Shaft U – The Quick Answers

The purpose of MyGolfSpy University is to work with industry leaders to create a repository of information where golfers can engage with content, each other and industry veterans to increase, and to a degree standardize, a template of understanding around the world of golf shafts.

Several weeks ago, we laid the philosophical groundwork for MyGolfSpy University and introduced Shaft U – Powered by Fujikura as our first area of content.

Initial feedback confirmed our hypothesis in that there is both an honest desire to learn and a tremendous amount of perhaps well-intentioned but misguided information floating around in the ether of the internet.

We hope to bring clarity to both basic and complex questions, here’s just a taste of the kind of subjects we’ll be tackling in more detail.

If there are but so many bend profiles and all shafts are made with similar (in some cases the same) materials, aren’t shafts more alike than they are different?

Yes, the basic shape and construction of shafts lead many to such conclusions. However, EI profiles (graphic depiction of the overall bend profile of shaft) are like roadmaps showing someone how to get from point A to point B. There might be several options which, at first, appear virtually the same, but upon further inspection, there are subtle differences which can result in significant variations in performance.

Different roads have different speed limits, conditions, space/congestion, number of stoplights, etc. Shafts are often given generic labels such as mid-launch, low-spin which in the absence of contextual and comparative information, is like calling the short game of a tour pro average. It’s further complicated by metrics like CPM (cycles per minute) which are more consistent from OEM to OEM, but because it only indicates how stiff one section (butt) of the shaft is, it’s at best an incomplete answer to a much more complicated question.

Questions around shaft product invariably include questions like do humans have a comparative advantage over machines or is full-automation the next frontier?

Yes. Both…perhaps all of the above.

When it comes to taking sheets of pre-preg (carbon composite sheets which have been impregnated with a specific amount of resin/glue) the traditional methods of hand-rolling flags of composite material around steel mandrels and utilizing machines to do the work humans can’t, is the tried and true approach leveraged by the industry leaders. That said, other brands believe eliminating the human element altogether allows for tighter tolerances and ultimately better performance, though this approach places restrictions on scalability and without access to economies of scale, tends to be cost aversive.

Who exactly is good enough to warrant a serious shaft fitting?

It tends to be the thinking that more proficient golfers somehow are more worthy, but often the reality is that the industry creates barriers to entry which give fittings an exclusive (single-digit golfers only please!) aura. What if gyms only catered to people who were already in shape or mechanics only worked on cars which had never missed an oil change? It would seem a poor model which alienates a large chunk of the target audience. In fact, higher-handicap players can often benefit more from a professional fitting, but until we create platforms where all golfers can engage and benefit from this information, the vast majority are left on the outside looking in. By increasing access and leveling the educational playing field, all golfers (regardless of ability) stand to benefit.

We will explore all of these topics and then some, but with any conversation where there exist myriad opportunities to get into the weeds, it’s prudent to set a foundation and first establish relatively uniform reader capacity.

To that end, our launch point will be Shaft Materials 101, which you can expect shortly. With that, learning is inherently organic and though content delivery will be primarily incremental, expect additional opportunities to engage with MyGolfSpy/Fujikura staff throughout to take a deeper dive on any number of topics.

MyGolfSpy has a unique voice in the industry precisely because we value honesty over hype and we’re building this for you as a place where you can come to learn, ask challenging questions and walk away a more informed golfer.

As always, post comments, ask questions, and let us know what you think.