Less Torque = More Slice? Answer Found.

[HytrewQasdfg]

The rule I had always been told was that if you sliced (or in my case hit a push slice) then you needed to go with a shaft with a higher torque (conversly if you hook you need a lower torque), but never understood why. I finally had someone explain this to me, so I thought I would share what I found.

First a couple of definitons:

Flex - This is how much the shaft bends. It is rated L (ladies), A (Adult/Senior), R (Regular), S (Stiff), X (Extra-Stiff), etc...

Torque - This is how much the shaft twists. It is usually measured as a number (2.1, 4.0, 5.8). The lower the number, the less the shaft will twist. As a benchmark, I understand the typical metal driver shaft has a torque of 3.0, so if you have a graphite shaft with a torque of 2.1, your shaft twists less than a metal shaft.

Flex and torque are NOT related. UST makes a stiff-flex shaft with a torque of 5.8, and a ladies-flex shaft with a torque of 3.3. You can not determine a shaft's torque from its stiffness.

Hold your hand out like you are going to shake someone's hand. Pretend your palm is the face of your club. At the top of your backswing, the torque "loads" (bend your hand backwards, see how the face is open?) During the downswing the torque "unloads" (bend your hand forward towards your palm, see how the face is closed?)

The torque number determines how much the twist loads/unloads during your swing. A higher torque means your clubface will be slightly closed by the twisting of the shaft at the time of impact. A lower torque number means your clubface will not twisted closed (as much) at the time of impact.

What does this means from a practical standpoint? If you are having problems that relate to not getting the clubface closed enough at impact (and are looking at things like a driver with an offset and/or closed clubface), you should also be looking at a shaft with a high torque number.

Conversely, if you are having problems that relate to having the clubface too closed at impact, you should be looking at a shaft with a low torque number.

What I find ironic, is golfers micro-analyze their swing to determine the correct flex to use (and usually decide to go with too stiff a shaft, imho but that's another post), you never hear anyone talk about getting the right torque. Yet, what are the biggest problems you hear golfers complain about? Fighting a slice or hook. What is the easiest move they could make to help their slice or hook? Getting a shaft with the right torque.

This also explained to me another mystery I could never figure out. From what I understand, a century ago most people fought hooks and a draw was the most common flight path for most amateurs. Today most golfers fight slices, and a fade is the most common flight path for most amateurs. The difference? A century ago they used wood shafts that would probably have a torque number of 10 or more (which encourages a closed clubface at impact.) Today golfers use graphite shafts that have much lower torque numbers (which encourage an open club face at impact.)

[krb]

I've always heard that 1. there's no standard measurement of torque, so numbers from one manufacturer cannot be compared with another, and 2. steel shafts typically will have less torque than just about any graphite shaft. Am I wrong?

I'm no expert, but I would think that you would want a shaft with the least amount of torque you can handle. Assuming your hands can (fairly) repeatably get to square as you strike the ball, the more readily a shaft will twist, the more likely the clubhead will be off line. Given my (possibly faulty) assumptions, I would think a high torque stiff shaft would be useful to practically noone.

[HytrewQasdfg]

I've always heard that 1. there's no standard measurement of torque, so numbers from one manufacturer cannot be compared with another, and 2. steel shafts typically will have less torque than just about any graphite shaft. Am I wrong?

My take on tourque would be the same as flex.

If you have a consistent/repeatable swing the shaft flex will load/unload in a consistent/repateable manner and you will have a consistent/repeatable ball flight. If you have a consistent/repeatable swing the shaft torque will load/unload in a consistent/repateable manner and you will have a consistent/repeatable ball flight.