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{VIDEO} – Does the Shaft Matter

BY MyGolfSpy
Jun 4th 2018
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There are hundreds if not thousands of videos on YouTube right now about the golf shaft. Yet, people are still asking the same question, “DOES THE SHAFT MATTER?”. The fact so many are still asking that question tells me the videos have not done the best job at answering the question they set out to answer. Which tells me maybe another style video might help. A simple one.

The golf shaft is perhaps the most misunderstood piece of equipment in golf, and that confusion has led to plenty of debate.

So, does the shaft actually matter? In this video, Adam gives his opinion in a short and sweet way that’s easy to wrap your head around.

Want More?

Another video is in the works that will provide a real-world example of how finding a shaft that better fits your swing can have a significant impact on how your club performs.

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MyGolfSpy

Driver Ping G30	Hybrids PXG 0317
3/4 IRON PXG 0311XF	5-GW Srixon Z 565
SW PXG 0317	LW PXG 0311
Putter EVNROLL

MyGolfSpy

comments

Join The Discussion

Caroline

6 years ago

Bernie Adams wrote a good article on GolfWRX a few years ago…the one thing I liked was he talked about OEM’s and the so called cheap shafts they put in retail clubs….something along this line, do you really think an OEM after spending maybe a hundred thousand dollars coming up with a head design would put a shaft in that head that would not perform? It is never the cost but how it works…the head hits the ball the shaft is just a link between the hands and the golf head, once you get the weight and flex right it could be a $10 shaft and still be the right one.

leftgolfer

6 years ago

This shaft thing while promoted widely by some groups is poo pooed by others like me. Being lefthanded I don’t have the fitting available to me that the righties do so trial and error and a lot of money finally helped me decide what is best for me. I’m 61, play to a 2 and have found most of what the manufacturers put out stock suits me just fine. My biggest dilemma is (S) or (R) and yes, it depends on the model of the shaft and not so much what head it is in. I have found if someone swings right at or less than 100mph on the driver exotic shafts make absolutely no difference and stock shafts would suit most everyone the best. I have DI, Tensei, Diamanas, Matrix White and Red boards, Aldila’s, in my garage and the total value of those shafts is well over $3000 and they are all sitting in a bag unused because the stock shaft worked best for me. The only aftermarket shaft that suits me and I play them are the PIng tour shafts in my new G400 LST I recently demoed and got based on MGS results. It replaced the Srixon 565 based on MGS results which IMHO, work for the majority of golfers. I hate to say this but anyone who spends $400 for a golf shaft is just wasting their money not unless they exhibit “extreme” swing speeds over 110mph in most cases.

The Golf Paradigm

6 years ago

MGS, Curious to know if you have done any testing on the Fine One shaft? To the best of our knowledge it is still the only stepped graphite shaft in the world and was being used by a fair number of LD guys. Tolerances are the tightest we’ve seen and LD guys were getting double digit increases in accuracy and almost double digit average increases in distance. We have found that the general public has seen similar results in our fittings and have worked with the developers on the flex conversion; the playability difference in flex (by frequency) between table rolled, filament wound and stepped graphite, since a driver shaft of 45” and a frequency of 295 does not have the same playability factor across all three types of shafts. If you haven’t tested them it may worth the effort to do so.

Isaac

6 years ago

This debate reminds me of when manufacturers stop making their initial run of irons and woods and then do a “dumbed down” version to hit a lower retail price and often the first piece of technology to go is the shaft. I always tell my friends who are enticed to buy name brand clubs at those lower prices that I’m not sure the performance is there from what you’ve heard/seen. For instance, Rocketballz/Rocketbladez irons and woods were all the rage back in their hayday when they launched. They’re still being produced but at much lower prices. I would love to see MGS do a performance test on these new models vs the originals. Same goes for Callaway X Hot irons vs X Hot “N14”.

Steve

6 years ago

I enjoy the “debate” on this and welcomed the exchange between Tom Wishon and MGS editor. With many golfers, like me, aging up to our 60s and considering for the first time ever, graphite shafts in irons, a more detailed description of what to look for and what to avoid in going to “the dark side” for irons and wedges would be welcomed. Graphite shafts in woods and hybrids are the norm — but they aren’t by any means for irons. Some do’s and don’ts for that transition would be great. Thanks, guys.

