Steel and Graphite Shafts? Compare!

[PuttPutt]

How to compare Steel and Graphite Shafts, and How Do I Choose One or the Other? Any feedbacks awill be appreciated!

[MMouse]

I'm glad to see this thread. I know nothing about shafts, and because of that here is what I come to logically.

Steel shafts offer better control, but would lack distance and weighs more.

A regular graphite shaft ( for someone like me ) would afford more distance due to the subtle whipping of the shaft but would give up some of that control.

So a stiff graphite shaft would offer someone like me better control, lighter weight but may lose distance due to lack of the whipping effect.


Can someone with some knowledge please share.

[James_Black]

A graphite shaft is lighter.
That means you can swing the club faster but you also get less control.

A steel shaft is heavier than the graphite and that means it offers better control than the graphite.

If your getting irons and aren't a very short hitter then go for steel, a few yards for better control is worth it.
I've got steel shafts in my 3,5 woods as well. I don't care about gaining 5 extra yards if the ball is going to go OB.

[allin]

A graphite shaft is lighter.

What research there has been indicates that most of the loss in accuracy is due to the fact that companies use longer shafts in graphits shafted clubs, but of course if you use a shorter shaft the swing weight has effects on feel, and distance advantage is less. So if you have a need for graphites vibration damping but not extra length try a standard length shaft to see if accuracy improves. Since graphite is more expensive the extra cost is hard to justify without a clear performance advantage.

[jamo]

Graphite shafts also dampen a little more vibration.

[James_Black]

Graphite shafts also dampen a little more vibration.

do you get less feel from the shot because of that?

or is there a noticeable difference?

[jpalermo]

For irons I see no benefit for graphite, the shafts now have so many options that it would suprise me that a graphite shaft would out perform a premium shaft ie. px, kbs dollar for dollar. If you need more flex get a regular steel shaft and soft step it..... many many options as far as steel shafts.

[jamo]

do you get less feel from the shot because of that?

I haven't used them enough to really know if there is any real "feel" difference. But the vibration is less.

[Blades4me]

I notice more distance with graphite shafts, but only use them in my driver, FW & Bridgestone Air Muscle 2. I also spine all of my shafts before putting them into the club heads. I've noticed both my irons & metals to have a pretty small dispersion.

I believe what you will see is that many ppl will have graphite shafts in dirvers, FW's & hybrids and steel in their irons.

[Blades4me]

do you get less feel from the shot because of that?

Yes, the feel is much more muted compared to steel.

[mlf16507]

http://www.tutelman.com/golf/design/...coast#material

This may help!

[HytrewQasdfg]

IMHO, a lot of the talk about graphite vs. steel amounts to little more than stereotypes.

Why do most guys play stiff shafts (even though they would be better off playing regular flex)? That's just what real men do. Why do almost all men play steel shafts? Same reason, that's just what real me do.

Graphite is the the standard shaft material for hybrids. Hybrids are iron replacements (used in many of the same situations today that irons were used just a few years ago). If graphite is really so detremental to iron performance, why don't people use steel shafts in hybrids?

They typical torque rating for a steel shaft is 3.0 (I believe, someone correct me if I'm wrong). There are plenty of graphite shafts with a torque rating lower than 3.0 (UST V2 graphite iron shaft has a tourque of only 2.2, which in theory means it should be more accurate than a typical steel shaft). All you have to do is go in a store and try to bend some irons shafted with steel and graphite and you quickly discover there are also plenty of graphite shafts that are just as stiff as a steel shaft.

I'm not an expert on the playing differences between graphite and steel. What I do know though, is you see plenty of women on the LPGA tour using graphite shafted irons that are pretty darned accurate, and you see plenty of men on the PGA tour using graphite shafted hybrids (iron replacement clubs) that are just as accurate with them as their steel shafted irons. At least one wedge maker (EIDOLON) is on record as saying they have a graphtie wedge shaft that is actually better than a steel shaft. The old stereotype that graphite shafts is less accurate than steel was certainly true years ago when graphite shafts were first introduced (and still something of an experimental product), I'm not so sure that stereotype is true today.

[Blades4me]

If one likes feed back then graphite shafts in irons isn't such a good idea.
Personally, I'll take steel shafts in my irons over graphite any day cuz I like the feel better; but that is just me.

[WUTiger]

I really like graphite in driver and FWs, and probably hybrids if I decide to add one. Graphite on long clubs requires a tempo swing to get contact and distance. Once I get really warmed up in midround, I can't jump on a driver like in the steel-persimmon days - if I press, the ball goes haywire.

For irons, I just like the feel of steel: Steel shafts give irons a higher swingweight, which helps me not overswing on the shorter shafts. Also, graphite-shafted irons seem to feel strange in shots out of rough.

[dkglf]

Typical torque rating on a steel shaft is 1.8. I have a graphite shaft in my driver with a 1.8 also.