Buying Custom Graphite Shafts – Pitfalls

More and more pro golfers are switching to custom graphite golf shafts in their drivers. At last count, more than 90 percent of them use a custom graphite shaft in this club. Even players long known for with steel-shafted drivers have succumbed to this trend. And where the tour goes, so inevitably goes the consumer. Thus, the trend of switching to a custom graphite shaft in one’s driver is among the hottest with weekend players with all ranges of golf handicaps.

Unfortunately, logic doesn’t always reign when it comes to buying custom graphite shafts. Some weekend golfers gladly pay a premium for the chance to use the top shafts on tour, like Fujikura’s Pro 95 graphite model. Others happily pay a high price for color. UST’s Proforce Gold, a graphite yellow shaft with purple trim, is among the most popular models with weekend players, golf handicaps not withstanding. Needless to say, there’s a better way of selecting a custom graphite shaft.

Understanding Shafts
Understanding the shaft is simple. Its purpose is to transfer energy from the golfer to the clubhead and into the ball. Ideally, golfers need a shaft that’s not too long and has sufficient flex. The amount of flex depends on the individual and his or her swing speed. For example, seniors generally benefit more from using shafts with more flex than shafts with less flex, as I explain in my golf tips. So do women. Seniors and women also benefit more from using graphite shafts rather than steel.

The key measurement with shafts is torque. Simply put, torque is the amount the clubhead turns in your hands when the clubhead hits the ball off-center. Among the hardest things to control in manufacturing graphite shafts, torque is more of a concern for players with high golf handicaps than low. That’s because they mis-hit the ball more often than players’ with low golf handicaps. Thus, drivers with custom graphite shafts tend to be better for weekend golfers.

Greater Torsional Stiffness
Custom graphite shafts have greater torsional stiffness than their stock counter parts. That’s good because today’s larger titanium clubheads put more stress on shafts that previous clubhead designs. So you need more torsional stiffness. Custom graphite shafts can also be expensive. Prices range from $50 to $200, a result of the grade of graphite used, the manufacturing process employed, and other intangible factors, like star appeal and marketing. Steel shafts, on the other hand, go for about $8 each.

Excessive torque reduces accuracy because it makes the clubhead twist off-line on off-center hits. Thus, it’s better for weekend golfers to go with a custom graphite shaft featuring as little torque as possible. But you must be carefully, as I tell students who take my golf lessons. Only golfers with very aggressive downswings, very delayed releases, and swing speeds of greater than 120 miles per hour should consider a shat with a torque measurement under 2.5 degrees.

Getting Lighter And Lighter
Clearly, today’s graphite shafts are better than ever. Manufacturers are getting closer to producing shafts that are a weightless connection between grip and clubhead. Of course, they’ll never achieve that goal. There will always be some weight to the shaft. But there’s no denying that custom graphite shafts are getting lighter and lighter, and the lighter the shaft the faster your clubhead speed through impact. That usually means more distance on your drives.

But distance isn’t the only considerations when it comes to custom graphite shafts. Feel is important, too. If a club doesn’t feel right, you probably won’t hit it well. So if you’re buying a new shaft for your driver, do yourself a favor. Find a good custom clubfitter. He or she probably has a range of shafts at his or her disposal, a launch monitor, and a computer swing analyzer to help choose the right shaft. Those tools enable a good clubfitter to match the right swing with the right shaft. And that’s a key to getting the most out of your shaft.