The cost of re-shafting your irons or hybrids depends on multiple factors, including labor, shafts, grips, and location. This post will explain each factor in more detail.
Below is a rough cost of the total price for re-shafting 7 irons, depending on if you want to do it for as cheap or as expensive as possible:
Cheapest Steel Reshafting – $245
Cheapest Graphite Reshafting – $385
Average Steel Reshafting – $490
Average Graphite Reshafting – $945
Most Expensive Steel Reshafting – $735
Most Expensive Graphite Reshafting – $1,505
These costs are just estimates to show you how much or how little this job could cost you.
In the rest of the post, you will find out how to drive costs up or down, when you should reshift your irons, where you can get it done, and if you’d be better off buying a new set of irons instead.
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What Are The Costs For Reshafting Irons
Labor Costs
Average – $20 – $35
High End – $40+
The price of labor will depend on multiple factors. Where you get them reshafted will affect this price.
A specialist club fitting studio will charge on the higher end of the scale, while the guy at your local driving range will be on the lower end.
Big retail stores will also tend to charge more since it’s not necessarily the business they want. They’re more focused on selling clubs, trolleys, shoes, and other accessories.
Where a small store will offer competitive prices as they want as much business as possible.
It is important to note that you will get better prices depending on how many clubs you want done. You could be charged $40 for one club, but you will be quoted $30 per club for an entire set.
Shafts
Steel Shaft – $10 – $40
Graphite Shaft – $30 – $150
The shafts will largely determine your budget, and their price range varies hugely. With labor costs or grip prices, the pricing stays about the same.
But when it comes to buying graphite shafts for a set of 7 irons, it could cost anywhere from $210 – $1,050.
Steel golf club shafts cost less and are the most popular choice of shaft by most golfers.
This is mainly because that’s what comes standard with most sets, but also because of the price difference.
Graphite shafts are best suited for golfers with slower swing speeds as the shafts are lighter and produce more distance than steel shafts.
But if you have the speed, sticking with steel shafts is fine and will save you a crap load of money.
You can also buy your shafts online to save some money. This option is best for experienced golfers who understand what shafts work best for them.
Grips
Golf Grips – $5 – $25
Grips should cost you the least, but going cheap isn’t always the best option in the long run.
The cheap grips you ordered online from Aliexpress for a quarter each sound great until they wear down after a few rounds.
Investing in a high-quality grip can make all the difference on the golf course.
Also, try to stick with established brands like Golf Pride, and you can’t go too far wrong.
Where Can You Get Your Irons Reshafted?
You won’t be short of locations locally to get your irons reshafted.
Each has its own advantages and disadvantages, so you need to pick whichever one suits you best.
Golf Courses
Your local golf course will probably offer this service, and it is hassle-free.
You head to the course, play a round of golf, drop in your irons, leave, come back next weekend, collect your golf clubs, and play another round of golf.
Also, you may get a better price if you’re a member.
Golf Stores/Pro Shops
Golf stores or pro shops have the advantage of modern technology and a larger range of stock for you to choose from.
Prices may be a little higher but which the extra technology like a golf simulator you can ensure that your new shafts are perfect for your swing.
The local golf course may have this same service, but it’s not as likely.
Driving Ranges
Driving ranges are another option, and from my experience, they tend to be the cheapest option.
So you can get yourself a good deal, obviously the only set back is the level of service you will receive.
I’m not saying it will be a bad service, but it won’t compare to the service in a nice golf club or store.
At Home
Doing it yourself is cost-effective if you have the tools and capabilities to do it.
Obviously, the cost-effective aspect of this goes out the window if you mess up.
The savings you make will depend on how many irons you’re re-shafting.
If it’s just one shaft, the savings will be minimal, and it may be better to pay a professional to ensure it will be done correctly.
Now, if you’re doing a full set of irons and wedges, the money you save could be worth taking on this task.
When Should You Reshaft Your Irons?
Shafts Are Damaged
The most obvious reason to get new shafts on your irons is if they are damaged in any way that may affect their performance.
Some things are easy to spot, like shafts that are bent out of shape. This will affect the performance of the iron if you can’t successfully bend it back into place.
And it’s easier said than done because what may look “good enough” to you can be the source of many future shanks.
Another easy one to diagnose and spot is if the shaft has snapped somehow, maybe it happened in the trunk of your car or by being wrapped around a tree, no judgement but it will need to be replaced.
Duck tape or super glue can’t save you this time.
Lastly, stress fractures or micro cracks could affect the club’s performance, leading to breaks or deeper cracks in the future.
These can be really hard to spot with the naked eye. A top tip from would be to get a soft wool cloth or jumper you don’t mind potentially ruining.
Slowly and gently drag the wooly item down and back up the shaft. The woolen fibres will get caught in any scratches or cracks in the club, and you’ll know it’s time to upgrade.
Swing Speed Has Increased Or Decreased Significantly
Let’s say you’ve been hitting the gym, working on your swing, or just swinging for the fences on every shot.
By doing any of the above, your swing speed will increase over time, which can cause some ball flight issues with your current shafts/irons.
Most golfers start with a regular flex as standard, but if you find that your ball flight is getting higher and sending the ball into orbit, you’re due for a shaft upgrade.
When this happens, it’s likely that the regular flex shaft isn’t stiff enough, and you need to get a stronger flex shaft for optimal performance.
Sadly, you won’t always gain speed; at some stage, you will begin to lose your speed.
When this happens, you may notice that your ball flight is staying much lower to the ground now, which is a sign your shaft is too stiff.
This means you need to get some weaker shafts for your irons.
The Current Shaft Length Is Not Working
So many golfers are playing with the incorrect shaft length, which can cause many problems.
Depending on your height, reach, and wrist-to-floor distance, you could be better suited to a slightly longer or shorter shaft.
Most golfers order a standard set of irons and assume everything will work out just fine.
I used to use standard-length irons until I got fitted properly and discovered that I got better results with irons half an inch shorter than regular.
If you feel like this is an issue for you go and get fitted or checkout the guide below to see if you need some new shafts:
Standard Golf Club Length Charts: What Size Should You Use?
How Often Should You Reshaft Your Irons?
The only times you should consider replacing your shafts are if they have clear damage (breaks or cracks) or if your swing has changed.
As mentioned earlier, if your swing has sped up or slowed down significantly, you should consider getting new shafts.
Shafts don’t need to be replaced as often (or at all) because they don’t wear down at the same rate club heads do.
This makes sense because clubheads smack into golf balls tens of thousands of times in their lifetime, but shafts don’t… well, hopefully, they don’t!
Would You Be Better Off Buying New Irons?
In terms of saving money, it would be better to reshaft golf clubs instead of buying a completely new set most of the time.
It all depends on how much the shafts you’re getting and the reason you want them re-shafted in the first place.
If you’re hitting the irons well and maintaining solid distances, it makes no sense to rock the boat.
New irons can take some getting used to. If you’re struggling to hit them, then getting new shafts isn’t guaranteed to improve performance.
In this situation, it would be worth visiting your local golf repair shop or golf store to compare the performance of your current irons to the latest models.