As I mentioned in the first Myth Buster article, the series was 'inspired' by a question that I had received from a PPGS member and client that went through the fitting process with me. His question regarded the weight of graphite versus steel and the ability to swing the club faster if his clubs had graphite. This is the 4th myth that we will bust. You do not necessarily swing graphite shafted clubs faster than you would clubs made with steel shafts.
When graphite first came out, the club manufacturers told you that you would swing the graphite shafted clubs faster and that they were longer. Read that last part that I put in bold letters. They were longer! The implication is that you would hit the ball farther.
Well, in actuality, you did. Here's the reason why. In the early days of graphite, there was only one head weight at each company that would go on these shafts. It just so happens, it was the same that would go on the steel shafts. The heads were of such weight that they worked well with the heavier, steel shafts.
The fact that the graphite shafts were lighter presented a bit of a dilemma but one that was easily fixable. Because the heads were relatively light and now you're putting in a relatively light shaft, the fix was to make the shafts a bit longer. So, with longer shafts you possibly get a touch more club head speed and this would equate to more distance.
The truth of the matter is that those who did experience greater club head speed only saw about a 2mph difference on average, which would equate to about 3 yards. Well, the companies did tell the truth in a roundabout way. The shafts were indeed longer, physically, and you could get a touch more yardage. But, for the difference that the sets cost in graphite, it was hardly a worthwhile expenditure of your capital. Also, the torque factor, the twisting of the shaft when force is applied to the head, was terrible in the infancy stage of graphite. Over the years, with the advancement in manufacturing procedures, that draw back has been lessened considerably. However, unless you're willing to spend hundreds of $$$$ for a graphite shaft, you will never get one that resists twisting as much as steel and therefore will not be as accurate.
But graphite weighs so much less than steel, how could I not swing it faster you ask? The fact is that a steel shafted club has a lighter head and generally shorter shaft and weighs in the 12oz. range. A graphite shafted club with the longer shaft or a heavier head (some companies have actually manufactured heads that were heavier for the graphite shafts rather than make the shafts longer) weighs about 11oz. Now, before you go weigh your clubs and tell me mine don't weigh that, I've tested enough clubs to say that the figures I've given you are good general averages. From this you can see that factually, there isn't that much difference in the overall weight. You can also get light weight steel shafts, some as low as 75gr. and this will rival graphite shafts all day long.
Is there any benefit to graphite? You betcha. If you are one of the many golfers that suffer joint pain in their fingers, such as myself, or wrists, elbows, shoulders, and perhaps even as far as the neck, graphite can be a great shaft. Why? Graphite does not transmit vibrations as much as steel therefore you don't get the 'shock' and vibration factor when you hit golf balls. Match up a good graphite shaft with a vibration absorbing grip and you can play pretty much pain free.
Of course, graphite shafts have made it possible to also make drivers and fairway clubs longer and we've talked about that. I do feel that even with a shorter driver such as the 43.5' driver that I play (btw, I'm 6 ft tall and my wrist to floor is 36'), a correctly fitted shaft in graphite is a good thing as it works well with the titanium drivers and gives better overall performance.
Another plus about shafts with graphite goes back to the higher torque factor inherent in the majority of graphite shafts. For golfers that do not generate a fair amount of club head speed or have a powerful swing, graphite has a much softer feel upon impact. This feature will produce a bit more ball speed off the club face and not give the player a harsh feel similar to hitting a two by four on a brick wall. OUCH!
If you need graphite, then find a fitter to assist you in getting the best graphite for your needs. However, if you've thought about getting graphite shafts in your irons because you've been told you'll swing it faster and hit the ball further, forget it! The next subject we'll cover has to do with myths about fitting. Be sure to keep an eye out for this one! What really is a true/complete fitting?
J. Griffin, Master Fitter/Builder & PPGS Instructor
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