Shaft Selection

It has been argued that 80% of the performance of a golf club can be attributed to the shaft. The actual percentage figure may be debatable but there is little doubt that the golf shaft plays a major role in determining the performance characteristics of any club.

For this reason, careful consideration should be given to your shaft selection if you hope to play to your full potential.

At best, an ill-fitting or badly aligned shaft could be introducing random inconsistency into your game. At worst it can render a club virtually unplayable.

At Applied Golf Technology we make a point of keeping up to date with the latest shaft designs and fitting methods, in order to offer a shaft-fitting and shaft-replacement service second to none.

Today’s shaft industry is both thriving and highly competitive as the leading manufacturers strive to develop new technologies which can improve performance and make the game easier to play.

If you’re not sure about the technical aspects, simply contact us at Applied Golf Technology where you can get some friendly help and advice from a shaft-fitting specialist.

Role of the Shaft
Other than acting as a power transmission system from the golfer to the clubhead, the shaft has several other important roles to play. Shaft weight is the major variable in determining overall club weight.

A lighter club may help generate additional clubhead speed for the weaker players whilst a heavier club can often provide improved feel and timing for the stronger players.

Shaft flex contributes significantly towards timing and feel, both of which are essential for quality ball striking. Distance is achieved from proper timing, centre strikes and optimum launch angles, whilst accuracy depends so much upon the clubface angle at impact. In each case the shaft has an important role to play.

The aim is to find a shaft with the optimum combination of flex, weight, bend profile and torque, which delivers the clubhead into the ideal position at impact for maximum power and accuracy.

Shaft-fitting
In the field of golf club technology, the golf shaft still retains a certain air of mystery. Robotic testing of shafts has provided a useful insight into the complexity of shaft dynamics during the golf swing, adding to our understanding of flex, torque, bend point, spine characteristics, etc.

However the real challenge for the equipment professional is to figure out how best to match these shaft characteristics to the human golf swing, which can be as variable as life itself. For this reason golf shaft-fitting is still not an exact science.

At Applied Golf Technology we first discuss the issue with the player in order to find out why he or she is considering a shaft change. Are they seeking more distance, greater control, or a better feel?

We then measure certain swing parameters, including clubhead speed, tempo, swing path, clubface angle, etc., and assess their swing fundamentals, timing ability and method of generating power.

With this information we can then suggest a range of shafts which could achieve the player’s desired objectives. In the final stage of our shaft-fitting process, the player will test hit these selected shafts under controlled conditions to see which one performs and feels the best.

In This Section

• Shaft Alignment
• Shaft Selection
• Launch Monitor
• Moment of Inertia Matching of Clubs

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