Here it is. Torque – Part II. I’m sure you lost sleep this week anxiously awaiting the arrival of this post in your inbox. Haha

Remember, Torque is the measure of the force that can cause an object to rotate about an axis. We are talking specifically about the amount of torque in a golf shaft that allows a club head to rotate around the shafts axis. Your job as a club fitter, is to match the torque of the shaft with the rotation (torque) of the players golf swing.

Sounds simple… Your job as a club fitter, is to match the torque of the shaft with the rotation (torque) of the players golf swing. Guess what? There really isn’t a gauge or a spec on a launch monitor that will tell you what you need. Nope. No spec that says “this player creates 3* of torque with the driver swing, so go choose a driver shaft that has 3* or torque. Enjoy a cup of coffee with your extra time before your next fitting.” Nope. If only it were that easy…

Here’s the reality of the challenge. Fujikura has 39 different shafts in just the Ventus family of shafts. This doesn’t even include the Ventus TR line. 27 of those have between 2.8* and 3.3* of torque. How the hell are you supposed to choose? 27 options within one family of shafts that fall within 1/2-degree torque value of each other?? Really??

Now add in that EVERY company has a similar product offering, and you are inundated with choices. You could have HUNDREDS of choices to choose from. What does this tell us.

First, it tells us to pick shafts that will cover the widest range of players at your facility – OR, simply choose the ones we choose. We choose them because they work for the widest range of players in our facility (the globe of golf).

Second, It tells us that there are a LOT of options out there, and there are a LOT more options than just one shaft for any player. To answer last weeks question – close enough can be close enough unless we’re watching this player on TV on Sundays.

Third, this is a pretty good indicator that a LOT of players fall in this 3* of torque range. It’s also a pretty good indicator that the biggest differences in performance will fall in this range. Finally, it’s a pretty good indicator that for players needing higher torque values (generally accompanying slower swing speeds), close enough is close enough.

By contrast, in the Fujikura Ventus line, there are 3 shafts with 5* of torque or more – all in the white family which we don’t carry. They have other shafts in other families that do address this player, but the options are far fewer.

So where do you take it from here? Simple. As swing speeds get faster, torque values get increasingly more important. So do the other parts of the shaft. Tip stiffness, butt stiffness, bend point, and so on… That all matters more the faster the swing. Consider the following:

If you’re working with a player (male or female) with a 65mph club head speed with the driver, any shaft with the highest torque value will be best. They will generally respond very similarly as the swing isn’t fast enough to stress the shaft beyond its limits.

As you get upwards of 75mph, you’ll still look for higher torque values, and most of the time, close enough will be just fine. However, you may find a player who tries really hard to swing it fast, and that effort can come from the upper body (think over the top of the swing plane). This player can have a slower swing speed in MPH, but he can stress the shaft due to where he is trying to generate power. In this case, having a lower torque option in a Senior flex can be a nice thing to have. In this case, I keep the UST Pro Force V2 in either the STD launch or the High Launch in my bag of shafts. These shafts are in the 3.7* – 4.2* torque range – impressively low for a senior flex shaft. While I might only need it 6-8 times per year, it is a GREAT option to have for that player.

As I move up towards 85mph, I move into regular flex. I start to have some more options. I tend to stay in our “stock” shafts since they have great compatibility with our current driver heads, and also because they have differing values of torque that will suit a wider range of players. For example, as I go to the Denali Charcoal shaft in 50 grams and 60 grams – Torque changes from 4.8* at 50 grams to 4.4* at 60 grams. This is a higher torque value than we typically see in a regular flex. It’s a great option to go to if you have a player that needs a little help from the shaft. This shaft will take the place of the old Cypher shafts that we used over the last few years. Denali Blue will be in the upper 3* of torque in Regular flex. Tensei Blue will be in a similar range.

Typically, you’ll be in the 55-to-65-gram weight range, mid 3* of torque range, and having just a few different options should be sufficient.

Once you get near 95mph, you need options. Torque values across the 3* range and down into the upper 2*’s. You can tinker in different weight classes, different flexes and different torque values to find what works best for this player.

Above 100mph? Be prepared to tinker. the faster the resulting ball speed, the more amplified the miss. This means the more precise you need to be.

Here is the key:

You MUST have a process. You MUST. No exceptions. If you ALWAYS start in the same place, you ALWAYS know what to do next. ALWAYS. You can create your own process, but you ALWAYS need to follow it. If you don’t, you’ll never know – with absolute certainty – where to go next.

Here’s what I do. I look at the players current driver, the golf swing, and the data from the launch monitor as the player is warming up. I make an educated guess on what shaft flex he might fall into based on what I see. Suppose I think he is a Regular flex. I start him in a Tensei Blue 55-gram shaft. Why that one? Because I have an out with more torque (Denali Charcoal), or less torque (several) depending on what I see. I can go heavier or lighter depending on what I see. It gives me options for my next move if I need one. I have the same process for stiff flex (Tensei Blue 65 Stiff), X Stiff (Denali Black 6X), Lite Flex (Vanquish 40), and Ladies (Mitsubishi Eldio 40). I always have another move. I always know what to try next once I see the result of my first move. Create your process. You will seriously simplify your process.

This is almost always the case. The only reason I wouldn’t is if he is playing our driver in a different shaft that he loves and I have it, then I would try that one first, and use what I know about other shafts to proceed. If you don’t have the knowledge depth, start with your tried and true and do a re-fit. It doesn’t need to be a lot of swings with each one, but see what you need to see and walk him through the process. You’ll learn with each move, and he’ll see progress (hopefully) with each move. Ask him questions – how does that feel? Do you like that flight? Is it too heavy? He’ll tell you what to try next without knowing it. This is how you work together to find what works best for the player you have in front of you.

I choose each of these shafts because they will play right up the middle in terms of weight, torque, etc. You can typically go heavier or lighter if you need too and find something that rotates more or less if you need to. This choice gives you options for your next move and reduces the number of choices remaining by half. After 2 moves, you should be down to 1 or 2 shaft choices.

If I start with Tensei Blue 65 stiff and need a shaft that is lighter weight and higher torque, my choices are down to 2 or 3. If I need the same weight and the same torque, my choices are down to 2 or 3 with no upcharge and 3 or 4 with an upcharge. If I need heavier and less torque, my choices are down to 3 or 4, and another 3 or 4 with an upcharge. The shaft bag with 30 stiff flex shafts in it gets pretty small in a hurry if you start with the right one – once you know what you’re looking for.

I hope this helps you define YOUR process and understand how torque in a golf shaft will influence your fitting. You can study specs until you are blue in the face, but the best way to get good at shafts is to HIT them. Spend the time in the bay or on the range. Pay attention to how they react for you. Because, guess what? They will react the same way for the player you are fitting. Put in the time to simplify the job.

Happy Fitting!!!

Jim Yeager, PGA