True or false

[Chieflongtee]

I’m just not hitting the ball as far as I used to ...can you help?”

This is probably the single most often asked question by golfers looking for a new shaft. For years, the answer was relatively easy: put the golfer into an ultra-light shaft and they would pick up some of the yards that time had stolen away.

But as head sizes have grown from the 300cc range, to the new 460cc standard, ultra-light golf shafts– by which we mean shafts below 50 grams– have failed to keep pace. In many senses, the available ultra-light golf shafts have meant that the new oversized heads have not lived up to their promise of distance and accuracy for those that need them most.

The problem has been that, as head sizes have increased, the head’s center of gravity has moved further from the shaft’s center axis. This means more twisting of the shaft as the club head comes to square on impact. We refer to the tendency of a shaft to twist as ‘torque’. The higher the torque of the shaft, the more twisting it has along its center axis, the higher probability of a shot that flies off its intended line

[Seanemmetttimot]

I’m just not hitting the ball as far as I used to ...can you help?”

This is probably the single most often asked question by golfers looking for a new shaft. For years, the answer was relatively easy: put the golfer into an ultra-light shaft and they would pick up some of the yards that time had stolen away.

But as head sizes have grown from the 300cc range, to the new 460cc standard, ultra-light golf shafts– by which we mean shafts below 50 grams– have failed to keep pace. In many senses, the available ultra-light golf shafts have meant that the new oversized heads have not lived up to their promise of distance and accuracy for those that need them most.

The problem has been that, as head sizes have increased, the head’s center of gravity has moved further from the shaft’s center axis. This means more twisting of the shaft as the club head comes to square on impact. We refer to the tendency of a shaft to twist as ‘torque’. The higher the torque of the shaft, the more twisting it has along its center axis, the higher probability of a shot that flies off its intended line

It is difficult to design and manufacture a lightweight shaft with a super low torque.

Another side issue is it doesn't matter how much cc you have whether it be 300 or 460 or 700, if you do not consistently hit the sweet spot you will never achieve maximum distance.

To maximize distance, one needs to fine tune not only their equipment (ball, head, shaft combination) and also their swing.

Also, lightweight doesn't always mean more distance and accuracy. Until I was properly fit I used to always use a "regular" (whatever that means) flex shaft. Now I have switched to heavier and stiffer (XS sometimes) and find I swing much smoother with a heavier shaft than lighter shaft. For me lightweight shafts which is your point, are way too whippy and I can feel the club lag and I either flip it closed with my hands and yank it left or the club lags so bad it goes dead right........

[calleygolf]

Only one question: Do you fade or slice the ball

[Marcos]

Very interesting André.That makes sense to me.

[Jeany1]

let me know JY

[Chieflongtee]

let me know JY

Imho yes Jean-Yves . Less torque is better. I did not write the article. Keep in mind that a bad swing is a bad swing no matter what the shaft is. I found a 2.8 torque graphite shaft for around $35.
Steel shafts have a torque in the 2.2 ball park. One of the reason the V2 is a very popular shaft is its low torque properties.
Less torque=less unwanted twisting=better control.

[Jeany1]

Jy

[Chieflongtee]

Excelsior Emerald Wood Shaft

At 2.8 degrees, the Emerald has the lowest torque of the series. The higher bend point gives a much more tour trajectory. This shaft is designed for a player with a slightly higher swing speed. It is hard to find a graphite shaft with a torque under 3.0 degrees!

• Super Low Torque
• 6" Parallel Tip Section
• Mid High Bend

Flex

Length (in) Wgt (grms)Torque (deg)Tip DiaButt DiaBend Pt.R(653)46652.8.335600mid / highS(654)

[Jeany1]

http://golf.about.com/od/faqs/f/torque.htm

not too low on torque? How low is good enough?

[Chieflongtee]

For slow swing speeds and smooth tempo not too much of a concern
Also are torque ratings the same frome one manufacturer to the other????
What's the torque on your Matrix HD???

Question: What is "Torque," and Is It Important In Choosing the Right Shaft?

Answer: The term "torque" is taken to mean the shaft's designed resistance to twisting during the downswing. The torque value is expressed in degrees, so the lower the degrees of torque, the more resistance the shaft will have to being twisted from the force of the downswing on the clubhead attached to that shaft. The higher the degrees of torque, the less resistance the shaft will have to being twisted by the mass of the clubhead on the downswing.
In steel shafts, because the type of steel material is the same throughout the entire shaft, the torque exists in a very narrow range of degrees, one that is much more narrow than in graphite shafts.
Graphite shafts can be and often are made with a wide variety of different graphite fiber strength, stiffness and position on the shaft. This allows the torque in graphite shafts to range from as high as 7 or 8 degrees to as low as 1 degree, while in steel this range is only from a little more than 2 degrees to a little under 4 degrees. Therefore, torque is not a factor to worry about in the selection of a steel shaft, but it is a point to keep in mind for some golfers when selecting a graphite shaft.
Fortunately, the fitting ramifications of torque even in graphite shafts is not that severe. Simply stated, it means that if you are a big strong, powerful person with an aggressive swing tempo and a late release, you never want the torque in a graphite shaft to be any higher than 4 to 4.5 degrees. Otherwise, your strength and downswing force may cause the clubhead to twist the shaft, causing the clubface to be more open at impact, and resulting in a shot that hangs or fades to the right of your target.
Conversely, if you have a very smooth, rhythmic swing without a very aggressive downswing move, you do not want to use graphite shafts with the torque below 3.5 degrees or else the impact feel of the shot can be stiff, harsh and unsolid, and the height of the shot may be too low. So for most golfers, as long the torque of a graphite shaft is between 3.5 and 5.5 degrees - which is the case for the vast majority of graphite shafts today - the golfer will be OK and torque will never be a factor to worry about in the shaft fitting.

[semperfi45]

There are no standards in the shaft making industry according Tom Wishon.

For slow swing speeds and smooth tempo not too much of a concern
Also are torque ratings the same frome one manufacturer to the other????
What's the torque on your Matrix HD???

[The Saint]

There are no standards in the shaft making industry according Tom Wishon.

That is correct. Actually there are little to no standards in the golf industry.