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Graphite Iron Shafts - The New Norm?

Nippon Shafts
JB

JB

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This is not a topic about the profiles of graphite, but a topic on what it will take for graphite to overtake steel as the new standard of golf shaft. In time, I dont think there is any doubt it happens. Whether that be 5 years or 50 years from now. The question is, what will it take for that to happen?

Is it cost?
Stigma attached?
Quality?
Tour player usage?

All of the above? What do you think has to happen for graphite to become the new standard across the board?
 
I think once people start seeing and hearing that Pro's are using them, it will take the stigma away from them and then it will snowball from there. I think quality and cost are there already and will only get better.
 
It's going to happen, the advances in graphite are more and more each year, and the benefits are starting to be realized by all golfers, both tour and Am alike.

I think the biggest obstacle Graphite has to overcome is the Stigma attached to it. Which is funny because we dont see the internet golfers with steel driver shafts...
 
I'll go with cost. For no other reason than I am in love with the Recoil Prototypes...but will never pay $1,300 (the price I was quoted last spring) for them.

With each round I play, and the increasing pain/numbness in my right hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, the closer I come to really considering a switch.
 
For the new golfer, I doubt there will be any stigma attached to graphite. Case in point, I bought my first set from a garage sale and it had graphite shafts. I just figured that graphite was the more expensive (and therefore better) option for golf clubs.

Cost for me is the biggest factor. If I am eyeing a set that is $600-$800 (or more) and graphite shafts are going to add a few hundred to that price, it's going to be hard to swallow. I have champagne tastes, but I'm on a beer budget.
 
To me it is cost. When the cost comes down to the same price I will play either one.
 
It would be a good start to see golf shops starting to recognize the benefits of them. I had a semi-rant about this last week, but I find it a little absurd how hard it is to find irons with stiff graphite shafts without going online or to a high end fitter. I went to a TM fitting the other day, and out of the hundred or so clubs and shafts they had, there was exactly ONE iron that had a Steelfiber shaft, and it belonged to the rep.
 
The tour player usage will absolutely be the driver. If Tiger Woods came back from surgery with graphite shafts for example, you'd see the amateur usage jump 10 fold in the next year.


edit: i also think, though it kinda goes hand in hand, is the options to test. If I go to a fitting at my local Golfsmith, the options for graphite shafts are extremely limited. Even the custom options offered (without going exotic) by most OEM's are severely lacking.
 
More Tour usage (to drive away stigma) and cost. It'll need some names attached for validation and the price will have to be reasonable enough that OEM's include them as stock offerings.
 
I would honestly love to try some of the new ones, steelfibers etc, but right now it is cost prohibitive for me to do so.

I have hit them one time at Golfsmith in regular flex in an apex pro head, so not an ideal fit for me, but they seemed to feel nice. I would love to get fit for some if/when money allows me to do so.
 
Tour usage. I think the usage of Dynamic Gold shafts on tour would blow my mind.
 
Cost is definitely a killer right now.

I've used them previously and enjoyed them (more for lower weight than health issues as I haven't had wrist/elbow issues).

Looking forward to seeing them made available more in OEM stock offerings.
 
I think it's just a matter of getting the word out there. Once more people try them and see positive results I'm sure the transition will be quick. I'll admit I've never tried any so I have no idea how the feel. Maybe they would work well but who knows. Definitely have to drive away the thoughts that they're only for old people, I've heard plenty of people still think that way unfortunately. Cost is another thing I can think of
 
O'Carroll said:
I'll go with cost. For no other reason than I am in love with the Recoil Prototypes...but will never pay $1,300 (the price I was quoted last spring) for them.

With each round I play, and the increasing pain/numbness in my right hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder, the closer I come to really considering a switch.
Click to expand...

This is me as well. The extra cost is hard to swallow especially for those of us who just don't have the extra $$ to throw at clubs every year.

I really want to try the steel fiber shafts in some irons but the cost is just too much. My body needs lighter shafts but my swing doesn't need the higher ball flight typically associated with lighter shafts. Technology will fix this soon, if not already, but it's too expensive.

Maybe I can save up and buy some pulls in a year or two and throw in my Apex irons.

I would agree that we will see more graphite shafts in irons in the near future, and I hope I can contribute.
 
Hawk said:
More Tour usage (to drive away stigma) and cost. It'll need some names attached for validation and the price will have to be reasonable enough that OEM's include them as stock offerings.
Click to expand...


