ClubTimes Digital-July 2021

GOLF

The Complex Movement of a Golf Shaft During the Swing

By: John Breedlove, PGA Professional If you have been around the game for any length of time, you have probably heard someone tell you how important it is to get fit for the right shaft. What you may not have been told is…Why it’s so important. Well, during the swing, a golf shaft undergoes a complex and dynamic behavior as a player exerts force in different directions. The primary movements of the shaft are deflection, droop, and torsion. We will address each of these important shaft movement parameters over the next three editions of the club times. Each of these shaft movements has a direct effect on the player’s ability to square the clubface at impact as well as their ability to strike the ball in the center of the clubface. These variables heavily influence the speed and direction of a golf shot. Of course, there are an enormous number of individual golfers who each display unique characteristics during their golf swings. Consequently, there are also a wide variety of shafts on the market today that are designed to match certain swing characteristics and build clubs to optimize individual player performance. A player who undergoes a professional club fitting with an expert club fitter can identify a shaft that best matches their unique swing, dramatically improving their chance of playing their best. To illustrate this point, let’s examine the idea of shaft deflection and how it impacts a golf shot.

Before we get into it, we should briefly discuss the general movement of the shaft in the swing. As the golf club initially moves away from the ball it is moving slowly, but it gathers speed as it moves to the top of the swing. Then, as the player transitions the club from the backswing into the down swing, there is a bending of the golf shaft as forces are exerted by the player. As the club starts to move down towards the ball, the player is attempting to

accelerate the club as fast as possible into the impact area. During each of these phases of the swing the shaft of the club is bending in one direction or another. This bending can occur in the lead/lag or toe up/toe down directions, in addition to a twisting of the shaft that is occurring as club speed is increased.