NWO Golf Links February 2017

22 / 42

How Important is Shaft Weight?
Everyone knows what weight
is, but how does shaft weight
affect a golf swing?
“If a golfer can’t feel a shaft
that’s properly weighted, the
other factors (flex, torque,
bend profile) are moot.”
An interesting note is that
understanding the weight that
a player feels is not always
straightforward. According
to Nick Sherburne, Club
Champion founder,
“Flex, torque, and bend profile
can play into the perceived
weight of the shaft.”
Weight Distribution and
Counter Balanced Shafts
Though counter balanced
shafts have become very
popular, most agree that total
weight is more important
than weight distribution. That
is not to infer that the correct
Shaft Weight:
A Weighty Subject
By: Matt Saternus,
weight distribution or balance
point is not important.
Why are there so many
counter balanced shafts these
days? The main reason for this
is the club head.
“High balance point shafts
can be matched with heavier
heads or longer club lengths
to facilitate club builds
with [“normal”] swing
weights without having to
change mass properties of the
head. They can be used with
standard heads at standard
lengths to simply reduce
swing weight.”
ShaftWeight inWoods vs. Irons
Is shaft weight more important
in the driver, irons or wedges?
Shaft weight is equally
important in all clubs.
The importance of the driver
shaft can appear to be of
greater value, because of
the greater distance and the
dispersion factor with the
driver, but the fact is that all
shafts are equally important.
Fitting Shaft Weight – Rules
of Thumb
One bit of common wisdom,
that can be wrong, is that
slower swingers should play
lighter shafts and faster swingers
should use heavier shafts.
It is also a fact that a golfer
with a slow swing speed
can do much better with a
heavier shaft, if that causes
them to have more centered
strikes. suggested
that lighter shafts can produce
more distance and heavier
shafts offer more control.
Here are a few fitting cues
Club Champion uses:
-Over-the-top swingers should
try lighter shafts.
-Players releasing too early
can benefit from heavier
shafts.
NWO Golf Links