MyGolfSpy

6 years ago

I think offering some tips on that topic would be a great idea Steve. Thanks!

Regis

6 years ago

Just my opinion having crossed this threshold. If your used to steel shafts and especially if you prefer forged irons check out lightweight steel. I went to graphite and even high end graphite and was never happy. Nippon has some lightweight (My recollection is @ 75 gms) that I put in two sets of irons. Another concern is that if you go graphite you might be forced into a GI or SGI iron which may or may not be your preference

Pete Popovich

6 years ago

The biggest reason golfers don’t like graphite in their irons is graphite doesn’t perform as well in irons. As a material graphite takes longer to load than steel, so if it’s a 1/2 or 3/4 swing the shaft never loads in coordination with the shorter swing and thus the strike isn’t as good as it should have been. For a long time shafts were to heavy; 125g+ range, and people are finding out lighter weight steel actually works better.

Jason

6 years ago

I don’t know about all of the science, but I definitely know the shaft matters. When investing in some irons a few years ago I spent several lunchtimes at a local range swinging a bunch of 6 irons all with different shafts, arranging them by how they felt and how they flew. Imagine my surprise when my current irons that I thought were so good ended up near the bottom of the pile. I found a set of irons with the shaft that I liked from that informal test and over the next couple of months proceeded to drop 6 strokes of my 20 handicap. I am not a great golfer but a passionate one and to start shooting scores in the 80’s consistently….well don’t tell me the shaft doesn’t matter. I was one of those “I’m not good enough to get fit” folks. I now wish I had gotten fit years sooner. All those years of trying to make my swing fit clubs that were never going to send the ball where I wanted anyway instead of having clubs that fit my swing. Yes the shaft matters!

Boyo

6 years ago

I took the bait.
The shaft matters.

MB

6 years ago

So it is clear that a different golf shaft may or may not have an impact on where the ball goes or how far it goes. But one thing is clear when guys have made a choice to buy an expensive shaft then it is definitely longer and straighter!!

The one serious question that needs addressing is are the majority of shafts for drivers getting longer for us amateurs, 451/2 inches and even 46 inches, yet the tour pros have shafts more than an inch shorter. The reason is obvious more consistent ball striking and fewer wayward shots yet we amateurs have it thrust down our throats that distance is king. It would be interesting to see Mygolfspy do a test of different length driver shafts where all shots are included.

The beans

6 years ago

I’ve had approx 6 driver fittings with different people over the years, some of whom are very well respected. With 6 different drivers each with stock shafts brought online with no fitting.

Nobody has ever been able to better any of these drivers.

I play off 5 so fairly consistent.

I think that says it all.

Steve Chandler

6 years ago

I’m a 1 hdcp golfer and was a +2 at my lowest. It’s my opinion over the years the golf shaft is more important than the head. I’ve always been a great ball striker and could of made a run at golfing if I was a better putter. Point being, I strike the ball consistenly in the middle of the clubhead. Here are my last 3 iron shafts, heads, and carry distances over the last several years. Maby this will help someone.

7iron Diablo Forged Project X 6.5 172
7iron CF16 Forged DG AMT Tour Issue S400 170
7iron CF16 Forged PX LZ105 6.0 180

So as you can see the difference in weight and flex added 8-10 yards for me. My ball flight with both PX shafts is significantly higher than with the DG AMT. Control was best with the DG AMT but it felt like work swinging them. For me the lighter shaft has provided an element of feel bc it makes the head feel heavier. I like this bc it helps me time my release better.
My advice is find the head you like look and feel wise and have them throw a bunch of different shafts in it until you find the feel and weight that feels easiest to repeat your swing with.

Ryebread

6 years ago

Tom’s forgotten more than I will ever know on the topic, but my opinion is that the shaft matters to an extent, but more within ranges. For the average player’s driver shaft:
1) Get the length right so you can hit the center of the head.

2) Get the weight right — light enough to swing quickly but heavy enough to control. Understand what grip is going on the end of it because that can change the weight of the club.

3) Bend profile, counter balance and stiffness are probably overrated (for the average, 92 mph swing speed player), so pick one that “feels” good.

