Brad Ingermann testing graphite shafts Dimension Z Golf Club Manufacturer

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to test hundreds of different graphite shafts from all of the best manufacturers in the industry. The overwhelming result is that prices have risen and quality has fallen. Most consumers do not realize that the graphite shaft in the $500 driver you just bought from a major brand is no better than a $3 commercial grade shaft with a fancy paint job. As a matter of fact major manufacturers pay more for the logo and extravagant paint finishes, than they do for the shaft itself. This is confusing to me, as I know that many months and lots of dollars are poured into creating the newest and most cutting edge head designs, and to then match it up with an inferior commercial grade shaft is self defeating.

Well known graphite shaft manufacturers such as, Aldila, UST, Graffalloy, and Fujikura have all released shafts in 2003 carrying claims of added distance with more forgiveness and control. The cost of this added value used to average around $30, but today shaft manufacturers are demanding between $100-300 for a shaft. We have found very few of these shafts that have the quality of manufacture this type of price point should demand. Many major manufacturers have begun installing well known shafts from UST and Fujikura at the factory, to add more value and possibly justify why you should pay $500 for a driver. Don’t be fooled, most of these shafts are of poor quality as well.

How graphite shafts are made? To keep it simple, there are two methods to the manufacture of a graphite golf shaft. The first and most common method is “Sheet Wrapping”. Done just as it sounds there are precut sheets of graphite that get rolled over a mandrel. The second is “Filament Winding”, which actually winds a tight thread of graphite around the mandrel. Traditionally most filament wound shafts are very consistent in their flexural integrity, but due to the high amount of resin used in the process, breakage was always a problem. Late in 2003, we tested a filament wound shaft that I think could possibly bring the filament winding process back to the forefront of graphite shaft manufacturing. Continued playability testing will occur in early 2004.

When testing shafts we look at several aspects of the shaft beginning with (CFI) Circumferential Flexural Integrity, which reads how consistent the shafts resistance to bending (flex) is, in all 360°. We also look at the shafts relative consistency on tip stiffness and butt stiffness, or relative kick point. This shows how difficult it is to find several shafts that can be used together in a set and have a finished result that is frequency matched. Next, we test (LFI) Linear Flexural Integrity, which determines at which point is the shaft most stable, and how it should be oriented when installed into a given head. Simply facing the logo up or down is usually not the best point at which to install a given shaft as the shaft company pays no attention to the stability or potential for orbiting in the logo position. If a shafts’ CFI was perfect we wouldn’t have to test for LFI and it wouldn’t matter how you installed it. The last test we conduct is a playability test with several different head designs. This allows us to understand the overall performance of the shaft. The right combination of launch angle, torque, and flex will ultimately determine how well a shaft performs for a given player. A breakdown in any of these areas will usually result in compensating motions in our swing to get positive results.

How do I know what shafts are best for my game? Finding the right shaft for your game can be a daunting task for the average player. Most of the time golfers buy a new club and then spend the next twenty rounds just trying to figure out how to hit it. It is a process that takes time and money. The process of buying golf clubs is flawed when we go to a mega discount retailer, who is peddling large quantities of standardized, mass produced product to the unsuspecting public. In the old days we listened to our teaching professionals, who knew our swing and knew enough about equipment to help each individual get the best club specifications for his/her game. The large volume discount houses took that away, and now consumers are mislead to a much greater extent than ever before. Making a sound equipment purchase involves two steps. First, everybody can benefit from a properly fitted golf club, and fitting is best done by a trained PGA Golf Professionals. When I say fitted, I don’t mean “static” fitting, where someone measures the length of your arms, and your height, and comes up with some arbitrary club length. I’m talking about “dynamic” fitting, where you are hitting golf balls, and seeing the results of different club specifications. Second, you have to find a club manufacturer who can deliver a set of clubs that match the fit precisely. Most companies who claim to deliver custom clubs only match two or three specifications (length, lie angle, shaft flex). I match as many as 8 specifications (head design, shaft material, shaft frequency, lie angle, loft angle, swing weight range, grip style and grip size).

What shafts are good? I believe that based on all of my testing, that the purple and grey Rifle Graphite wood shafts are hands down the most consistent and best performing shafts available today. Manufactured by the leader in Frequency Coefficient Matching (FCM) technology, Royal Precision is breaking back into the graphite industry. This shaft has a higher kick point for a lower launch angle and carries a torque of about 3.0. So if your are looking to get the most out of that $500 driver, put one of these shafts in and see the difference. Royal Precision is also releasing their new “Saber” line of graphite touting its cutting edge launch technology. For irons there is a huge limitation on high quality shafts. Apache/MCC has been a leader in this area for many years with their PM30+, but we continue to look to shafts like the filament wound to bring the industry to the next level.

The best thing for every golf hungry equipment junkie to remember is that this industry is driven by marketing, and marketing is not always truthful and accurate. Look at Tiger for example. You cannot buy a set of Nike irons just like his, and definitely not at the level of engineering put into his set from top to bottom. So just because a major manufacturer pays some incredible amount of money to a PGA touring professional in an attempt to establish credibility, it doesn’t mean that they really are making the best equipment they could make; just the most profitable equipment they can make. The bottom line is do some research, get fit, and get yourself a good set of clubs to help you play this wonderful game at your fullest potential.

Brad Ingermann is the Master Club Technician at Dimension Z located in Arvada, Colorado, you can check out more detailed information about them by going to their web site www.dimensionz.com.