There are two ways to go about looking at the “best golf club shafts” in the sport. One is to assess the features of existing shafts, the other is to pair them to your abilities.
When you take the second route, you need to consider your height, swing speed, tempo, and other factors, and then base your judgments on shaft length, weight, material, flexibility, kick point, and a lesser-known factor called torque.
Here’s a quick primer.
What Is Torque
Torque is a unique rating that is related to shaft flex. It refers to the degree to which a golf shaft will “twist” or rotate around an axis that runs through its center.
Torque is often rated with a flat number that corresponds to degrees or rotation. For instance, a shaft with a torque rating of 5 will rotate by 5 degrees in either direction around the axis that penetrates the length of the shaft. A shaft with a torque rating of 3 would rotate by 3 degrees, and so on and so forth.
Shafts with high torque ratings typically also have higher flex ratings. In addition, stiff shafts that are made of steel have the lowest torque ratings whereas shafts made of graphite or carbon fiber have the highest ratings.
How Does It Affect Golf Swing
Torque affects your golf swing because it will impact the manner in which the clubhead behaves during the backswing and at transition. Together, these affect how the clubhead reacts at the point of impact position.
For players with faster swing speeds, shafts with a high torque can generally cause the clubhead to strike the golf ball with an open face. When this happens, the face of the clubhead will impart an undesirable side spin on the ball – which can cause the ball to veer off to the right and away from the golfer during flight. This is known as a slice, and one of the things that can cause a slice is playing with a shaft that is too flexible – or has too high of a torque rating.
Swing Speed and Club Head Weight: The Two Most Important Influencing Factors
There are two factors that, in conjunction with high torque ratings, can cause shot errors like slices. These are swing speed and clubhead weight.
The higher your swing speed, the more a shaft with a high torque rating will twist during the swing. This can exacerbate the “open-faced” condition of the clubhead on impact with the ball – which in turn will exaggerate the effects of a slice. Players with slower swing speeds might not ever manifest the same problems. In fact, higher flex and torque ratings might even help them.
The other is clubhead weight. Heavy, dense, multi-material driver and fairway wood heads generate a lot of force when accelerated. The heavier a clubhead, the more it will cause a shaft to torque during a swing.
So, in other words, the faster your swing speed, and the higher the weight of your club heads, the lower a torque rating you will likely prefer – although this is of course a generality. You still should get fitted by a professional.
The Best Golf Club Shafts Are in at Dallas Golf Company
Interested in getting new shafts for your irons or drivers? Dallas Golf Company (DallasGolf.com) carries a wide range of high-quality golf shafts from the top manufacturers, including MCA, Oban, Aldila, Fujikura, Graphite Design, Grafalloy, and others.
They carry some of the best graphite shafts and steel shafts on the market in a range of different flex ratings and launch profiles. Whether you have a fast swing speed and tempo and need an extra stuff shaft with a mid-launch profile or a slower speed that requires a high launching shaft profile, they have something to meet your needs.
Visit their website, DallasGolf.com to find some of the best golf club shafts in the game.
