Shaft - Is It The Engine of the Club?

It has often been quoted that the shaft is the engine of a golf club. Before the advent of graphite shaft, steel shaft was the De facto shaft in golf clubs. Before they become shafts, they are just steel sheets coiled in a roll very much like the original piece of metal all rolled up before they were unrolled to cut and form into pieces to be what is your car. That is why I do not speed when driving having seen how it is done to produce a car just like the food you would refuse to eat if you saw how they were done in the kitchens. Graphite shafts are fibres held together by resins. They either use stronger and stiffer sheets or they wrap more layers to determine the weight and stiffness. They are finally sanded and painted for cosmetic effects.

What Shaft? Steel or Graphite?

There is a significant difference in weight between the two. Today's steel shaft can be as light as 90 grams and even down to 75g over the older shafts that can go up to 115-120 grams. The golf shaft has a big effect on the total weight of a club and the lighter a club is the faster your swing speed will become and in turn this churns out longer distance. It is commonly suggested that if you have a good swing speed you could play with steel shafts. Most golfers can comfortably use graphite shaft of about 60-75g compared to steel. Add to this, the club head and grip and if you could get 11 oz on graphite and 12.9 oz on steel, you could actually gain a distance as much as 10m using the lighter club. Graphite has become very popular because not only are they lighter and promotes faster swing speed but it is also more durable (but more expensive) and they could be measured with more exact stiffness in flex. Besides, they dampen and absorb vibration from your shots better than steel. Although graphite is lighter, you'll experience less control at high speed but in compensation gives you extra distance. Many strong and very good golfers still prefer steel as they already have high swing speed but they prefer accuracy which steel offers since they flex less. Shots from steel shafted clubs will feel more crisp and sharper while graphite gives a dampen and softer feel. If you are strong with a high swing speed, go for steel but if distance is a priority and you do not possess fast swing speed go for the graphite and you will also be less likely to suffer from elbow troubles.Shaft Flex

Shafts bend differently depending on its stiffness of flex. On the market, it is common to see categories as: X, S, R, A, L meaning X = Xtra Stiff, S = Stiff (or Firm), R = Regular, A = Senior and L = Ladies. "A" was originally assigned as "Amateurs" but later shifted to represent Senior (as in senior golfers). Some manufacturers offer the go-between like Regular Stiff which actually meant that it is fitted with a regular flex shaft but it has a stiffer tip to be less whippy. However, there is no industrial standard in golf shaft flex meaning that USA specification and Asian and/or Japanese specification are different. An example would be USA Regular flex is about the same as Japanese or Asian Stiff flex. Even among American manufacturers, Regular flex may be close in flex but they are not exactly the same and still differ in degree of the same Regular flex. Stiff flex offers more control but lower trajectory and reduced distance while those with more flex gives higher trajectory and distance but directionally less accurate.

Note: It is extremely important to pick the shaft with the right flex for your club as it totally affects the way you play or handle the club. The best way is to get fitted or for a good club-fitter that can help you find the right flex. Otherwise, you must know what you play and at least get tested for suitability. Very experienced golfers will know the feel. If you are ever in any doubt, go for the one that has more flex for no matter what, you will still handle the one with too much flex better than it when it is too stiff.

Why The Right Flex Is Important For Your Swing

If the shaft is too stiff for you, you will experience the following:

1) Find it difficult to launch the ball as it will fly lower and land shorter, 2) Feel is not as sweet even when you hit the sweet spot, 3) Ball tends to go right in a "fade" as you do not bend shaft to square on impact leaving it somewhat open.

The opposite of a shaft that is too flexible would see:

1) Ball flies very high no matter how you hit it, 2) Shots would draw frequently as shaft bends too quickly on impact to become a closed face (but this becomes helpful if you fade or worse, slice too often as it acts as a correction), 3) Shots will feel very solid as impact on the sweet spot on perfect timing.

An easy and quick guide would be to say that if you swing speed is less than 100 mph, settle for Regular flex. Most golfers fall into this category. If you are buying from a certain brand, ask for and test out the American specs Regular flex, the Japanese Stiff flex and Regular flex and find out which is best suited. Please do this only at an open range as you will need to see the shot especially how it ended.

