Breaking a golf club with a big swing

[BruCrew]

Just last week the shaft on my 8 iron broke between my hands under the grip as I started my downswing.  The shaft went through the grip and into my index finger.  I had to get 5 stitches.

I use Project X Rifle shafts (6.5) and they were only about 2 years old.  I don't abuse my clubs but I do keep them garage .... maybe it was rust but it didn't look that bad.

[Foursum Golf]

Steel, not so much. You'd need rust, acute metal fatigue, or damage to the shaft for it to actually shear off. This refers to the shaft itself breaking in the middle, but it can be stressed at the hosel and chewed up by it, or get the epoxy to cut loose. Maybe if you attached a 5 pound ball to the end, you could flex it enough with your hands to snap it. But the clubhead's inertia isn't enough of a force to break a healthy steel shaft. If it breaks, it had to be damaged or defective.

A club will very rarely break in the middle by defect. It usually happens in the grip or close to the club head. Working golf retail in the past, I would regularly deal with customers who were bringing back broken clubs. It was pretty easy to figure out what happened to them.

[Spitfisher]

The shaft could have been damaged (cracked) during impact and gone unnoticed until it broke during his swing. But break a shaft during transition, I don't think so.

This!

[JoeH]

I have a set of TaylorMade R7 irons maybe 4 years old.  During a normal swing from the middle of the fairway, I nailed a 3 iron.  On impact, the top 6 inches of steel shaft broke in 2!!  Only thing keeping the pieces together is the grip!!

I've since talked to a lot of golfers, none of which had ever heard of, let alone seen, that happening before.  Anyone??