After that, pick a cheap one that looks good. Most of these have an 85% bell curve that fits a lot of players and most of us (myself included are well within that 85%). Heck, I do just fine with a crummy Matrix Red Tie in stiff (which is probably about as mid/mid/average a bend profile as you will find).

Get up to high swing speed players particularly ones that are very low in handicap, then I think it is a lot more important to dial it in. The better the player, the more consistent the swing, and thus the ability to actually dial it in.

For the average hack (again that’s me), we don’t strike the ball the same way twice in a row (path, face contact, angle of attack, face angle, head speed, etc.). Heck we might not have 2 the same out of 20. The 85% bell curve shaft is going to be far more consistent than our swings.

Tony

6 years ago

Hi Sir Good points all but point 3 can be debated for different types of players with so many shafts available confusion in not only our minds but even in most fitters mind, so how to optimise 99 percent instead of 85 percent.

mackdaddy

6 years ago

From what I have seen in the numbers for the last five years there have only been small changes in driver yardages. It seems like the time has come to find the shaft that maximizes yardage for your game. I suggest going to somewhere like Hot Sticks and find the optimum shaft and head combo for your swing. I found the shaft for my driver back in 2009 and have used it in every driver since and it gives me the same launch from new driver to next driver. I don’t have to spend money to upgrades I plug it in and play.

Mark

6 years ago

It matters, but I think not for the reason that the average person who reads this thinks. Not for the stat porn that I saw flipping through the comments. Not because of how much you paid. None of that matters.

What matters is what the shaft feels like and how it makes you swing.

Mike

6 years ago

Of course the shaft matters but how much is the question? It also may matter more for a different level of player. I would think the head matters the most and the shaft is used to fine tune a desired ball flight

JB

6 years ago

Or does a shaft play a role at all in desired ball flight? From a pure visual perspective, I have yet to see a difference in high/mid/low launch of a golf ball with a respective shaft. My own perspective tells me that I can pick any kick point, and the ball flight will still be the same height because that is what I’ve seen from DG, KBS, and all other shafts I’ve tested.

I’ve also seen that the biggest affect on how high or low the ball goes is where and how I play a shot. If I play it more forward I get a higher launch, further back and a lower launch. If I don’t use a full follow through I get a low punch, on the flip side I can use a short backswing and a full follow through and pop way up in the air with almost a dead stop regardless of how cheap the ball is.

The biggest difference I have seen is in overall weight. There is a huge difference in how taxing a swing can be on the body when it comes to the weight of the shaft. There is also such a thing as too light. A 65g driver shaft for me is too eratic, and I hit high fades and slices all day. Bump it up to 75g shaft and I’m good, hitting straight, draws and fades.

When it comes to torque I’m even less convinced. Smaller torque should mean less twisting, therefore a straighter flight. However; one shafts low torque behaves the same as another shaft with twice the torque, no difference in left to right variation.

So I’m with you how much does a shaft matter?

Bazzabaz

6 years ago

Had a friend who could not hit his fivewood.l took it and removed the head spined and f.l.o.tuned the shaft rotated approx.90 degrees.next time I talked to him he could hit any shot he wanted he was a single figure golfer.

Reggie

6 years ago

Anyone who honestly thinks shaft doesn’t matter should quit playing golf. It is the single most important factor in a club, no question. Surprised anyone would be silly enough to question it

JB

6 years ago

It’s not hard to question it at all.

What is the left to right variation in yards based on the torque a shaft has?

What is the actual difference in peak hight between a low, mid, and high launch shaft? How do you determine if I’m too high or low?

What about flex? What is the actual difference in accuacy in yards with a different flex for a given player?

What if all the answers to those questions were +/- 3 yards, or in other words, entirely negligable?

Brad

6 years ago

You can give me any flex shaft from senior to X-flex, and as long as the length and weight are within reasonable tolerances, I can make it work just fine. That applies to irons and woods. I do prefer the “feel” of some shafts over others, and in every cases that comes down to the weight and balance of those shafts rather than their flex, kick point or torque. A shaft would have to be super-duper heavy and xx-stiff or extra light and as flimsy as a noodle to really affect my performance with a club.

