Do your shafts do exactly what they should do? Martin Park – GCA Master Craftsman Many of you have probably heard the phrase that the shaft is the “engine” of the club, and while this is true to a certain extent, the shaft is only one component ofthe three main pieces of a club which decide how well you hit the ball and how far, how high or low and also, which direction…yes, direction – can a shaft really help you hit it straighter? Well, that depends on how the shaft was inserted into the head of the club and how that shaft reacts during the stresses and speed ofthe swing. Many people think all shafts are perfectly circular. They are not. Steel shafts in general are very consistent. However graphite, due to the nature of its manufacture being graphite sheets and resin, are built in such a way that it is almost impossible to make a perfectly symmetrical shaft, no matter how hard the manufacturers try. So, when each year, we see, hear and read how the shaft manufacturers promise us more distance, stability with low, mid and high kick points, light weight, butt stiff, tip stiff, less deformation and ovaling, more kick, low or high spin with 340 million different flexes to choose from, it’s not surprising that the customer gets confused. So what they do is make some fancy colours, give them awesome names like VooDoo, Epic, Motore and Juice, which is designed to do one thing… sell them to you! But before you buy, wouldn’t it be a good idea to make sure that shaft is working exactly how it’s designed to work? Of course, advice from a qualified club builder and professional fitter goes a long way to help discover what works for you. Good advice is normally free from a good professional. And the use of Vector Launch monitors, Flightscopes and Trackman’s are a great idea, too – valuable tools in the club building business and something that every serious club builder has to have. However, while technology improves each year with many different factors, shaft technology has moved through three main stages since its creation – Hickory to steel to graphite. No matter what is i nvented now, it’s hard to see any other major advancement in shaft technology. Shaft technology has probably hit the wall now. Of course, manufacturers will be able to make lighter and stronger shafts as nano- technology improves…but there will be a limit and we’re almost there in my opinion. Despite all the talk and marketing hype of space age materials, multiple layer technology, I have not yet seen a manufacturer qualify their claims – what any good clubfitter, or professional fitting expert and of course, the customer, should look for is PROOF! For those of you have never heard of PURE-ing – and there are many who have never heard of it - I shall give a brief explanation. Basically PURE-ing is the process that locates and aligns any shaft in its most stable position under the
