Graphite vs Steel shafts

[loopie]

Hello.
I'm considering buying a new set of irons this year, and I'm wondering what the difference is between steel shafts vs graphite shafts....are graphite shafts more forgiving?, easier to play with? or are they harder to control?
I've been playing for a few years now and have always had steel shafts.
Just looking for some advice/opinions.

Thanks

[el tigre]

There is no simple answer to this question - it depends on your swing. Here are a few links to help you out:

http://www.swingweight.com/learning_shaft_flex.htm

http://www.golfclubreview.com/genera...mendations.htm

This info may help you narrow things down a bit, but you need really need to try them out and see what works for you.

[fireice]

I agree with El Tigre. I've played w/ both. You really have to demo a bunch of different types before you make a decision. good luck

[powerlefty]

I play with both - graphite in my woods, steel in my irons. I've tried graphite in the irons but never got used to the feel of them - funny swingweight I think. I've also tried the graphite/steel hybrids that Adams came out with and reaaly didn't like the feel of them either. Two suggestions - 1. go for a club fitting and the fitter wil recomend something. 2. try some demos of both to see what feels right.

[1972Apex]

In general graphite shafts will allow a person to hit the ball a bit farther because of their lighter weight, while steel is considered more accurate.
If you get the right flex of shafts in either graphite or steel they will be fine. Personally I would go with Graphite only in the longer clubs (Driver and maybe 3-wood) and steel in all the rest as accuracy is more important than distance in irons.
If you are older or have elbow problems or arthritis Graphite shafted clubs will be easier on your body than steel as they cushion the impact more.
And of course steel is significantly less expensive than graphite.

[el tigre]

Proforged, most golf pros I've met would actually recommend the opposite to what you are saying.

The longer the club, the less accurate it is - therefore a shaft that would provide more accuracy would be of greater benefit than one that provided even more distance, and vice versa in the shorter clubs.

[1972Apex]

I'm afraid I have to disagree with you there el tigre. I don't know too many pros with graphite in their irons and steel in their driver. I usually pull out the driver when the fairway is wide and distance is important on the hole. For narrow fairways on shorter holes when you'd need accuracy you would simply leave the driver in the bag and go to a shorter steel-shafted 3 or 5 wood.

[natgolfer]

Having played with graphite shafted clubs, both irons and woods for many years, I swore that I never would go back to steel. But...

Installed a set of Rifle Lite shafts in my blades in September with the following results:
1. The distance was comparable,
2. The ball flight was lower which I prefer,
3. The shot dispersion was much better,
4. No tendonitis problems, which is great, as I hit a lot of balls, both summer and winter.

A longer, light weight graphite shafted club, may increase your DRIVER distance a little,(not as much as many think), however, as distance goes up, accuracy goes down.

The reality is that while your longest drive may occur with a longer club, your longest average drive will occur with a shorter club. So, the individual must decide what is most important to them. I believe that a golfer, once a reasonable swing has been developed, should choose the longest, lightest shaft, THAT THEY CAN CONTROL, and this may mean a shorter, heavier shaft.

Another reality is that the longer the club, the more difficult it is to hit the percussion centre(sweet spot) and this is essential for both distance and accuracy, even though modern clubs are more forgiving than those from the past.

[Chieflongtee]

sweet spot more food for thought http://www.golfworks.com/article_dis...p?ArticleID=45

[golfman71]

Originally posted by Proforged
In general graphite shafts will allow a person to hit the ball a bit farther because of their lighter weight, while steel is considered more accurate.
If you get the right flex of shafts in either graphite or steel they will be fine. Personally I would go with Graphite only in the longer clubs (Driver and maybe 3-wood) and steel in all the rest as accuracy is more important than distance in irons.
If you are older or have elbow problems or arthritis Graphite shafted clubs will be easier on your body than steel as they cushion the impact more.
And of course steel is significantly less expensive than graphite.