I do think I will keep playing golf despite your opinion on the matter, though. As a matter of fact, I think that’s what most of the people arguing about this shaft or that shaft need to do. Go play more golf and they’ll improve 100x more than they ever will by installing that new $500 driver shaft that dropped their spin rate 250rpm and gave them 1.5 yards more carry.

CAMPO27

6 years ago

So is the shaft matched to the person or the club? I have a Rogue shaft matched to my SLDR. Will it match into my new Callaway Rogue?

Brad

6 years ago

It can be a bit of both, but it is mostly a matter of the shaft being suited to the golfer and not the golf club. That is why you will see so many tour pros stick to the same shaft in their irons in particular for an entire career. Many of them are also very slow to change shafts in their woods as well, or end up going back to shafts they’ve used before when a new club isn’t performing like they want.

Mark Kuyawa

6 years ago

I was fitted with a KBS Tour Graphite 80 gm shaft in PXG 0311p Head by a PXG fitter. Compared to my current Ping I200 with Modus 105 shaft I picked up about a club but dispersion better. I tried my current shaft in PXG head and overall results little better but jumped with the KBS. I think shaft matters to a great extent if you are a solid ball striker

Brad

6 years ago

You are comparing a graphite shaft to a steel shaft where the weight difference between the two is at least 23 grams, and the feel is going to be quite a lot difference as well between graphite and steel. I doubt that flex, kick point, or torque would be playing much of a role in the improvements you’ve seen.

In any case, it sounds like you’ve found a great setup for your particular swing, and that is a good thing.

George Johnson

6 years ago

i have tried so many graphite wood shafts ,Stiff ,Firm, Regular flex and have not gained any more distance in the last 5 or so years so why keep spending money on what these people say about launch angle ,spin and distance ,the best wood shaft that i ever used was the fiber speed shaft i had about 25 years ago

Tom Wishon

6 years ago

37 secs ending with a “drop the mic” and that’s good enough for your readers????? OK. . . . . . . . it is an entertainment business I guess.

Shaft weight matters for EVERY SINGLE golfer because it controls the total weight of a golf club more than any other element.

The stiffness design, otherwise known as the bend profile, is a whole different story. Take this to the bank – as the clubhead speed gets higher, as the release gets later, and as the transition and downswing tempo gets more aggressive, the stiffness design of the shaft progressively matters more and more.

For a player with slower speed, earlier release and smoother tempo you can be off by a full flex in either direction and it won’t hurt performance. For this guy, every other spec BUT the stiffness design is going to be critical for maximizing the fit. But for a player with a higher speed, later release and more aggressive tempo you better take the extra time to get the shaft right or else performance will never be optimal.

Now you can drop the mic. . . . . . . . .

Rob Jones

6 years ago

Tom, you are so right. As someone who was once a scratch golfer with a driver swing speed in the low 100s and a smooth transition and early release. U can tell you that I could take the same shaft in R, S and X flex and see only small differences. Now the swing speed in in the mid 90s which has ruled out the X flex for sure but still very little difference in performance between R and S. Give me the right weight and bend profile and the numbers between R and S will practically be the same.

Brad

6 years ago

Well said as always Tom. You are spot on that shaft weight, swing weight/total weight make much more difference than shaft flex. Shaft length is also a much bigger factor with drivers, as you’ve also stated so many times before.

If I try to use a shaft that is too light or too long (over 45″) it is hard for me to even keep it on the planet with my driver. If the length (44″ to 44.5″) and shaft weight / swing weight is right, I can hit quite a lot of fairways, or end up barely off the fairway in a very playable position for my second shot.

The shaftoids need to stop worrying so much about 200-400rpm of spin and 0.5° launch angle differences with the myriad of very expensive shafts out there and concentrate more on the rest of the fitting process. Then go practice and play golf…

Lance Sedevie

6 years ago

Thanks Tom for chiming in. Tom has been stating this for years. The difference if you can load a shaft is maybe 1 degree and 300 rpm spin and that only applies if a perfect strike apples for apples between profiles. Your strike, loft, and head design play much larger role.

Bill

6 years ago

It is like a trailor for a movie…My lord, if everyone reacted this way over a movie trailor Hollywood would go out of business.

Thanks for the small “Look at me I’m smart” comment on shafts. I’m sure your right and correct, but acting like you know better than MGS based on a 37 sec trailor makes you look bad.