Matching Shaft Flex

What flex do most golfers play? Haha, the answer is - the wrong ones! Jensen Button's girlfriend Jessica Machibata is half Argentinian and half Japanese while Louis Hamilton's girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger may be half PussyCat half Doll but when you look into the mirror, you could only see Tiger. The truth is we are really more pussycats than tigers, not even half tiger. Men always want the macho effect, they like to say they use stiff flex graphite or seen playing with steel shaft. Truly, most golfers are playing with shafts that are too stiff for their own good. Some 50% of golfers play with the wrong flex. Are you one of them? I hope not. Just remember that too much flex makes your shots spray all over the places while too little flex gives you shorter distance. The simplest way is to test them at the range for both regular and stiff and see which gives you the better overall results.

How do you match the right shaft to your swing? You have to firstly know your swing speed. Those below 100 mph (which is most of us) go for Regular. Those with even lower swing speed say about 80-85 mph ought to select lighter shafts of 50-55g while those who have 90-100 can do so with 60-65g shafts. Not only that, how is your swing tempo? Is it a smooth easy swing or an aggressive one? It also has to do with how you unhinge your cocked wrist. If you have a smooth easy swing, unhinge your cocked wrist in the middle of your transition to the ball, a regular flex will be suitable while those with aggressive swing, faster tempo and unhinge with a late release then a stronger flex is necessary.

What Is Bend point? Does It Affect Trajectory?

 

"Kick point" was an old term which today is known as "bend point". Bend point explains overall shaft stiffness that may vary in its entire length at a point where the shaft may bend to achieve a certain trajectory. By varying the thickness of the wall between the shaft, they can create a shaft having the same regular flex but allowing it to bend at a different point so that a regular flex shaft can have a tip with more flex or a stiffer tip thus achieving a different feel and trajectory. That's what bend point is all about.

What is Torque?

You have heard about torque in cars. So what is torque in golf shaft? Torque in golf basically refers to the shaft's resistance to twisting during a swing. Torque is measured in degrees and the lesser the torque the lower its resistance to being twisted in a swing and conversely, the higher the degree of torque the more resistance it has to being twisted in the downswing. Steel shafts are made with consistent torque throughout the shaft due to steel being used as the material so torque is of little relevance here but for graphite it is important to check for torque as they can make it to varying degrees.

That's why you see most pros using steel shaft for accuracy and because of their very fast swing speed. If you are regular Joe, just go for the one with higher resistance to twisting so that it is easier for your club to square at impact. What is your torque? Rather what is the real torque of your swing and what is the torque of your current clubs? Fortunately, the engineers and experts have made most clubs with torque of between 3.5 and 4.5 degrees as this is the most suitable range for many golfers. However, if you know how you swing and whether 3.5 or 4.5 is more suitable, this information enables you to make a a closer match and a decision which will not cost you extra bucks. For regular people, go for the those closer to 4.5 so that less twisting will help you get more hits on the sweet spot.

Shaft Trimming

Some golfers may buy their clubs with stock shafts and later finding it unsuitable, got the club shafts trimmed. Usually, they should trimmed their shaft shorter from the tip end (not the grip end) to shorten them and in case of drivers, it is easier to hit with a shorter club - always. Others do so to adjust to a more suitable swing weight. Read my other article on swing weight.

Is The Shaft The Engine Of The Club?

Yes and no. In all probability, the most important part of a club is the club head. A very good club head fitted to a poorer shaft will still enable you to hit straight or long but a an excellent shaft fitted a poor club head will make it difficult for you to play your game. That is why some fakes can play like the real thing even with poorer shafts but the head also made from steel feels quite the same. However, the shaft gives you a certain feel of how the club behaves overall and in the hands of better players, they can tell the difference on what is a suitable feel for them. The engine of the club is really "You" the golfer! Take good care of your engine, oil it well, give it good maintenance so that it can give performance each time, power on tap and extend its life span in the game. Truly, without the right shaft flex, your game will suffer.

Top Shaft Brands

Some of the most famous shaft brands are Aldila, Fujikura, Grafalloy, UST, Ozik and for steel shaft - True Temper, Nippon and FST. Of course manufacturers have their own stock shaft and among them the above brands can be their OEM or designed in partnership.

