Graphite shaft 101 - a refresher course!

[acrazygolfer]

I spoke to Joe today and did a little reading afterward regarding graphite shafts. Here is a quick refresher on the designs of graphite shafts:

The 4 design characteristics of graphite shaft are (1) torque; (2) weight; (3) flex; and (4) kick point.

Torque - torque is the measure of lateral twisting the shaft experiences under playing condition. The less the shaft and head twist at impact, the tighter the dispersion and thus more accuracy. Torque ranges from 1.8 to 7.2.

Weight - the measure of the shaft in gram. Lighter shaft helps to increase swing speed. However, lighter shafts tend to have higher torque.

Flex - flex is the measure of how much the shaft will bend under given condition. The more flexible the shaft, the easier it is to swing. Slow swing speed players should play lighter flex shaft to assist in generating club head speed ... the opposite for higher swing speed players. Flex designations by the manufacturers are not the same as but generally are pretty close.

Kick Point - kick point is the location/point on the shaft where the majority of the shaft flex occured. Kick point is designated as low, mid and high. Low kick point shaft will kick or release closer to the club head during the down swing making it easier for the player to release the shaft resulting in higher trajectory. The opposite for higher kick point since the shaft kicks closer to the grip during the down swing resulitn in a low and more boring trajectory.

I'd hope this refresher helps all of us in finding that shaft HOLY GRAIL!