I’m sure when MGS publishes the full article they will say pretty much the same thing you have said and so much more. No need to be a jerk about it.

MyGolfSpy

6 years ago

Tom,

Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

I agree with all the points you’ve made. Once again the shaft matters for all those reasons you mentioned. And these are all things we’ve discussed in depth internally here at MGS. But that was not the purpose of this video. And what we discuss here at MGS doesn’t always translate to all our readers.

Our purpose is to educate and empower golfers. Just doing the first of that formula which is educating, is not done as efficiently if that new knowledge is not applied somehow by the end user. People read books all the time that get them excited by all this information they just learned, but most never apply that new knowledge unless it was shown how to be used in real life. We have different demographics of readers. Some are what some call “gearheads” which digest and understand all the type of words and knowledge you have and some readers that just want to come by and learn in a much more simplistic manner. We have a job to help both those type of readers. If not we are doing a disservice to one or the other at any given time. This type of video first isn’t for you, the analytical type.

There have already been hundreds if not thousands of those on YouTube, and people are still asking the same question, “DOES THE SHAFT MATTER?”. The fact so many are still asking that question tells me the videos have not done the best job at answering the question they set out to answer. Which tells me maybe another style video might help. A simple one.

The purpose of this video was to do exactly what all those words and all the other videos which also make great points like yours might miss. And that is the guy that has heard all those videos with words, phrases and terminology they might not know or have ever heard. There are still a lot of golfers that don’t know what AoA or dynamic loft or deflection, etc mean. And they don’t really want to know or have time to learn.

This is an initial video in response to a couple recent videos that do a good job of explaining a couple sides of exactly what you said to the “gearheads”. But, all golfers aren’t “gearheads” and some just want to know once and for all if the shaft matters. And your comment agrees when broken down in its simplest form that a shaft matters. It might matter a little less for the middle of the curve but at some point it matters for all. We know one shaft FOR ALL would absolutely not work, which proves once again in a simple way of looking at this that it absolutely matters.

We will have another video coming out soon for the “gearheads” that want more data to show much a shaft can matter to a golfer as well.

Doug

6 years ago

Simply said, it’s the tools tramsmission.

Joe

6 years ago

Just switched my shaft on my R1 from stock to a Project X, 7 stiffness and noticed that my slice is gone and I have more control of the ball. So shafts do make a difference. Thanks for the article about the OEM shafts that made me look at the factory shaft on my R1 and change it out, best decision I made.

Spitfisher

6 years ago

Joe, the stock shaft weight on the R1 was likely 55 grams, maybe 60 with the grip and adapter. Your 7.0 was likely in the high 70 gram range……

shafts don’t matter, but weight sure does.

bws

6 years ago

I’ve played with graphite shafts for just over 15 years and two years ago, I switched back to stiff steel shafts. The weight is definitely palpable and I’m sure it slows my swing speed down a few mph, but what I’ve lost in distance, I’ve gained a little in accuracy. I still suck at the game, but I went from an 18 hcp town to 12-13. So, that was a remarkable improvement for me. Your mileage may vary.

TopPakRat

6 years ago

I thought the best article I have ever read was the one My Golf Spy did on the dirty secret truth of golf shafts. It had to do with what the OEMS were doing with their driver shafts. I don’t have the link handy and I do not recall the exact title. It’s a great read and would answer a lot of questions relevant to this topic. Could MGS attach the link to this article so some of our new followers could become educated? Thanks

Tony Covey

6 years ago

I believe this is the article you’re talking about: http://mygolfspy.com/made-for-shafts-a-closer-look/

I suspect it’s likely at least part of the reason why TrueTemper/Project X is not currently willing to work with us on shaft reviews/info/etc..

Rodrigo

6 years ago

Shaft for me is Everything for club performance in carry, launch, spin and accuracy, way more than head design the only thing that matters in head is loft I’ve been comparing my titleist driver performance for about 2 years now and shaft makes difference in numbers about 30 yds in avg. from the worst shaft for me and the best and head about 4 yds with a 913 to a 917.

