By Scott Kramer
Golfers beware: The shafts in your clubs adhere to no industry-standard specifications. Which means that one brand’s regular or “R” flex, for instance, is not the same as another’s. Same thing with kick point. And performance. So just because you might be playing a shaft labeled as a stiff flex and low kick point in your current driver, don’t assume that’s what’s best for your swing.
Shaft manufacturers admit that terms like stiff or regular flex are generalized to the point of being near-meaningless. In fact, specs can differ across models even within one brand’s lines. Several factors are involved, including how the shaft is trimmed for length to fit a golfer, how much it weighs, and if it’s graphite or steel — among other factors.
So how can average golfers know which shafts they should use in their clubs? Ideally, you want to visit a clubfitter who’s thoroughly versed with what’s on the market and has access to as many club and shaft combinations as possible.
“Getting fitted is definitely a good thing for consumers,” says Jarrett Thomas, who works in technical support, customer service, and the professional tour department at KBS Shafts in Carlsbad, Calif. “We get a lot of calls from golfers asking shaft questions. As much as I can tell you the various shafts to try, it still comes down to you having to like how they feel and how they launch the ball. So you want to try a club with different shafts. But when consumers try out clubs, they often don’t have access to a lot of different shafts.”
If you know the one club brand you want to play, by all means contact that company and see where it offers local fittings. One of its fitters can run you through a fitting session with its clubs and the limited shaft options those clubheads are offered with. I’ve done that several times. And in fact, that’s how I got the current clubs in my bag.
But if there’s any doubt in your mind as to which clubs and shafts you should play, do yourself a favor and visit an independent clubfitter. Preferably a large national chain, such as Cool Clubs, True Spec Golf or Club Champion that stocks thousands of clubhead and shaft combinations — sans any ulterior, biased motive to skew you into one specific brand.
I recently went through a Club Champion fitting, to explore the experience. And it was eye-opening, particularly when it came to shafts. My fitter was company founder Nick Sherburne, who says the lack of shaft standards alone is the core of why getting custom-built clubs is so important. “Flex is a letter which defines that shaft but not necessarily its performance,” says Sherburne. “So we explain to golfers the science of flex, how it’s measured, and what it means. Then most importantly, we let the ball flight numbers on the launch monitor do the talking.”
That’s also why having custom built clubs is so important: Once you realize a shaft’s variability, you start to understand the dilemma many golfers face, says Sherburne. “You go to a demo day, smash a driver, then run out and buy it only to never hit it that good again,” he says. “Making two clubs identical is hard. So to ensure maximum performance, we have one builder on one bench who builds clubs to precise specs. We even guarantee that the performance a golfer sees in the bay translates to the course.”
As it turns out, I suspected that as much as I love my current clubs, its shafts are not the best for my game. My Club Champion experience proved it. As a result, I will soon be switching shafts.
Scott Kramer is veteran, Southern California-based writer primarily versed in golf and personal technology. Studying Computer Sciences in college, and then working as a programmer/software engineer for about a decade, triggered my passion for today’s high-end, high-tech gadgets. I can’t help myself whenever I see any kind of cool new personal technology. I feel compelled to further check it out and see what it’s all about. And even if I have no use for it personally, I’m always thinking who it might best suit. There are exciting new innovations emerging daily that are shaping the future and simplifying life. And I hope to be your eyes to that world, through the words of this column.