THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO KNOW ABOUT TORQUE
- A lower-torque shaft will help a golfer create a more leftward dispersion.
- A higher-torque shaft will help a golfer create a more rightward dispersion.
- These guidelines seem to fly in the face of conventional wisdom about shaft torque, which has long stated that lower-torque shafts help golfers avoid a snap hook due to their ...
What is the importance of torque in a golf shaft?
What Is Good Torque for a Golf Club Shaft?
- Types. A steel shaft will have less torque simply because of the material it is made of. ...
- Results. When you have less torque in your club shaft, it is said that you will have a straighter shot and a stiffer feel.
- Less Torque. When you strike the ball, you want your club head to be as square to your target as possible. ...
- More Torque. ...
- Expert Insight. ...
What does high torque mean in a golf shaft?
The torque is how much a golf club will resist bending during the swing. A golf shaft with a higher toque means that the shaft is going to twist more, and a golf shaft with a low torque will twist much less. Generally speaking, golfers with faster swing speeds are going to want lower torque golf shafts.
What is the torque rating on a golf shaft?
Still, the torque range that applies to most golfers is relatively small, between 3.5° – 5.5°. Like most clubfitting elements, there are no absolutes when it comes to matching torque to swing. The basic rules when choosing a shaft with the right torque are as follows: Golfers with high swing speeds (100+ mph) typically need lower torque shafts. Too much torque will produce excessive twisting of the clubface and wildly off-line shots.
What does torque mean in a shaft?
Torque is really pretty simple: it’s the shaft’s resistance to twisting. Torque is measured in degrees (meaning: how many degrees will the shaft twist under a certain amount of force), and you’ll typically see measurements as low as 2° and as high as 5°, 6°, or 7°.
What is torque in golf?
Warren Little / Getty Images. "Torque" is a property of golf shafts that describes how much the shaft is prone to twisting during the golf swing. All shafts, steel and graphite, exhibit torque, which is measured in degrees. A high-torque shaft will twist more than a low-torque shaft. Put another way, some shafts resist twisting better than others.
What does it mean when a shaft is high torque?
A high-torque shaft will twist more than a low-torque shaft. Put another way, some shafts resist twisting better than others. A shaft with a lower torque rating means the shaft better resists twisting; a shaft with a higher torque rating means the shaft is more prone to twisting (all other things being equal). ...
What is twisting in golf?
A golfer's swing, and the clubhead attached to the end of the shaft, exert forces on the shaft that lead to twisting. This twisting is simply a part of the swing.
Why is torque narrow?
In steel shafts, because the type of steel material is the same throughout the entire shaft, the torque exists in a very narrow range of degrees, one that is much more narrow than in graphite shafts.
Is torque a factor in golf shaft selection?
Therefore, torque is not a factor to worry about in the selection of a steel shaft, but it is a point to keep in mind for some golfers when selecting a graphite shaft.
What is torque in golf?
Torque is the simply the amount a golf shaft (shown in blue) twists when subjected to a known amount of force (usually one foot-pound of force is applied) and the torque value is always expressed in degrees. It is a term commonly associated with composite or graphite shafts, but steel shafts have a certain degree of torque too.
Why are shafts less accurate?
One of the reasons shafts with higher torque values are considered less accurate can be attributed to the cost. Often times the higher torque wood shafts (above 6°) will be less than $9 retail and may not be 100% graphite, but have a certain percentage of fiberglass mixed in. One clue is to look at the shaft weight.
What happens if you use less material on a shaft?
If less material is used (due to the lighter weight), there is less material available to control torque or resist twisting.
Does steel have torque?
It is a term commonly associated with composite or graphite shafts, but steel shafts have a certain degree of torque too. However the amount cannot be independently changed from the frequency (or stiffness) of the shaft like a composite design, thus torque of steel shafts is generally not listed by the manufacturer.
Is there a standard for golf shafts?
