Do Upgrade Shafts Provide a Significant Performance Gain?

[Huffy]

Hello all,

I was recently fit into the Ping G440 LST, I currently game the Nike Vapor Fly Pro with a 55-gram stiff shaft (still love it). However, it's about time for an upgrade, I got fit into either the Ping Alta Blue CB 55-S or the Ventus Blue 5-S TR. My swing speed is about 110 Mph and tempo is relatively smooth. I really enjoyed how smooth the TR was with spin being more consistent between 2000-2400; while the Alta was 1700-2600, the spin being the only major difference I noticed. Are upgrade shafts (specifically the TR line) worth the cost difference? Thanks for any help.

TL;DR Are upgrade shafts worth it?

[Typhoon92]

Is the Ventus TR the Velocore model?  It will say velocore on the shaft down by the adapter.

[Huffy]

2 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Is the Ventus TR the Velocore model?

Yes, it is the Velocore, not the new Velocore+ however, not sure of those differences.

[pganapathy]

The short answer is "It depends on the shaft you are upgrading from".

The best way to see if it makes sense is to hit your current gamer and the new fit club side by side and analyse the difference.  Distance and dispersion ought to be better with the new shaft but if all you gain is 2 yards for example not worth upgrading.  But if you are gaining 25 yards and better dispersion, by all means spend the money

[Typhoon92]

The Velocore is a $350 upgrade…. Around that dollar figure anyway.  Not all upgrade shafts are better for your game.  The Velocore may have more consistent spin numbers but how were the other numbers?  Were they $350 better?  You might be rich and money means nothing, who knows.  There are also other “upgrade shafts “ that are less money that may give you close to Velocore numbers at a fraction of the cost.  For some of us, the stock shaft works good enough.  a lot of the stock shafts are actually pretty good.

 

Only you can be final judge.  I would look at more price points vs performance before I pull the trigger.

[Huffy]

41 minutes ago, Typhoon92 said:

Only you can be final judge.

Right, I get a discount through the college I attend so it would be about $650 with the upgrade ($400 w/o), which is the only reason I would consider it, I would not even think about it at $950 for the driver.

[OBlum]

I think they are worth it if they help improve your game significantly. I also agree that if you can afford it and you like it you should get it.

[saevel25]

If the base golf shaft is like 95% optimal for you, I don’t see it worth it going for the 300 dollar up-charge.

go get fit and do a comparison.

[klineka]

FWIW you can find used Ventus shafts online (ebay, other forums classified, etc) for a fraction of the cost of new. It's not uncommon for used Ventus shafts to go for like $150 shipped. Plus they hold their value relatively well, so you could always order the stock setup for now, try that and if you don't like it just buy a used Ventus and then direct compare that way. 

[ChetlovesMer]

On 5/6/2025 at 12:27 PM, klineka said:

FWIW you can find used Ventus shafts online (ebay, other forums classified, etc) for a fraction of the cost of new. It's not uncommon for used Ventus shafts to go for like $150 shipped. Plus they hold their value relatively well, so you could always order the stock setup for now, try that and if you don't like it just buy a used Ventus and then direct compare that way. 

Be careful buying Ventus shafts online. The Ventus Velocore is a great shaft IMO. I've had 3. Currently have one in my FW. If it's not a Velocore it's not nearly the same shaft. 

Here's an older but very interesting video: 

 

[WUTiger]

For someone with a very consistent swing speed and ball strike, upgrades may improve performance.

For everyday golfers, probably not.

I'm a rather odd player. I usually get best performance from basic pro or tour heads, but with lighter stock shaft from the model's standard driver set up. (Yes, current EXS is an exception.) When I get a full driver fitting, I usually try a couple of modest upgrade  (not super magic) shafts. Most of the time upgrade gives a couple of extra yards, or 10 yards less.

Remember this about stock shafts: They are matched to a particular driver model to fit the type of player likely to adopt that model.

Also, most OEMs offer a variety of stock shafts in their drivers. Test for which one works best.

And, the final decider...

On 5/5/2025 at 6:46 PM, Typhoon92 said:

The Velocore is a $350 upgrade…. Around that dollar figure anyway.  Not all upgrade shafts are better for your game.  The Velocore may have more consistent spin numbers but how were the other numbers?  Were they $350 better?

 

Edited 1 hour ago by WUTiger
Correct typo.