Club Times - September 2021

THE COMPLEX MOVEMENT OF A GOLF SHAFT DURING THE SWING, PART 3 By: John Breedlove, PGA Professional GOLF GOLF

In the last couple editions of the club times, we have been discussing the importance of choosing the right golf shafts for your game. Specifically, “Why” it’s important given the complex and dynamic movement that a golf shaft undergoes as forces are exerted upon it during a golf swing. The three primary shaft movements are deflection, droop, and torsion. In the previous edition we discussed shaft droop, which primarily influences the dynamic lie angle of the club, and thereby, the direction of the golf shot as it leaves the club face. In this edition, we will take a brief look at torsion, commonly referred to as “shaft torque”. First of all, what is shaft torque? Well, simply put, shaft torque is the shaft’s resistance to twisting. If you were to look at shaft manufacturer’s technical specifications you would find each shaft’s torque measured in degrees (usually ranging from as low as 2 degrees to as high as 7 degrees). The measured amount of torque indicates how many degrees the shaft will twist under a predetermined amount of force. These numbers may be helpful, but they don’t necessarily mean a whole lot because there really isn’t an industry standard method for measuring torque.

pointed more to the left (for a right handed golfer) and using a shaft with lower torque would result in a clubface pointed more to the right. The second reason why torque is important is that it is a major contributor to the “feel” of the shaft (much more than flex). Generally speaking, shafts with higher torque feel “smooth” or sometimes even “whippy” while shafts with lower torque often feel “boardy” or “stout”.

Conventional wisdom suggests that players who tend to hook the ball would benefit from a shaft with lower torque and players that slice the ball would benefit from a shaft with higher torque. Conventional wisdom also suggests that players who swing faster need a shaft with lower torque. In fact, this assumption is built right into the shafts from most manufacturers. For example, many shafts on the market have a lower torque in the X-flex version than in the stiff flex, while the stiff flex has a lower torque than the regular flex. Unfortunately, conventional wisdom isn’t necessarily accurate when you add the human element. As always in fitting golf equipment there are a number of other variables (like shaft flex and weight) that influence how a player performs with a given shaft. This is why it is important to test shafts with the help of an expert club fitter to make sure to choose the right shaft for your game.

Ok, why does it matter? It matters for two reasons. First of all, torque has a major impact on where the ball ends up. All things being equal, using a golf shaft with a higher torque would lead to a clubface that is