How to Install a Pured Golf Shaft

Getting your new SST PURED shaft installed correctly is the final step to unlocking its full performance benefits, and it's a process you can absolutely handle yourself. This process is about merging modern precision technology with solid club building fundamentals. This article will guide you through every step, from preparing your clubhead and shaft to perfectly aligning the PUREd orientation and finishing the job with a new grip.

What Exactly is Shaft PUREing and Why Bother?

Before grabbing the epoxy, it’s helpful to understand what you're actually installing. Many golfers have heard the term, but few know what it really means for their game. At its core, the process addresses a simple manufacturing reality: no golf shaft is perfectly symmetrical.

Understanding Shaft Asymmetries

Imagine a graphite shaft as a highly engineered a tube made of layered carbon fiber sheets. Despite incredible advances in manufacturing, tiny inconsistencies are unavoidable. These can result in variations in stiffness and roundness along the shaft's length. This creates what club builders often call a "spine" - a plane along which the shaft prefers to bend. If this spine isn't oriented properly during play, the shaft can twist and deflect unpredictably during the powerful forces of the downswing and impact. This inconsistent behavior can lead to inconsistent results, even when you put a good swing on the ball.

How SST PUREing Works

SST (Shaft Stabilization Technologies) takes the concept of spine alignment to a much more advanced level. Instead of just locating a single spine, the PUREing process uses a proprietary machine to analyze the shaft's stability in 360 degrees of orientation. The shaft is put under load and its vibrations are measured to find its most stable bending plane - the orientation where it flexes most consistently with the least amount of twisting or oscillation. This "PUREd" orientation is then marked on the shaft, usually with a small, distinctive white logo or sticker on the butt end.

The On-Course Performance Benefit

When a PURED shaft is installed correctly, it presents its most stable orientation to the golf ball at impact, swing after swing. In practical terms, this reduces off-axis twisting and promotes a more consistent delivery of the clubhead to the ball. For the golfer, the result is a noticeable improvement in feel and consistency. Shots tend to launch more predictably, and dispersion patterns tighten up, meaning your good shots are closer to the target and your misses are less severe. You get the full, designed performance from your shaft on every swing.

Gathering Your Tools and Supplies

Good club building starts with having the right equipment on your workbench. Rushing the job or using improper tools can lead to a weak bond or a misaligned shaft, negating the benefit of the process. Before you start, gather the following:

Essential Tools:

• Bench Vise with Shaft Clamp: A rubber-padded shaft clamp is a must to hold the shaft securely without damaging the graphite.
• Heat Gun: For removing an old shaft from a clubhead.
• Shaft Puller: While not totally necessary if the head comes off easily, it’s the safest way to remove a stubborn clubhead without damaging it or the adapter.
• Hook Blade Utility Knife: For safely removing the old grip.
• Wire Brush or Drill Bit: Sized to fit the hosel for cleaning out old epoxy.
• Shaft Abrading Belt or Sandpaper: 80-grit is a good starting point for prepping the shaft tip.

Required Supplies:

• Your new PURED Golf Shaft
• The Clubhead
• Ferrule (make sure it's the correct diameter for your shaft tip)
• High-Quality Two-Part Golf Shafting Epoxy
• Grip Tape and Grip Solvent
• A New Golf Grip
• Acetone or Isopropyl Alcohol for cleaning

Safety note: Always work in a well-ventilated area, especially when using a heat gun, solvents, and epoxy. Wearing safety glasses is always a smart idea.

The Step-by-Step PURE Shaft Installation Guide

With your tools and supplies gathered, it's time to build. Follow these steps carefully, paying special attention to the alignment instructions, and you'll have a perfectly installed PUREd shaft ready for the course.

Step 1: Prep the Club Head

If you're starting with a component head, you can skip this part. If you’re re-shafting an existing club, you first need to remove the old shaft.

1. Secure the club in the vise using the shaft clamp. Use your hook blade to slice the old grip off, cutting away from your body.
2. Use your heat gun to gently and evenly warm the hosel of the clubhead. Rotate the head or the gun to avoid concentrating heat in one spot, which can damage the paint. After about 30-60 seconds, the epoxy bond will soften.
3. Attach your shaft puller and gently apply pressure to 'push' the clubhead off the shaft. If you don’t have a puller, you can try twisting and pulling the head off by hand while wearing a heat-resistant glove, but be very careful.
4. Once the head is off, you need to clean the hosel completely. Use a wire brush or an appropriately sized drill bit to remove every trace of old epoxy from the inside walls of the hosel. A clean surface is fundamental for a strong bond. Finish by wiping the inside with a cloth and some acetone.

