Last week we talked about Weight vs. Flex. Today, let’s chat about the stiffness and torque of a shaft.

Often I hear people ask for a “soft stiff”, or a “firm regular”, or say (of two stiff shafts) “this one is stiffer than that one.” Ready for the truth? That’s partially right. Shaft companies categorize stiffness in a similar way that club head manufacturers categorize loft – basically, there is no standard. Add in there are different butt and tip stiffnesses, torque values, and the shafts will react differently (like a club head manufacturer using Tungsten, a thinner face, etc.).

The stiffness of a shaft is measured in CPM – cycles per minute. A shaft is clamped in a machine on the butt end, the tip end is pulled down a fixed amount and released. The number of oscillations is measured. The higher the number, the stiffer the shaft. For example, a ladies or junior shaft might be in the 200 range, while a Tour X might be closer to 300. A CPM measurement is unable to account for variances in manufacturing (HOW a shaft is made, stiffnesses in different parts of each shaft, etc.), so a shaft could be classified as stiff but be very close to an X Stiff, while another could be at the lower end of the same CPM range, but have more stiffness in the butt end (handle end), so it feels firmer, yet also be a stiff flex. The bottom line is the different shafts will feel and play different even though they are in the same CPM/ flex range. What makes this happen?

Essentially, 2 things. Stiffness in different parts of the shaft and torque. 

Stiffness first… Shafts can be butt stiff, tip stiff, and mid stiff, or any combination of these. They will alter the stiffness in each section of the shaft to create a “bend profile”. This bend profile can make a shaft feel soft or firm, and can have a definite impact on how the golf ball flies, as well as how it reacts to a particular golf swing.

Torque is a measure of rotation. Essentially, as a players hands and arms rotate on the through swing, the head and shaft follow suit. The higher the torque value of a shaft, the more it will rotate. Higher torque will accentuate a players release – this is good for slower swing speed players, but not for faster swing speed players. Slower swing speed players need help rotating the club, while faster swings tend to do it naturally. Finding the right amount of torque in a shaft for a player is essential to a player being able to square up the clubface at impact. Too little torque and the player will struggle to get the face back to square. Too much torque and the player can have a face release prematurely OR have the face lag behind and remain open at impact. 

Torque and stiffness both influence how a shaft feels. High torque and low stiffness both make a shaft feel soft. The key here is FEEL. 

Take the Fujikura Ventus line. The black is a very stout feeling, low torque stiff shaft. Blue is in the middle and Red is on the softer side. Fuji came out with a Ventus TR line. It has the Black in the hands, and red or blue in the mid and low sections of the shafts. They feel very firm – despite 2/3 or the shaft being a softer variety. The resulting ball flights are very different as well.

How do you know what shafts do what? You have to hit them. Spend 30 minutes and hit 3 shots each with 10 different shafts. You will feel the difference and be able to convey it to the players you fit. If you don’t know what they feel like, you can’t do your job effectively. Spend the time, make some notes. Ask players to do the same thing in different flexes. This is how you come up with shaft knowledge. 

Here’s the takeaway. Shaft matters. The shaft will have a great impact on how a club feels. As you fit, constantly ask “How does it feel to you?” If it’s too stiff feeling, you can adjust to something with less stiffness or more torque, but still within the same flex range. If the player can’t hit it straight, we know the clubface isn’t square. Is it the golf swing or the shaft? Find him a shaft that works for the way he swings it. The shafts job is to return the head to square at impact. Not every player has a great golf swing, but there is a shaft out there that is pretty good for almost everyone. The results will speak for themselves – when you find the right one, you’ll know it. The magic ticket is if you can find one that returns to square AND feels great to a player. Finding the right shaft will give you exponentially more flexibility when you select a clubhead for a player – you can now have a club (shaft and head) where ALL the pieces and parts work the way they should for that player. Magic indeed.

I hope this helps!! Happy Fitting.