In the world of golf equipment, a large portion of the attention goes to the new drivers, the giant clubheads, the funky putters that promise to shave strokes off your game. But over the last 20 years, as steel gave way to graphite and other strong, yet flexible materials, the shaft has changed and gained more respect. It's no longer just a piece of metal that connects the clubhead and grip.
"Going from steel to graphite allows golfers to hit it further because graphite shafts can be played at longer lengths without getting too heavy, and thus the player can swing the club faster to achieve increased ball velocity for greater distance," said Randy Stuart of United Shaft Technologies. "But be cautioned, shafts can get too long and actually reduce clubhead speed. So there is a balance."
Advances in shaft materials also allow shaft manufacturers to produce shafts that have lower torque -- less twisting -- for more accurate shots. And, the ability to manipulate these materials makes it even more important for the average golfer to find a shaft that works best for his or her ball flight and feel. As a result, the shaft has been getting more attention, to the point where club manufacturers give it high billing as an important game-improving feature.
"With USGA limitations on head designs, shafts are the new technology buzz in golf," Stuart said. "High performance golf shafts are becoming a popular topic of conversation around the golf shops, online forum threads and trade press. Thus, more golf consumers are becoming acutely aware of how important the shafts are to the overall performance of a golf club."
And all this talk about shafts is having an impact in how companies market their clubs.
"Many players believe that the shaft is at least as important as the clubhead," said Tom Olsavsky, director of product creation for TaylorMade Golf. "The challenge of producing distance and accuracy in drivers requires optimization of the head, shaft and the combination of those components into the full club."
You may have noticed TaylorMade's commercial for the r7 425 driver, where "shaft technology" is an important selling point. Once in the not-so-distant past, the shaft simply was not highlighted in the marketing for a club. Now it takes a prominent place as club companies focus attention on how the shafts they use will increase distance and accuracy.
"The new TaylorMade shafts are called REAX and contain technology to limit the shaft from ovaling out of round during the swing," Olsavsky said. "Ovaling occurs when the shaft is bent an high stress levels. A high strength woven graphite weave is used in the shaft to reduce the ovaling. This provides more consistency and better feel without making the shaft too stiff in flex."
But what golfers learn about the shaft may still be overshadowed by the belief that a stiffer shaft equals more distance. For the grip-it-and-rip-it crowd, an XS marking on the shaft may be more important than a correct fit. The wrong shaft flex creates a need for swing adjustments that compensate for the ill-fitting equipment, which impact accuracy and could be costing heavy hitters strokes overall.
"In a golf swing a shaft loads and unloads during the back swing and the down swing," said Todd Cassidy, vice president of AccuFLEX Golf. "When shafts are not properly fit, they may unload or begin to kick at the wrong time, causing the timing of impact to be off. If a shaft unloads too early or does not hardly unload at all, it can cause less than desirable shots. It is crucial to find the right flex for your individual swing profile as to provide consistency and allow the golfer to more easily make center contact with the face of the club."
Some manufacturers have eliminated flex measurements all together, using shaft weight as a differentiator instead. For example, UST's Proforce V2 shaft ranges from 55 to 95 grams, giving golfers more choices. Generally, a slower swing would require a lighter weight shaft, and incrementally weighted shafts give a golfer more customization than a flex weight designation does.
As shaft manufacturers invest more in research and testing of new materials as well as the improved marketing of their products, more and more offerings are available. So how do you compare shafts to find one that works best for you?
"Unfortunately, there are no real standards in the golf shaft industry," Cassidy says. "Golf shaft companies have their own way of designing, profiling and manufacturing shafts for the different types of golf swings out there.... I feel consumers should seek the advice of trained professionals when it comes to applying the technical aspects of golf shafts to fitting golf swings, ultimately."
Finding the right shaft might not be easy, but the search is worth the effort. A proper fitting shaft increases distance and accuracy, and the wide range of options actually makes this easier to achieve. The shaft has come a long way from the one-size-fits-most steel rod - it has come of age.
