From time to time, you need to reshaft your driver, whether you’ve broken yours or it’s just getting old, and you’re losing swing speed. But prices can vary on getting a replacement.
So, what are the driver shaft replacement costs? Most people will pay $100 to $150 to replace their driver shaft. You’ll pay more if you want a premium driver shaft that costs between $200 and $500. Labor costs $10 to $35. You’ll need a new driver grip for $10 to $15.
Understanding the costs to replace your driver shaft could save you hundreds of dollars or even save you from investing in a new driver.
Read on to learn:
- The average driver replacement costs
- Factors that cause your costs to be higher
- When to replace your driver shaft
- Where to get your driver reshafted
- How to reshaft your driver
- Benefits of reshafting your driver
- Tips to reshaft your driver
Let’s dive in!
Average Driver Replacement Cost
Overview of the Average Cost Range for Driver Shaft Replacement
The average driver shaft replacement cost range will be anywhere from $25 to $400. Since drivers can cost a few hundred dollars, read on to see if it’s worth replacing your shaft or getting a new driver.
Itemized Costs To Replace Your Driver Shaft:
- Premium driver shafts: $200 – $500
- Budget-friendly driver shaft: $50 to $100
- Labor costs: $10 to $35
- New driver grip: $10 to $15
Comparison of Costs between Graphite and Steel Shafts
The graphite shafts tend to cost more than the steel. Graphite shafts, for example, cost an average of between $100 to $200 more than steel. The reason behind the extra cost is graphite’s production and material costs.
Your average steel shaft, in contrast, will cost you anywhere from $30 to $60, but this doesn’t look at the cost of the labor or the grip added to it.
Factors That May Cause Costs to Be Higher Than the Average
You have a couple of factors that may cause your reshafting of the driver to cost more than the average. Let’s take a look at the factors:
- High-quality materials
- Greater research and development
- Stronger brand name
- Graphite vs steel
Lower quality will drop the cost significantly, and you often get what you pay for in this market. Your goal, provided you have the money, shouldn’t be to get the lowest-cost driver shaft or the highest cost. Instead, you want one that will fit with your playing style and address your specific issues in golf.
Related article: How Much Does It Cost to Regrip Golf Clubs & When You Should Do It?
Factors That Affect Driver Shaft Replacement Cost
Material of the Shaft
The cost to replace a driver shaft for steel shafts will usually cost less than the graphite shaft, but you find fewer and fewer steel shafts being sold for re-shafting. You can buy them in other alloys, but steel and graphite are the most common choices.
Brand of the Club
Some brands aren’t necessarily better, but they have better brand recognition, so they can command higher prices because more people are willing to buy them. Pay attention to the brand and do your research before you choose to buy one.
Complexity of the Replacement Process
How complex your repair is will impact the cost of the replacement and how many golf clubs that you want to reshaft. The materials they use for the repairs will impact the cost, and better materials will cost more. For example, shaft replacement typically doesn’t take long, but the epoxy that they use on it will take up to 24 hours to dry. What else they use for your repairs will impact the cost.
Cost of Labor
How much it costs to replace the shaft for labor ranges from $15 to $25, averaging around $24 per club. How much it costs depends on who you visit because some shops charge up to $40 for labor.
Related article: How Much Does a Golf Driver Cost?
When to Replace a Driver Shaft
Signs That Indicate You Need To Replace Your Driver
Many golfers have a shaft that they should replace, and they don’t even realize it. You can tell when you need to replace a driver shaft, and it would improve your game when you see the following signs:
- Too much loft on the ball
- The club feels like dead weight
- Less distance from your shots
- Unwanted hook shots on the ball
- Poor control of the ball
- Less accurate shots
Whenever you notice those things with your driver shaft, you may want to think about a replacement, even if you don’t need to repair it.
Overview of How Often a Driver Shaft Should Be Replaced
You should only replace the golf driver shaft in two cases: One, they don’t fit your golf swing anymore, and they hinder your play on the course—replace them. The other case where you should replace your shaft is when you damaged it. Your clubs can suffer damage for any number of reasons that, include:
- Golf bag falling over
- Clubs arranged poorly in bag
- Too much or too little epoxy
- Tree roots and embedded rocks
- Rust
Explanation of How to Properly Maintain a Driver Shaft to Extend Its Lifetime
You can do some things to make your driver shaft last longer. Proper care and maintenance of your driver will also help the shaft do its best. Keep a close eye on the condition of your driver and check to see that you don’t do anything that would harm your driver. Check the shaft for nicks, dents, and cracks.
You also want to clean your driver shaft after every few rounds at the least to keep it in good condition. In fact, your shaft could last longer than the club head. Some have lasted for up to 20 years. This is because a shaft doesn’t have the same wear as a clubface. It doesn’t continue to make an impact with the ball like how the clubface does.
Related article: How Long Golf Clubs Last and When to Replace Them
Where to Get a Driver Shaft Replaced
Options for Where to Get a Replacement
Visit any pro golf shop or a golf store, and they can typically do the replacement for you. Some golfers choose to do this themselves, and it isn’t the hardest thing to replace the driver shaft yourself if you want to save on the cost of labor. You can buy the shaft online to have it sent to you to start the replacement.
