production comes equipped with a graphite shaft. One of the reasons for this is that graphite is lighter than steel, which promotes both greater swing speed and clubhead speed, which can help players to hit the ball further. 

There are many types of graphite shafts, and they come in varying lengths and flexes to suit a variety of golfing needs. 

Steel 

Steel is what is most typically used for iron shafts. However, steel driver shafts can be found, though they are typically more of a customizable thing.

The student instead had a preference for extra stiff shafts, so they had their PING driver fitted with a stiffer steel shaft, replacing the original graphite shaft. 

Pros and Cons Of Reshafting a Driver

As with anything in golf, or indeed anything in life, there are pros and cons to reshafting a driver, and these are as follows:

Pros 

One of the primary pros to reshafting your driver is that it’s far less costly than purchasing a new club. Secondly, reshafting allows you the correct level of customisation, in that you can select the shaft with the level of stiffness that suits your game. 

Even if you pay for a fitter to do it, assuming you select a relatively standard level of grip and shaft, it won’t cost too much. Meanwhile, if you can do it yourself, it’s even cheaper. 

You can reshaft your own driver with minimal tools and only little guidance, which can not only be productive but really fun. 

Cons

There aren’t many cons to reshafting a driver, other than the fact that if you don’t need to, then it’s both a waste of time and money. Reshafting a driver isn’t anywhere near as expensive as buying a new one, but it isn’t free, so you should only really reshaft when absolutely necessary. There are better ways to spend money on golf than reaching into your pockets for a driver reshaft that is not required. 

Should I Reshaft My Driver Or Buy A New Driver?

Before you decide whether to reshaft or buy a new driver altogether, you should ask yourself a simple question. That question is which option is going to do more for you? 

If you’re looking for minor tweaks, those that can come from either a stiffer or more flexible shaft, then reshafting is probably the way to go. However, if your driver has seen better days all round, the clubhead doesn’t look too good, it’s now quite old and you’re just not really getting along with it, then opting for a newer model is perhaps the optimum choice. 

At the end of the day, there are positives to both reshafting and buying a new driver, it’s just about finding the right option for you. One piece of advice would be to seek the opinion of a professional. If you already have a golf coach, then ask for their opinion. If they feel that a new driver would benefit you, then that’s the way to go, though if they feel that a reshaft is all you need, then that would be the best option. 

TellMeMoreGolf.com – Frequently Asked Questions

How much does it cost to replace a driver shaft?

It is perhaps cheaper to reshaft a driver than you may imagine. It will cost on average around $30 to have your driver reshafted, plus the cost of the grip and shaft. A typical cost if you take the run-of-the-mill route for both grip and shaft will be $100 all in. 

Can I replace the shaft on my driver?

Yes, you can totally replace the shaft on your driver. You can even do it yourself, as long as you know what you’re doing. Alternatively, you can pay to have your driver reshafted professionally. Many golf stores and pro shops offer such a service. 

Are expensive driver shafts worth it?

It depends who you ask. Some people swear by the most expensive golf shafts, while others will say that they’re a waste of money. 

An expensive driver shaft may result in a tad more spin, plus slightly higher ball flight, which may add a few extra yards of distance, but all in all, any differences are likely to be minimal. 

Mid-range driver shafts are perfectly usable and will do just as good a job for an amateur golfer as an expensive one would. 

How do I know if my driver shaft is bad or old?

You can usually tell just by looking. If your driver shaft looks fine, then it probably is. However, if it’s starting to look worn or ragged, then you may want to consider switching it out for a new one.

Patrick Corley

From a golf scholarship to a Southern California University, to a private golf coaching career and an instructor position at a nonprofit organization, I’m here to help you get better at golf! With my 50+ years of golf experience; I bring you Tell Me More Golf. A golf coaching website that helps your game with instructional golfing content that’s ultimately geared toward making you a better golfer and having more fun!

Our golf instructor team brings it all to you, so enjoy!

• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Youtube