Thank to previous articles of MyGolf Spy I Became more conscious about my clubs and saving money, Im happy with my titleist 913 head cause with a good custom shaft as my 59.99 proforce V2 I noticed a gain of 16 yds avg. in total distance and a 21% in acuraccy.

NaTeD

6 years ago

So you believe shaft changes Launch, Spin and Carry? You say the only thing that matters in the head is the LOFT? hahah what do yo think affects all the numbers above? Its the loft, making the head more important than the shaft, think about your irons, what is different between in a sand wedge and your 4 iron if you using the same shaft? but your launch, spin and carry all change?? hmmmm interesting isn’t it :)

Todd Stuart

6 years ago

last year I was fitted to a M1 taylormade. I found that there was a difference of 20 to 25 yards depending on the shafts. My old fugikura speeder 661 performed the best of all the shafts tested – longer and straighter. The stock shafts were higher spinning and shorter. the other custom shafts were mixed but none better than the speeder. Thus, I found a significant difference of performance depending on the shaft.

Robert pace

6 years ago

A crappy head and good shaft will work.
A good head and crappy shaft will not.

R0B

6 years ago

OK, I’m going to say it:

…That’s what she said!

GGG

6 years ago

So on point. It is absolutely pointless to pair a $400 clubhead with a $5 shaft like most stock shafts

Boyo

6 years ago

For me, Ping got it right with the G400 LST.
This head with the stock Tour 65 is 20 yds longer than anything I’ve had and I’ve had a lot of them….Maybe it’s the 400 cc head? The shaft? Whatever it is I am pounding them high and deep. With 8.5 degrees of loft. This club is revolutionary for me.

Johnny Penso

6 years ago

My $400 driver with it’s stock dollar store shaft seems to work just fine. Actually all of my clubs do. Guess I got lucky.

MasterFitter

6 years ago

Incorrect, 80% of the performance of a golf club is made up in the head, and only 20% of the golf club is made up in the shaft, a shaft is not going to change your launch angles by more than 2-3 degrees, and will not change your spin rate by 1000’s of rpms, this is all done by the head, i am not saying a shaft isn’t going to help dispersion, but the head is more important, a good head with a crap shaft will deliver better results than a bad head with a good shaft. Shaft is all about feel, not much more than that.

Tony Covey

6 years ago

I don’t know if I buy into 80/20 as an absolute. The reality is that the actual impact of the shaft varies significantly from golfer to golfer. It’s definitely not 20% of the equation in every case and there is a mountain of growing data from systems like ENSO and GEARS that strongly suggest that the shaft is responsible for significantly more than feel.

All of that said, I’d analogize shaft vs. head to a pair of tuning dials. The head is the big dial – it allows you to make larger adjustments. With the head you have a significant influence over loft, lie angle, face angle, and closure rate. Typically, within the same model, moving between available lofts offers a range of 8.5° to 12°. That’s massive. And that’s before we start talking about CG adjustability and what not.

The shaft influences how that head is delivered to the ball. It’s the small knob – for fine tuning. Shaft changes can influence impact loft, impact lie, and closure rates. We sometimes see appreciable differences in path, angle of attack, and impact location – all of which are quantifiable and extend beyond feel.

On a comparative basis, however, changes resulting from a shaft change are generally less appreciable than changes resulting from a shaft change.

All of that said, there are always exceptions. As Tom eluded to, faster, more aggressive players often show more significant results from a shaft change. That’s likely due to the fact that your typical stock shaft is generally a poor fit for someone with those swing characteristics, so the room for improvement is comparatively greater.

Chris

6 years ago

What confuses me now is whether the upgrade shafts for say Taylormade and Ping are worth it.
I’ve read people saying that these shafts aren’t “the real deal” but others saying they make a big difference.
I did a fitting with Ping and the X-Torsion shaft was a better fit for me the Alta. But is this a proper X-Torison shaft. Or does it matter? Do I just get the shaft that performs better for me and not worry what name is on it, or whether it’s hand crafted?
I agree the shaft matters. But does the quality matter? Or are all these shafts good quality regardless of upcharge cost etc?

