Avid golfers often have a persistent desire to regularly upgrade their golf clubs. Many people think that it is their God-given right to obtain the latest advancement in golfing technology. In reality, technology should allow us to get to the next level. We often read brochures that promise us to hit 150 yards easily with a 7 iron. Manufacturers may claim that their new drivers will increase yardage. It means that we could easily salivate at a brand new golfing technology. We may think that we will regret buying a golf club, but we buy it anyway. A new club could cost us $450, especially if it gets the 5-star rating from a popular golf magazine.
Many manufacturers will try to validate their touted claim by trying to obtain much recognition from experts. We could read so many brochures that we start to wonder whether we will be able to perform well for the rest of the year without those new, advanced clubs. This situation is hauntingly familiar for many golfers. Technology is often seen as a great equalizer in golf. In fact, some clubs are accused of giving golfers with huge budget unfair advantages. Many golfers think that it is increasingly difficult to compete well, because they can’t hit a 250-yard drive, because they still use a battered, old club.
Fortunately, it is possible for people with limited budget to gain renewed performance from their clubs by replacing the shaft. It is often considered as a more affordable option that buying a new one. The shaft is often considered as the “transmission” of a golf club, that can transmit power from our arm to the small ball.
Before the shaft of our club is replaced, we need to check the degree of flexibility. As an example, the shaft has regular flexibility when it starts to flex at 70mph. It is stiff when it flexes at 90mph and extra stiff when it flexes above 100mph. We should also know the amount of torque that the club could give. When the shaft provides lower torque, less twisting occurs and the club feels harder to use. Steel shafts don’t twist much and they are fairly constant. Graphite varies in torque, depending on the density. If we swing faster, we need shaft with lower torque and if we swing slower, we need the one with high torque.
Weight is another factor that we need to consider. Clubs with steel shaft are usually 110 grams in weight and with graphite about 80 grams in weight. If we need to increase the speed of the club head, we need lighter shafts and this will increase the distance. As we can see, choosing the right shaft is a somewhat complicated task and we may need to ask experts. When replacing shaft for our golf clubs, we should overdo it. We will waste money, if we put a high-end $300 shaft on a 15-year old club head. Although we may see some improvements, we will gain more by spending the money on a completely new club.