Comparison of Costs between Replacement Options
Doing the replacement at a golf pro shop will cost you more than if you do it at a golf store. This is because they have the expertise, but going with a bigger store for something like this might make sense because it doesn’t require a lot of expertise. As we said before, you could even do it yourself to save on the cost of labor.
Some pro shops may cost less than others. It depends on who they serve in your area.
Factors to Consider When Choosing Where to Get a Replacement
First, you would think of the cost. How much are you willing to pay to get a replacement? Second, think of whether you want to support local or go with a big store that may have dozens of stores. Over 20 years ago, most golfers would buy their stuff at the pro golf shop, but today, retailers have chipped away at their market share.
Related article: Cost of Reshafting Irons
Guide on How to Reshaft Your Driver
Step #1: First, you need to get the right equipment. You will need a heat gun, protective gloves, epoxy gun, hyde knife, wire brush, safety glasses, and new shafts.
Step #2: You will remove the old driver shaft in the second step. You remove a steel shaft differently from a graphite shaft. First, you will put it in a vise to hold the shaft. Next, you will use heat and put it on the ferrule. You will use the hyde knife to remove it. Graphite shafts are more sensitive, so take care with it. You will follow the same steps as before, but you don’t twist the club head with this one. Bonded drivers differ a little as well.
Don’t twist it because the graphite shaft could get stuck in the hosel.
Step #3: Next, use a wire brush to prepare the clubhead. You use the wire brush to remove the old epoxy from the inside of the hosel. You do this cleaning while you have the hosel heated up. Once the hosel cools, you will use a towel to wipe down the hosel. Some people add an extra step of sanding down the epoxy glue for the best results.
(Optional Step): This step is optional because you only want to trim the shaft if it comes to you uncut. You need to cut it down to a proper length for those cases. Measure everything carefully here.
Step #4: Next, you will insert the new shaft onto the clubhead. Make sure that you made the shaft tip the proper size because this can vary. After you confirm your tip size, dip the tip into the epoxy. Cover it all the way.
Step #5: To ensure that you have a secure club, hold it against the floor and tap one end with your end. You must check to see that you put it into the hosel fully.
Step #6: Finally, you will wait for the shaft to cool down and set. It takes about 24 hours to ensure that you have a full setting with the epoxy. Taking it out too soon can ruin your hard work.
Take a look at the video below if you’d like a visual demonstration of how to replace a driver shaft:
Benefits of Reshafting a Driver
- Better Play on the Course: You will see a definite improvement in your swing with a reshafted driver. This is because your previous golf shaft wasn’t well suited to you. Many golfers report better accuracy, distance, and swing speed with a reshafted driver.
- Cheaper Than a New Driver: Reshafting your clubs should cost less than buying a new driver. You can save money on the replacement this way. Sometimes, they cost more than a new driver, but you should buy a new driver for those circumstances.
- Customize the Driver: You can use the reshafting of a driver as an opportunity to meet your specific needs. For example, what do you currently struggle with? Do you hit the ball too far with your drivers? You could buy a shaft that gives you a lower launch.
- Keeps You Performing at a High Level: When you reshaft your driver allows you to keep performing at a high level. For example, it lets you replace the grip to grab the club better for a stronger swing out on the course.
Top 3 Tips to Save Money When You Reshaft a Driver
- Reshaft It Yourself: Reshafting a driver requires little expertise, and you can save on the cost of labor. Typically, the cost for labor will range anywhere from $20 to $40, depending on where you take it.
- Buying an Uncut Shaft: Because of the extra step involved with an uncut shaft, they tend to cost less, so you can save extra money buying an uncut shaft.
- Check Multiple Places: When you buy the driver, check multiple places since the price also depends on where you buy. Some places will give you a better deal than others.
FAQs
Can You Reshaft an Adult Driver for a Child?
In general, you shouldn’t try to cut down a driver for a child because a stiff club will become even stiffer. It will make the club too stiff and heavy, hurting your child’s score. Instead, it’s better to buy a driver meant for a child.
How Long Should You Wait After Reshafting a Club?
You should wait at least 24 hours before you use the club because it takes time for the epoxy to dry. How long you wait depends on the type of epoxy. For example, Tour epoxy is said to be ready within 20 minutes, but you may want to wait at least 30 to 45 minutes before you use it.
How Long Should a Driver Shaft Last?
Golf shafts typically last the longest because they don’t see an impact on the golf ball. Depending on the brand and how well you take care of them, they can last up to 20 years, but this heavily depends on factors like good maintenance. You should always wipe your shaft clean after several sessions of play.
Conclusion
Hopefully, that answers the question of, “How much does it cost to reshaft a driver?” The driver shaft does matter because it will impact how the ball flight feels.
Your accuracy, distance, and ball speed depend on the shaft you use. You can tell that you have a bad shaft when the club’s swinging isn’t as good. You also have several factors that will impact the driver shaft replacement cost, and you need to decide if you want to replace the shaft or buy a new driver altogether.
It’s also important to do your research before you make a decision to buy a replacement shaft.
- Favorite club: Cobra Fly XL Set
- Favorite ball: Callaway Warbird Ball
- Favorite food at the turn: Nachos
