Shafts, steel or graphite?

[mariner]

I had a fitting and swing analysis yesterday at American Golf, the guy suggested I change to steel shafted clubs from graphite.
My clubhead speed was around 80-85 with a 6 iron.
He said steel shafts are better for faster swing speeds and that graphite twists more the faster the swing. I didn't know that, is it general knowledge?

[bill reed]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

hi
what he says is partly true, with a faster swing most top player will go with steel shafts but Graphite shafts have got so good in the last 4 or 5 years that the difference is getting less and less, the biggest difference is the weight, with graphite shafted clubs you will find you will swing faster as the club is lighter also when you get into your 50s you will find that graphite shafts may help you keep the speed of your swing up as your swing started to slow when you get to your 50s and 60s. you don't say what graphite shafts you have in your bag and what steel shafts you would compare them with, but i bet someone like lowpost could make up a club with both steel and graphite and you would be hard to feel any real difference.
you also said about graphite twisting more but i would not worry about that as nearly all drivers and woods are graphite shafted now and its hard to find someone with a steel shafted driver and the driver will twist more than an iron would.
i have a 3 iron thats graphite shafted but it feels like the rest of my clubs as it has a matching swing weight i feel no difference using it to using the rest of my steel shafted irons.
some people just don't like graphite irons and you hear all sots of story's of graphite irons breaking at the hosel but really it no more than the number of steel shafts that break.
if i was like you and in my 50s then i think graphite shafted might help me more than steel in the next 10 or so years.
did you get to try both graphite and steel shafted clubs to see if one felt better than the other to you.
cheers
bill

[LowPost42]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

Damn Bill - did the shift key break on your keyboard? LOL

Yes, it's true. Graphite shafts generally have higher torque values than steel. But if you're swinging at 110 MPH, it still doesn't matter if you're not really loading and lagging the shaft.

The traditional 'fix' for going to graphite is to extend them 1" so that the swingweights stay the same. I say go up one flex and add tip weights if you want to maintain swingweights (but I also believe in TLT and that if you're already at 'darn near perfect' then adding an inch for swingweight sake is going to move you another inch away from 'darn near perfect'.

Bill is right in that lighter clubs can be swung faster. However, this isn't necessarily a good thing as it can cause inconsistent contact. I'd advise getting one iron reshafted and seeing how you like it. Now, the beauty part of this whole equation that folks tend to not mention is this:

There's a new concept out there called lightweight steel. All the same bending characteristics as steel, but in graphite weight. The downside is it doesn't do the same vibration damping as graphite. However, there are vibration damping inserts that work like a charm.

So maybe you're not ready to join the graphite crowd - there's still a steel option (however the whole lighter weight thing still applies). If you get one iron reshafted, make sure to ask for your pullout back, especially if you've had any custom work done to your clubs.

[bill reed]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

sorry lowpost lol

Mariner said he was already using graphite and he was advised to change to steel so he is already use to using graphite shafts

do you think it would help if he told you the graphite shafts he was using so you would have a better idea off what if any would be a good change to steel.

cheers


bill

[LowPost42]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

sorry lowpost lol

Mariner said he was already using graphite and he was advised to change to steel so he is already use to using graphite shafts

do you think it would help if he told you the graphite shafts he was using so you would have a better idea off what if any would be a good change to steel.

cheers


bill

! I read that completely backwards.

Now - job one is to correct for ball flight. If Mariner is spraying it, I'd suggest perhaps it's shaft twisting - that or a swing flaw. If he's having tempo issues, I'd suggest going heavier. If he has joint issues I'd suggest staying with graphite. Most touring pros play steel for two reasons: 1) Tradition, 2) you usually get stiffer tipped shafts in steel over graphite, which lower ballflights.

Let's find out how Mariner's game is before we decide if he should move to steel.

[mariner]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

Something else that happened - I hit 6 shots each with 10 different brands and then we chose the best 3 and I hit 12 shots each with those, and ALL these shots came off a point on the clubface about an inch/inch and a half towards the toe, literally only one off the middle (I stood closer) and nothing towards the heel.
I don't do this with my graphites, does it make sense?

[LowPost42]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

I'll assume the steel shafts were standard weight - so heavier than your graphite. This would theoretically drop you inside more on your swing.

[bill reed]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

hi
one thing lowpost said earlier about graphite shafts often being an inch longer than steel to make up the swing weight. maybe that why you were hitting of the toe more with the steel shafts as you normally play with shafts an inch longer.
cheers
bill

[mariner]

Re: Shafts, steel or graphite?

It must've been something like that - one of the clubs had 16 ball marks within a 1/4 inch, all an inch and a half towards the toe.
I don't think I want to change to steel - my swing's not going to get any faster as I'm 51 now and there's nothing wrong with my clubs, everything was either straight or slightly left, I just thought I'd see what I supposedly should be hitting