Good advice- I agree with all of these statements. I was just reading about this the other day. I've seen more about the Aldila ONE series graphite shafts lately, which gives you a choice of tip stiffness in one shaft, mid, low, high, etc. Seems to me like graphite allows for more experimentation this way. You might try this shaft too, as long as you're trying different things - (http://www.aldila.com/product6.htm - these are the ONE shaft specs)

[Chieflongtee]

Please do not make the same mistakes I made by trying out different shafts as different manufacturers have different specs for regular firm extra stiff and so on.
My personal experience with Aldila shafts: they play stiffer than most. If you want to save a lot of money I believe anyone should find the frequency they like best and take it from there. It is a slow and painstaking process to go and try out different shafts and clubheads until you find the right one.
Find the frequency that works for you(all suppliers should be equipped with a frequency machine) and have them pured. You can't go wrong with that solution.

[golfman71]

Forgive my ignorance (and thanks for the advice, btw), but what do you mean by frequencty, and how can you know which frequency is the right one unless you try different shafts first?

[Chieflongtee]

Golfman71. Different suppliers have different methods of measuring shaft flex so it can get pretty confusing. A stiff flex from a supplier maybe a regular flex from another supplier.

Unfortunately it would too long for me to explain it all to you but to me the most accurate way to measure a shaft flex is by using a frequency device.

The following articles should help you understand what it's all about:
http://www.golfworks.com/article_dis...p?ArticleID=15
http://www.golfworks.com/article_dis...p?ArticleID=47 http://www.csfa.com/techframe.htm

What's worse is that some shafts do not have the same frequency all the way around. Which means a different flex within the same shaft, give or take a 10+cpm difference) I once wrote John Kaufman and he replied that SK fiber shafts and Apache were pretty consistant all the way around.

A shaft deflection board is one way of measuring shaft flex( athough some shafts have different deflections but the same stiffness) but then again the frequency machine is in my book by far superior. Below is what they look like.
http://www.golfworks.com/item_disp.asp?pn=GLFM
http://www.golfworks.com/item_disp.asp?pn=GSDB

I am not pushing Golfworks here nor anyone else for that matter but some of the advertisers on this forum can provide you with that service.
http://www.ottawagolf.com/customclubs/index.htm

Hope this helps.

[Chieflongtee]

FWIW

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact....Kv2d2ptGE-d50V

[BC MIST]

FWIW

http://campaign.r20.constantcontact....Kv2d2ptGE-d50V

Thanks for the reference to this article.

I used the Aerotech Steel Fiber graphite shafts in my irons during 2011. I chose the 85 g version as I was not aware that a 70 g one was available. Measuring their frequency, they were as consistent as we have found the SK Fiber line to be in the past. As much as I liked the SK's, I found the Aerotech's to feel a little "tighter," possibly meaning that there was less torque in the tip section, making them suitable even a stronger, faster swinging player.
The overall lighter weight, has to increase the chance of more distance, without any loss of control.

[downhillslider]

This is a fitting dilema I encounter quite frequently when doing up a set of irons. First off, I should point out that the two most important factors I use in a fitting are lenght followed by total weight of the club. All other parameters are then adressed after these two are established. The criterea used for dertermining the weight of the club is based on each individual's requirements and unique sense of feel. Many of the virtues of using graphite have been mentioned in this thread and need not be repeated, but the one that has not come up yet is TEMPO. If there is evidence of a severe change in tempo between, let's say, an 80 gr.and 115 gr. shaft, then, to me it is obvious that the one that performs and feels the the best is the one. Adjust the lies, swingweight/ frequency and a comfortable grip size with prefered texture and you are of tho the races.

A few other points. Steel shafts are available now in raw weights as low as 70gr. Graphite shafts are available in the 110 to 115 gr. range. The only issue I have with graphite is the price tag of a premium quality shaft at $70 + $$ each.It gets quite expensive when you need 6 to 8 of them, although at that price, you are getting a product with very tight manufacturing tolerances so the shafts will tend to be quite similar as opposed to an OEM offering or an entry level after market product.

[Chieflongtee]

FWIW

http://calgolflab.com/blog/2012/05/1...-championship/