Fujikura

Fujikura is famous especially for their world-renowned Speeder and Rombax shafts. They were the number one wood shaft on the PGA Tour for eight years in a row. For some 30 years, they have been supplying the worldwide golf community with premium shafts and respected as a leader in design innovation and superior technology and also work with the biggest names in golf like Callaway, TaylorMade, Nike, Cleveland, Titleist and more. It was mentioned that the advent of the Speeder series shafts changed the golf shaft landscape.

Ozik Matrix

Based on proper matrix of power, feel, accuracy, spin and launch angle. Made from more than 20 types of high modulus carbon graphite plus other exotic materials. Ozik means "The Only One". It can be found shafted for TaylorMade's r7 Limited which I have spotted.

FST

Femco Steel Technology is the second largest steel golf shaft maker in the world designing sophisticated CNC machine tools and precision steel tubes.

ACCRA

More than 100 PGA Tour players and many other European Tour players rely on ACCRA. They have tested entire line of shafts that are perfectly dynamically matched with respect to torque, tip and flex when measured during a swing.

Aldila

Aldila is a top brand of shaft for drivers, woods and hybrids. It is hugely popular for both consumers and Tour players, manufacturers OEM stock shaft as well as replacement shaft. Darrell Survey showed that Aldila has more wood shafts and nearly two times as many hybrid shafts in play in 2009 PGA and Nationwide Tour through the US Open. They use a micro laminate technology to achieve performance and feel with greater consistency.

NV - The Aldila NV features Aldila's exclusive Micro Laminate Technology. This new technology offers enhanced performance and feel. Its consistent taper and slim profile produces a shaft with consistent performance, flex and feel from the butt-end to the tip and eliminates the dull, boardy feel. The NV is the leading shaft series on the PGA and Nationwide Tours.

NVS - features the same unmatched performance and feel of the original NV but has a higher launch and while the NV is a tip-stiff, low launch shaft, the Aldila NVS features a more responsive tip for those seeking a higher ball fight.

VS Proto - The newer VS Proto Series features Aldila's exclusive Next-Generation Micro Laminate Technology using Carbon Nano-Tubes, combined with Aldila's proprietary A65 Performance Resin System, utilizing Advanced Ultra High Moduus Graphite Fibers, all synthesized into Micro Laminate Technology for unparalleled performance and feel and is claimed to be the straightest, longest shaft Aldila has ever offered - with feel other shafts can't touch.

Gamer - consist of three unique shaft models, each designed to optimize launch angle and spin for woods, hybrids and irons and the performance demands for each of these unique club types Versatility is also another key design characteristic of the Aldila Gamer Series of shafts.

#1 shaft in the PGA Tour for more than 70 years.HQ in Memphis, TN they have a 100,000 sq ft facility in Suzhou. Their famous Dynamic Gold High flex Tour weight shaft is designed for skilled players for low penetrating ball flight for optimum control and accuracy. Acquired Grafalloy brand around 1999. In 2002, introduced the lightest steel shaft in the world - the TX-90 (at 90 g when most are about 110g). Acquired Royal Precision, Rifle and Project X brands in 2006.

Nippon

#1 steel shaft in Asia with 80% market share and no. 2 in USA with more than 100 Tour pros using Nippon shafts. Also a major maker of stock shaft for Bridgestone, Callaway, Cobra, Nickent, TaylorMade, Titleist and Tour Edge. NS Pro 750 is very light and yet has hard-hitting feel and power despite weighing just 75g, a range closer to lighter graphite shafts. They make the grip end stronger by wrapping four carbon filament sheets around the core.

UST

Proforce, IRod, V2 and AXIVCORE. Proforce is the flagship brand proven on PGA Tour and won the 1999 Masters. Proforce V2 is the 2nd generation blending weight, spin, launch, torque for better power-to-torque ration. Latest is the Axivcore for stability and power while the iRod is specially designed for hybrids.

Grafalloy

They manufacture state of the art Carbon Fibre shafts using nanotechnology - the Axis, Epic, Prolaunch and Prolite. Shaft consists of two elements _ fibre and resin. Fibre is the strength and resin is the glue holding the fibre together. Carbon nanotubes are combined with the resin to increase strength and alignment of the carbon fibre.

Get the right shaft!

True Temper