Step 2: Dry Fit and Find Your Alignment

This is the single most important step in the entire process. Getting this alignment right is the whole point of using a PURED shaft. Take your time here.

• Your PUREd shaft will have the small SST PURE logo near the butt end. This is your True North.
• For a standard, non-adjustable hosel (like on an iron or fairway wood), the correct installation aligns this SST PURE logo pointing directly up at the sky (or toward the target) when the club is sitting in the address position.
• For drivers and other clubs with an adjustable hosel, you should install the shaft in the adapter's "standard" or "neutral" setting first. In this setting, the PURE logo should, again, be aligned pointing up toward the target.
• Once you've found this orientation, use a small marker or a piece of tape on the very end of the butt to indicate where "up" is. This mark will be your reference when you install the grip later.

Step 3: Prepare the Shaft Tip

Epoxy needs a coarse surface to form a mechanical bond. A smooth graphite tip won't hold properly.

1. Insert the shaftinto the clubhead without any epoxy to see how far it goes in. This is called the "insertion depth." Mark this on the shaft with a piece of tape.
2. Remove the shaft and use your sandpaper or abrading tool to scuff up the shaft tip, from the very end up to about a quarter-inch below your tape mark. You want a dull, chalky appearance.
3. Wipe the abraded area thoroughly with acetone or alcohol to remove all the graphite dust. Don't touch this area with your bare hands from this point forward, as skin oils can weaken the bond.

Step 4: Mix and Apply the Epoxy

Follow the manufacturer's instructions for your specific epoxy, as curing times can vary.

1. Squeeze out equal parts of the resin and hardener onto a disposable surface (a piece of cardboard works well).
2. Mix them together thoroughly for at least 60 seconds until you have a uniform color. Improperly mixed epoxy is the #1 cause of head failures.
3. Use a mixing stick to apply a thin, even coat of epoxy over the entire abraded surface of the shaft tip. It’s also a good practice to apply a small amount to the inside walls of the hosel.

Step 5: Set the Shaft and Cure

First, slide your ferrule onto the shaft. Add a tiny dab of epoxy to the shaft tip before sliding the ferrule on, this helps prevent the ferrule from creeping up over time.

1. Gently insert the epoxied shaft tip into the hosel.
2. As you push it in, rotate it about a quarter turn back and forth. This ensures the epoxy spreads evenly throughout the joint for a solid connection.
3. Once the shaft is fully inserted, carefully align it so that your SST PURE logo is pointing up, just as you determined in the dry-fit step. Let the club sit upright, resting on the butt end, while it cures.
4. Use a cloth with a bit of alcohol to wipe away any excess epoxy that has squeezed out around the ferrule joint for a clean, professional finish.
5. Let the epoxy cure for the full recommended time, typically 18-24 hours. Don't be tempted to rush this.

Step 6: Gripping Your PURED Shaft

With the epoxy fully cured, the final step is to install the grip while respecting the PUREd alignment.

This is where your little reference mark on the butt end comes in handy. When you apply your grip tape and slide on the new grip, make sure to align the grip's logo (or the reminder marks, if using a ribbed grip) with that mark. This ensures the grip is rotationally aligned with the shaft's PUREd orientation, translating that stability and feel directly into your hands.

Final Thoughts

Installing a SST Pured shaft is a precise but manageable task for any golfer willing to invest a little time in their equipment. While it involves several small steps, the most vital action is the perfect alignment of the PURE logo. Get that right, and you've successfully transferred all the technological benefits of the stabilized shaft directly into your club.

Bringing this level of precision from the workshop to the first tee is where the real fun begins. Sometimes a subtle change in equipment can lead to big questions on the course about strategy or technique. If you find yourself wondering how to flight your newly consistent irons or need a gut-check on a difficult shot with your new driver, we built Caddie AI to provide those answers instantly. It acts as your 24/7 golf advisor, offering clear, personalized advice to connect your gear with your game, so you can play smarter and with more confidence.