By Leonard Finkel
Think you know a lot about golf shafts? Think again. There are no recognized standards for shaft flex, no uniform measurements? Flex can mean something different for every brand and manufacturer. Tolerance ranges in each category like stiff or regular are huge! To learn more, I spoke with executives from leading shaft manufacturers: Fujikura’s Chad Embrey, Victor Afable of VA Composites, Gawain Robertson of ACCRA/True Temper Plus, Kim Braley of KBS Golf and Nick Sherburne, founder of Club Champion, a national club fitting chain.
Club Champion is the #1 premium club fitter, builder and retailer of the best brands in golf. Their master fitters and builders are unrivaled experts. Their approach is unbiased; no specific vendor is promoted. The only goal is to find the best combination of components to lower your scores. Club Champion offers over 35,000 hittable head and shaft combinations, making Sherburne an expert on this topic.
Says Sherburne, “The industry touts the head as the engine of the golf club because it contacts the ball. But the shaft is far more important. With no industry standards in flex, it’s nearly impossible for golfers to find the shaft that performs best without professional help. It’s important to find a skilled fitter with a launch monitor to maximize your swing to its fullest potential.”
According to ACCRA’s Robertson, terms like stiff or regular flex mean nothing. ACCRA looks at three different zones; the butt, midsection and tip and can produce shafts in countless combinations. Robertson adds, “If a player needs something with a softer tip section and a stiffer butt section, club fitters know which shaft fits that profile for that golfer. Club Champion’s understanding of how to fit golfers is an integral part of any club being successful in a player’s hands. “
Chad Embrey from Fujikura shares,
“Flex is significantly impacted by torque, one of the most misunderstood shaft specifications. The ways you can measure torque are countless.”
Many golfers think that lower torque means better shafts. Not necessarily true. Higher torque shafts are better for smoother, slower swingers. Lower torque is better for those that swing aggressively.
VA Composites Afable says,
“Imagine two types of swings. An Ernie Els swing, which is a very smooth tempo; and a swing like Lanny Watkins, a short, fast swing. Both may have the same swing speed, but they get there two different ways. The fitters at Club Champion really understand the difference and are trained to fit our shafts not only to factors such as swing speed but also to the amount of shaft load a player will create.”
There is an enormous difference between stock OEM shafts and higher-end aftermarket models. Materials and technology are different, as is attention to detail. Premium shafts are manufactured individually in Japan while stock shafts are most likely made in places like Vietnam or Mexico on an assembly line in larger quantities, which necessitates wider tolerances. With aftermarket product used on Tour and sold through premium club fitters, Fujikura has the freedom to use materials and technologies that may be cost prohibitive for a club company.
Sherburne believes golfers should think about what value they put a on their game.
“Sometimes people say they’ll just get something off the shelf because spending $500 for an extra 20 yards isn’t worth it. Hitting wedge instead of 8-iron, you’ll hit more greens. That 20 yards will knock two strokes off your handicap!”
To find the right components, Club Champion uses a unique coupling system that allows golfers to hit any head and shaft. They deliver combinations that address a golfer’s problems and fix them. Most fitters use fitting carts provided by club manufacturers. While they offer options, golfers are unable to mix-and-match across carts to determine their ideal combinations. Club Champion offers hundreds of shafts, many not available at most other fitters and retailers.
Club Champion delivers a Tour-quality fitting producing longer, more accurate shots with a nearly 100% satisfaction rate.
Whether you’re looking to buy new clubs or just fix your current set, premium club fitting is the answer. With 28 studios across the country, at Club Champion, you don’t just buy clubs, you buy guaranteed improvement.
Find more information at, https://clubchampiongolf.com/ohio-golf or 888-337-6038.
