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Nippon Shafts
lukedogg

lukedogg

One shot at a time....
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OK, so over the past 3 years, I've learned a lot about golf however, I still continue looking for answers I have yet to really find or understand. Tonight I have a question pertaining to shafts. This may be referred to Wood or Iron shafts as well. Can you fine folks in "idiot proof" descriptions give me a general education in shafts. I know the difference in flex but, what about all the other fine tuning aspects. Kick points, torque, etc..I know that fitting is very crucial as I have been fitted for my irons but never woods/hybrids.

*Do stock shafts and aftermarket shafts really make that big of a difference? Distance wise? Personal testimonials would be nice to hear.

Like I said, just some good information. Please specify if your talking about irons/woods in your reply as well.
 
You are asking an extremely broad question but I'll try and do a basic summary.

Torque = the amount a shaft will twist while under load. The lower the Torque rating, the less it will twist but the "harsher" it will feel.

Kick Points affect the launch, spin, and feel characteristics of a shaft. The lower (closer to the clubhead) a kickpoint is in a shaft the higher the ball will launch and the more it will backspin. This usually leads to a "loose" feeling shaft, but there are some exceptions. High kickpoint shafts will launch much lower, spin less and feel more stiff in your hands.

Weight is another factor that can play a role in how a shaft performs. Typically the heavier a shaft is the stiffer it will feel and play and it will launch the ball lower.

As far as stock vs. aftermarket goes it's really a crapshoot that needs personal testing and fitting to determine. I have had success with stock shafts as well as aftermarket and one isn't necessarily better than the other. Heck, one clubs aftermarket shaft is another's stock one in many cases.

These principals will apply equally to irons and woods. My apologies if this is more basic an explanation than you were looking for.
 
I will chime in on the stock vs aftermarket shaft driver experience --- personally I think finding the correct shaft, driver head / loft for YOU will play an greater role in if the shaft is aftermarket or not. I've been fit numerous times over the last 4 years and I've finally gotten some good advice. For me - having a slower swing speed I've always been put into whippy, tip soft shafts in my driver. After my last fitting the guy recommened a more middle of the road tip to kill some spin. This has given me more roll and helped with my quick transition. I took me 3 years to find a combo that worked and provided some benefit.

As far as irons go - Mizuno Swing Optimizer is a solid tool and most golf stores have one. It will provide you a feedback of at least 3 shafts....quality starting point. In my opinion irons will be easier to find shafts to test...As far as for wood shafts - I think it is trial and error. You may find a stock shaft that works for you. So get fit! Best of luck.
 
Aftermarket shafts will only make a difference if they are a better fit for you. There is no guarantee that a $300 driver shaft will be better than the stock shaft in your driver. However, with that being said, I have really enjoyed the upgraded shaft in my driver. Completely changed my driver.
 
I think most companies in regards to driver shafts now are providing the consumer with more options in regards to stock offerings. Now - that doesn't mean they will fit you. I've always been a Titleist driver guy and none of their last couple offerings shaft wise have fit me. But all companies now have upgrade shafts on their website. Most companies will provide a guideline that will provide the shafts characteristics -- Miyazaki has some stellar info. Read up and go thru a fitting first which will give you a baseline of stuff to try and hit.
 
I too got really curious about shafts and researched all over on torque, kick points, tip stiffness, etc. Eventually my curiosity led me to pay for a shaft fitting for my driver. In the end, we couldn't find an aftermarket shaft that could improve the numbers I was getting with the stock setup. A little disappointed at first, yes. But wasted time and money? I don't think so... the confidence I have now in the tee box is golden.
 
B33RMoney said:
I too got really curious about shafts and researched all over on torque, kick points, tip stiffness, etc. Eventually my curiosity led me to pay for a shaft fitting for my driver. In the end, we couldn't find an aftermarket shaft that could improve the numbers I was getting with the stock setup. A little disappointed at first, yes. But wasted time and money? I don't think so... the confidence I have now in the tee box is golden.
Click to expand...

I agree, I fit pretty well into most of the OEMs stock options. I need a low kick point for a higher ball flight.
 
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