This is an interesting thought. People ask how much marketing is involved in golf. Take Steel Fibers that are used by a few Tour Players. I had a guy in a store tell me, "Well those are not really graphite, so younger people can use them".

They aren't? Hmmmm.
 
For me, it's about cost and ease of getting fit. There seem to be hundreds of options of graphite shafts out there with different kick points etc., but only a few steel options. Steel would seem to be an easier fit to the lay person.
 
I think for the general golfing public, cost is an issue. I don't think it's an issue for the golf enthusiast/typical THPer. I know many people on this board who have purchased multiple drivers in the last year, spend hundreds of dollars traveling to THP events and in general, don't see an extra 15% on a set of irons as that big a deal if it improves their game.
 
JB said:
This is not a topic about the profiles of graphite, but a topic on what it will take for graphite to overtake steel as the new standard of golf shaft. In time, I dont think there is any doubt it happens. Whether that be 5 years or 50 years from now. The question is, what will it take for that to happen?

Is it cost?
Stigma attached?
Quality?
Tour player usage?

All of the above? What do you think has to happen for graphite to become the new standard across the board?
Click to expand...

I think familiarity through stock options, for many. I'd argue a solid chunk of the market buys off the rack, and if graphite is in there already, they will start to become more and more comfortable with playing it. It took me a couple of runs with various ultra stout shafts (steel fiber, Recoil x) to really understand that weighting, design, and quality are 100% on par with a lot of steel right now.

Plus the feedback is incredible.
 
JB said:
This is an interesting thought. People ask how much marketing is involved in golf. Take Steel Fibers that are used by a few Tour Players. I had a guy in a store tell me, "Well those are not really graphite, so younger people can use them".

They aren't? Hmmmm.
Click to expand...


I don't think it's a coincidence that we see both the word 'steel' in the name and design (Fuji MCI's advertise the use of steel as well). Same with the way that many high end graphite shafts are silver colored now (MCI/Recoil/Aldila). Just another way to help the consumer get out of their own way.

I think it'll have to be a lot of big names before anything happens on a large scale. And dramatic lowering of cost.
 
I think there are a few things that need to happen.

Cost has to go down. A set that can be had for 7-800 bucks in steel costs near 1000 for the same heads with graphite.
Tour Usage will certainly help, but I think it needs to be those top tier players to have a quick effect. I'm not talking about guys like Boo Weekley or Ken Duke, but the more guys in say the top 30 use them, the more it will generate some buzz.
Education on shafts. Graphite tech has come a long way, but how many people really know that?
 
JB said:
This is an interesting thought. People ask how much marketing is involved in golf. Take Steel Fibers that are used by a few Tour Players. I had a guy in a store tell me, "Well those are not really graphite, so younger people can use them".

They aren't? Hmmmm.
Click to expand...

and interesting thing on those ones. If you go to TaylorMade's site and try to customize a set of Tour Preferred irons. Steel Fiber shafts are listed under the steel option and not graphite. I found that odd because they are certainly a graphite shaft.
 
Hopefully with more competition between the shaft companies, the price will start to drop. I do think the lack of education and stigma about the quality will continue to haunt graphite. Tour use could help solve many of these issues.
 
ddec said:
I think there are a few things that need to happen.

Cost has to go down. A set that can be had for 7-800 bucks in steel costs near 1000 for the same heads with graphite.
Tour Usage will certainly help, but I think it needs to be those top tier players to have a quick effect. I'm not talking about guys like Boo Weekley or Ken Duke, but the more guys in say the top 30 use them, the more it will generate some buzz.
Education on shafts. Graphite tech has come a long way, but how many people really know that?
Click to expand...

Like Matt Kuchar? :D

ddec said:
and interesting thing on those ones. If you go to TaylorMade's site and try to customize a set of Tour Preferred irons. Steel Fiber shafts are listed under the steel option and not graphite. I found that odd because they are certainly a graphite shaft.
Click to expand...

That is shameful on their part.
 
I think we are a couple of years away from it, but it's nice to see companies like Taylormade and Callaway start to offer "stock" graphite shafts in their catalogs for irons. I imagine by 2016 we will see a completely different landscape with the way things are trending right now.
 
In my order of importance for it to happen:

1. Price
2. Tour Player usage-Marketing it just like companies do with new clubs
 
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