Torque and frequency

[Keeler]

I'm shopping for a new driver, the one I'm looking at has an RIP Adila Alpha 60 stiff shaft. Here are the specs

flex: S. Frequency: 260. Torque:2.9. Weight: 63g. Launch: Low-Mid

Basically I'm wondering what exactly torque and frequency are? and if this shaft would be appropriate for me, I have a swing speed of 105. thanks

[Chieflongtee]

1. Tech Article: Why Relying on a Single Butt Frequency Measurement Cannot Determine the Stiffness of a Shaft. [continues below]

Tech Article: Why Relying on a Single Butt Frequency Measurement Cannot Determine the Stiffness of a Shaft.

Numerous times we hear from golfers and clubmakers as well who persist in selecting a shaft or judging a shaft’s entire stiffness design on the basis of a butt frequency measurement. In viewing new shafts that come on the market, many golfers believe as long as the new shaft has the same butt frequency as their current shaft, the shaft’s stiffness design will match their swing.
Unfortunately, there is a LOT MORE to the stiffness design, stiffness performance and the stiffness feel of a shaft than a single butt frequency measurement. In other words, it is quite rare for two shafts with the same butt frequency to be the same stiffness design over the full length of the shaft. And equally, it is quite common for two shafts to have the same exact butt frequency measurement, but be completely different in their stiffness design over the rest of the shaft.
Here’s a couple of examples to illustrate this point. First let’s take a look at the full length stiffness design of two shafts for drivers and woods, both made by the same company.

Note: All zone frequency measurements performed for our TWGT Shaft Bend Profile software are taken using a 454 gram tip weight so that we can obtain measurements all the way to the tip section of the shaft. With only a 205g tip weight, it would not be possible to obtain the measurements for the lower center to tip section of the shaft. Using a 454 g tip weight lowers the actual frequency measurement compared to what the measurement would be using a 205 g tip weight. To change any 454g tip weight frequency into a 205g tip weight frequency, multiply the 454g tip weight frequency measurement by 1.41.
The two above shafts with their same 180cpm butt frequency measurement, if done with a 205g tip weight, would both have a frequency measurement of 254 cpm.
Here are two shafts which if measured only for the butt frequency, would lead a golfer to believe that they have the same flex or same stiffness design. Yet in looking at the full stiffness design of both shafts, these two shafts may have the same butt frequency measurement, but they are completely different in terms of their overall stiffness design. In the hands of the same player, these two shafts would result in a completely different stiffness performance and stiffness feel – yet if the golfer were to look at the shafts by only referencing the single butt frequency measurement, the conclusion would be that they have the same stiffness.
This is NOT an isolated case. Within the 2100 different shafts in our Shaft Bend Profile software, there are too many examples to list that are exactly like this – shafts that have the same butt frequency measurement but are completely different in their design, performance and feel.
The same thing exists within iron shafts, which is an area in clubfitting that many golfers make their shaft selection decision based on comparing the butt frequency measurements. Let’s take a look at an example of two iron shafts with the same butt frequency.

What’s interesting when looking at the full stiffness measurements of these two S flex iron shafts is that these two shafts may have the same butt frequency but they are as different in their stiffness measurements for the rest of the shafts’ length as two shafts of the same flex could possibly be. Were the same golfer to play both these shafts, the Rombax S would feel like a telephone pole compared to the ProLaunch Red S. Yet both are S flex and both have the same exact butt frequency.
This matter of judging shaft stiffness, performance and feel on the basis of the butt frequency only can rise up to mislead golfers in the other direction as well. Let’s take a look at this next pair of shafts, a Cleveland Gold 60 S and the Fujikura Blue 004-R.

Remember that these frequency measurements in the Bend Profile software are done using a 454g tip weight. The butt frequency of these two shafts if measured with a 205g tip weight would be 254cpm for the Cleveland Gold 60-S and 244cpm for the Blur 004-R.
Looking only at the butt frequency measurements, one would think that this 10cpm difference in butt frequency with a 205g tip weight, or 7cpm difference with a 454g tip weight, would most definitely be the reason the Cleveland Gold is an S flex and the Fuji Blur an R flex.
But take a look at all of the rest of the relative stiffness measurements after the butt frequency measurement. The 2 / 3 / 5 differences in frequency for the 26”, 21” and 16” positions on the shaft are so small to be insignificant in terms of a stiffness difference in two shafts. Even the 13cpm difference in the very tip end of the shaft is extremely small in terms of a performance or feel difference.
For all intents and purposes, beyond that single butt frequency measurement, these two shafts are so close in stiffness design to each other that only a very small number of very feel sensitive players could ever tell the difference in performance or feel between these two shafts.
Another interesting point from this comes to mind when you think about sorting shafts by their butt frequency as a way to make sure all the shafts in a set have the same stiffness. Think about that based on what you have seen in the previous graphs which show shafts of the same butt frequency but totally different over the rest of the shaft, and this above graph which shows two shafts that are completely different for their butt frequency yet so very close to each other over the entire rest of the shaft.
But what about that 7cpm difference in the butt frequency measurements? Wouldn’t a golfer feel that difference even if the rest of the two shafts are so close to each other in their stiffness design?
Consider this. In the installation of wood shafts into a driver and fairway woods, almost all of that very area where the butt frequency measurement is performed is cut off the shaft when the woods are built to conventional playing lengths. Most shafts for woods are made with a raw uncut length of 45” or 46”. When installed in most driver heads, to achieve a playing length for the driver of 45”, in the area of 3” is cut from the butt end of the raw shaft after installation.
That means the position on the shaft where the butt frequency is measured is now just 2” from the end of the grip. Do you think that last 2” of the butt of the shaft bends very much during the swing? No, it doesn’t, which in turn even further negates the 7cpm difference in butt frequency between these two shafts in our above example.
Shaft stiffness design selection has to be made not just on the basis of the butt frequency, but on the basis of the stiffness of the full length of the shaft. So the next time you hit shots with a club that you know has the same frequency but the shaft feels or performs different, you now know why. Or the next time you hit shots with two clubs that you are sure have different stiffnesses yet feel and perform the same, you know that reason as well.
Bottom line? If you are serious about your shaft selection, you need to forget about judging shafts on the basis only of their butt frequency, and you need to use the TWGT Bend Profile software to see the actual differences and similarities of the stiffness design of the WHOLE SHAFT.

[downhillslider]

Saw this one. Also the other day. Was trying to find a Coles notes version to post but your cut. And paste is a lot easier !!!

[Steerpike]

Check out myspygolf which has articles on torque, shaft flex and weight of shafts. It may provide you with something to think about. Bottom line, if you can, arrange for a fitting that allows you to try different shafts to get the most out of the driver you buy.