Golf shafts have come a long way!

[TN94z]

How many of you guys worry about what shafts are in your irons or drivers?  I can remember a couple of years ago, it seemed like everyone was talking about what shaft they had and the new shafts that were coming out.  Now it seems that kind of talk has really died down...I'm speaking from personal experience in my area and not on the message board. With all of the new technology in shafts, it seems like that would be a great place to pick up some yardage and consistency (assuming the swing is fairly consistent of course).  Especially with the driver.  When you take the science and technology that goes into these shafts and combine that with a fitting session that pairs the golfer with the best launch angle and spin rate for his swing, how can a golfer go wrong really?  I was reading this article this morning about Rory using a new Mitsubishi (Diamana prototype) driver shaft,

Quote:

Rory McIlroy won the PGA Championship with a new Mitsubishi Rayon 70-gram graphite driver shaft. Officially the shaft is classified as a Diamana prototype, and McIlroy used it to finish first in average driving distance (311.5 yards) at this year’s final major championship.

and it goes on to talk about other companies making new shafts and it just got me thinking....does no one care about this as much anymore?  I admit, I am an equipment JUNKIE and that is one of the most fun parts about getting involved in anything for me, so my opinion may be a bit biased.  I am always looking for anything to add some distance or get more consistent.  I just think back about all of the talk that was going on then and it just isn't there anymore.

How many of you keep up with shaft technology and go so far as to try different shafts and actually get fittings to pursue that absolute perfect shaft for your swing?

[Mr. Desmond]

The Golf Biz has dried up a bit since 3-4 years ago, and so has interest in $300-350 shafts. You still have the diehards, but for many, the interest is in the $50-150 shafts.

[TN94z]

Originally Posted by Mr. Desmond

The Golf Biz has dried up a bit since 3-4 years ago, and so has interest in $300-350 shafts. You still have the diehards, but for many, the interest is in the $50-150 shafts.

Agreed.  But even then, in my area anyway, no one was buying the shafts because of the price.  I am just referring to all of the talk and how much the shafts could help, etc....I don't even hear the talk anymore.  But that would still go in hand with the economy issues as play is not what it was either.

[chilly]

I'm a golf shaft junkie of sorts, always plugging in new pieces and see what they do.  To be honest though, now that things are pretty well sorted, it's not much benefit to try new stuff.  By that I mean, all the major manufacturers basically have a full line of High/Medium/Low launch/spin stuff, in a couple price ranges.  With some small variance, they all do pretty much what they say they will do in the specs, and it's a matter of subjective "feel" at that point.  I think a few years ago, everyone was on the low spin bandwagon, now that's been done to death, and seems to be the last "frontier" is getting a low spin shaft with nice feel and responsiveness which seems what everyone is doing, ie Whiteboard/Blueboard moving to Ahina/Kali

[NuclearMike]

I have three shafts for my driver which I'll change based on conditions.  My latest acquisition increased my carry by 30 yards over my mid-launch shaft and changed my game to a degree that I didn't think possible.  I don't use high end shafts because my game is such that I don't think that I'd see the benefit equaling the cost, but at my budget I just put a UST Mamiya Proforce V2 High Launch shaft into play and I think that it's probably the best golf-related purchase that I've ever made.  I have the standard Proforce V2 in my irons and 5 hybrid but tended to hit my driver lower than I wanted.  The new one changes everything.  I still like my Grafalloy ProLaunch Red on windy days but if it's calm I have a new approach to those long par 4s and 5s.

So, to answer the question, I'm a big fan of changing shafts, since it really changed my game.