Tony Covey

6 years ago

These are not easy questions to answer. The first thing everyone needs to understand is that aftermarket shafts are likely the highest margin products in the golf equipment industry. Separate R&D costs, and the actual production cost of a typical $300 shaft is less than $20. Along similar lines, high modulus, low resin fibers like T1100 will significantly add to the retail cost at an alarmingly disproportional level to their actual wholesale costs. The reality is that like most everything else in golf equipment design, all of this high modulus (exotic material) is about strength to weight ratios. It allows manufacturers to make a stiffer (or strategically stiffer in targeted sections) shaft without increasing weight or creating an excessively boardy feel. It makes for great marketing…it fuels interest, builds buzz, etc., but the average golfer isn’t likely to see any quantifiable performance benefit that can be traced back to the use of exotic materials.

As for quality – yes, there is a difference. Less expensive and made for shafts are generally made from lower modulus material with greater filler content (resin/glue). Quality control isn’t as high and so you get things like inconsistent wall thickness, shafts that aren’t as round as they probably should be, and inconsistent flex from one sample to the next.

What that actually means in the real world is a bit dicier. At what point do these perfectly legitimate quality concerns have a quantifiable performance implication? I don’t think anybody can give an absolute answer on that.

In that context, it’s important that we stop thinking in terms of good and bad shafts. That’s not to say there isn’t some total garbage out there, but even the made for stuff works pretty well for the middle to slower/smoother section of the bell curve. I’ll go to my grave arguing that the paint job on Callaway’s T800 shaft was specifically intended to mislead or at a minimum confuse, but the shaft is perfectly fine for the middle of the curve.

As for PING – they’ve strategically tried to spread out their offerings so that one shaft isn’t stepping on the next. The Alta is counterbalanced and definitely won’t work for everyone. Chances are the X-Torsion simply fits you better. The Alta doesn’t work for me either, I’m solidly in the Tour shaft. The quality is there across the board, but the profiles are different – and once you’ve left the total garbage category, that’s what really matters.

JasonA

6 years ago

It depends. I was surprised that a check Mitsubishi Fubuki on Cleveland Custom was real-deal given the club price was about same a retail price for the shaft! It was highly explicit on Mitsubishi site what the markings are for real-deal.

Companies with vertical integration & close group relationships more likely to get sweetheart deal.

Ping shafts are excellent – so even if real-deal upgrade shafts, may not see big difference. Miguel Ángel Jiménez just won Regions Tradition for his first senior major using a Ping stock shaft.

Smash Factor Golf

6 years ago

Cool video! Short and sweet…We love what you guys do!?Keep it coming!

MyGolfSpy

6 years ago

*fist bump*

Lou

6 years ago

Would you spend $200+ on a shaft and not be fitted!?

John Willson

6 years ago

Would you spend $200 on a shaft?

darrin

6 years ago

the faster your speed, and the quicker the transition the more the shaft matters. For slower smoother swingers a softer shaft might feel better but it wont affect performance much.

Tony Covey

6 years ago

Not entirely incorrect, but also is a bit of old thinking.

Your typical slower/smoother swinger doesn’t create a lot of load at the point of max deflection and so – in a typical scenario – you get a situation where the shaft plays closer to what Fujikura engineers describe as infinitely stiff (no bend). If you’re not loading the shaft, what difference does it really make?

What designers are only beginning to learn is that there is an ideal amount of load and through better shaft design, even slower/smoother golfers can benefit from shafts designed to increase deflection/load.

This is relatively new thinking and products resulting from it are just now starting to make their way to market.

Regis

6 years ago

Let me weigh in. My driver SS is down to 80 mph due to a number of factors. But I have excellent mechanics from playing and learning the game for over 50 years. Shaft weight and torque are still as
significant to me as they were when my SS was 20 mph higher. Because I need to feel the shaft load properly and it’s more difficult to find shafts that will do so. It’s a lot easier to find “a” shaft that will work properly with a 100 mph SS . Simply more options

Steve S

6 years ago

Agreed. Can a guy with a swing speed of 90mph get 30 more yards by playing a 300 dollar shaft? NO!

Shawn

6 years ago

Just changed from Ping AWT to TT S300 AMT and have a huge improvement in shot dispersion

ED

6 years ago

One the standard shaft and other optional shaft on g400 driver. dont know what shafts brand your referring too

Boyo

6 years ago

The AWT is the stock ping shaft in the i200 irons.

Normand

6 years ago

I think the shaft is the more important component, more so than the head. But most of all, the player has the most to do with the outcome of the shot. There is no club that is human proof. lol

seth underwood

6 years ago

I had a fitting last month for the Ping G400SFT with an upgrade shaft , best investment I made in my game , longer, less off miss blocks , yes bloody expensive in as much as the driver itself but was it worth it ……. absolutely !!!

cksurfdude

6 years ago

Only minor disappointment for me was Igor – plus his stand-in, his stunt double, his voice coach, etc. – did not receive on-screen credits at the end…. ;-)

Ha, but seriously for anyone even remotely interested in the topic – go into a big box store and test/swing different shafts. You do NOT have to go through an official fitting at an expensive fitter to start to get an idea if different types of shafts may make a difference for you and your swing.

Bob Notter

6 years ago

I have a great big Bertha that has a senior stock shaft. Went by golf store spoke with a guy who really knows his stuff. Put a new Rouge senior shaft on my Bertha major difference ball speed and launch angle changed for the better. Shaft is a critical factor on any club.

Bruce Mahon

6 years ago

Which component has more effect on a golf shot, club head or Shaft? Irons / Woods

mike edelman

6 years ago

In my experience with callaway and taylor made drivers and fairway woods….one iteration after another many of which I have tried particularly callways xr,bigbirtha, epic etc….the only variable that creates more distance and control for me is the project X shaft and I am guessing it is because of the kickpoint in that shaft…Great Big Birtha hits straighter and farther even though it is not the latest gimmick from callaway….How many more versions of jail break and other new models do these companies think they can engineer until the golfing public understands its the archer not the arrow

Oldeadeye

6 years ago

The arrow can assist the archer if properly matched. Just look at YouTube, Shawn Clement has his irons fixed. He is at TXG in Toronto. I am convinced that no matter how good you are (or bad) they can make you better.

DougWilsonsSlapper

6 years ago

Sure, but what about feel, dispersion, load, etc? Cmon man.

MGoBlue100

6 years ago

LOLZ! #nailedit Well played, boyz!

Lorne

6 years ago

I’m pretty sure what Mark Crossfield is saying is that shafts don’t influence swing results nearly as much as the high end shaft makers say they will. On his videos, he has demoed this with higher swing speed teaching pros like Steve Buzza, along with slower speed guys like Dan Henriksen.

These guys and others have shown that on similar strikes, paths, angles of attack, etc there is usually only about 200-300 rpm difference in spin between a so-called ladies flex and an x flex which is nothing. The launch angle difference from these consistent ball strikers is also negligible between these shafts. The feel, weight, and loading of these shafts are different obviously. That’s where a knowledgable fitter comes in. The shaft test results however, are not nearly as important as initial skill level and physical ability upon performance.

From his latest video on this, Crossfield ended by questioning the performance value of a properly fitted basic shaft vs the properly fitted exotic ($500+) shaft.

MyGolfSpy

6 years ago

As we mentioned Crossfield and others all made valid points in their videos. Unfortunately some on the internet can take these videos out of context and turn them in to something they are not. Like now thinking and spreading that the shaft doesn’t matter. Which brings us to the very singular point of this video.

It matters.

Steve

6 years ago

Yes it matters but not as much as the shaft makers say it does. A lot of them advertise that it’s going to change you game!! Err no it won’t, a £500 shaft is not going to make me hit every fairway. Strike is king! The main change in the shaft is feel, if you like how it feels you will play better. Yes you are right as well shaft will change certain parameters but not enough to overcome strike, we are just human not the robots they test them on.

Sam Derence

6 years ago

There is also a HUGE difference between grooving a driver in an indoor launch monitor and hitting actual drives on a golf course when it counts. The better and more repeatable your swing, the faster you can make the adjustment to whatever shaft you are hitting. This is why shaft reps have Pro’s swing no more than 2 to 3 times with a new shaft if it isn’t producing the launch and distance they are used to seeing because they will begin to subtly change their swing to get the desired results.

Hitting a L Flex in a sim when you play an X and hitting an important tee shot on the course with that L Flex will produce different results. I tried putting a Tensei Blue L Flex in my driver as an experiment and while I got in a good groove at the range, on the course I was all over the place.

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