I like to say “the only standard in the golf industry is there are no standards.”. Each manufacturer has an internal method for measuring torque that will vary from one to the next. However, each shaft by the manufacturer will be measured using the exact same clamping dimensions and force for all their shafts.
What is torque in golf?
Torque is defined as "a force that produces or tends to produce rotation or torsion." If you think of a golf shaft as an axis, the heel of the head is centered on that axis, but the toe – as well as most of the clubhead's weight – is off-center. When you swing the club, the head twists around the shaft. The toe gets "left behind" as you start your downswing, then it "catches up" and returns to its normal position at impact. The shaft resists that twisting motion, allowing only a certain amount. The twisting that is allowed, measured in degrees, is the shaft's torque.
Why do golfers use low torque shafts?
Power players such as PGA Tour golfer Dustin Johnson generally use low-torque shafts to better help them control the ball. Golf shafts have many technical specifications that you, as an average golfer, likely never consider. You are indirectly aware of them because they affect how your clubs feel when you swing them.
Why are you aware of the specs on your golf clubs?
You are indirectly aware of them because they affect how your clubs feel when you swing them. But those specs affect how your club performs, and club fitters take them into account when they fit you for new clubs. Torque is one of those "invisible" specs, and it has a bigger effect on club performance than you might expect.
How much twist does a high torque shaft have?
A low-torque shaft may allow only 2 degrees (or less) of twist, while a high-torque shaft might go all the way to 6 degrees. That might not sound like a lot, but it certainly can affect your accuracy.
What happens when you swing a golf club?
When you swing the club, the head twists around the shaft. The toe gets "left behind" as you start your downswing, then it "catches up" and returns to its normal position at impact. The shaft resists that twisting motion, allowing only a certain amount.
Does torque matter in golf shafts?
The material used to make your shaft matters. While torque always has been a factor in shaft performance, the inherent stability of steel shafts made torque relatively unimportant to everyday golfers.
Can graphite shafts be duplicated?
With the introduction of graphite shafts, however, manufacturers now can tailor shafts to behave anyway they want; they can duplicate the performance of any material from classic hickory to high-tech steel. But this comes at a price; the less torque you want, the more you have to pay for it.
Why should you care about torque?
You should care because torque is a major component in how a shaft feels, much more than flex . You could have an XX-stiff shaft with high torque, and it might feel “smooth” or even “whippy.”. Alternately, you could have a senior flex shaft with low torque that can feel “boardy.”.
What is torque in a shaft?
Torque is really pretty simple: it’s the shaft’s resistance to twisting. Torque is measured in degrees (meaning: how many degrees will the shaft twist under a certain amount of force), and you’ll typically see measurements as low as 2° and as high as 5°, 6°, or 7°. As with many other things, these numbers don’t necessarily mean a lot ...
What are the two main tenets of torque?
The conventional wisdom on torque consists of two major tenets: 1) Players who tend to hook the ball will benefit from a lower torque shaft. Players who tend to slice the ball will benefit from a higher torque shaft. 2) Players who swing faster need lower torque.
Is torque a rule?
Torque matters, and, like flex and weight , there are no easy rules to follow. You need to try a variety of things and be fit into the shaft that will work best for you.
Does torque affect where the ball ends up?
Torque also has a major impact on where the ball ends up. All other things being equal, a shaft with higher torque will lead to a club face that is pointed further left (for a RH golfer) at impact…but we know “all other things” are rarely equal when you add in the human element.
What happens when you have less torque in your golf club shaft?
When you have more torque in your club shaft it is said that your shots can be less accurate but go further and have a nice soft feel.
Why is shaft torque important?
Shaft torque becomes increasingly important the faster you swing. Torque is the measure of how much the shaft twists during the golf swing. It may be hard to imagine this even happening, but shafts are made with that particular fact in mind. They are even made to resist it more or less, depending on your swing and what kind ...
Why does a steel shaft have less torque?
A steel shaft will have less torque simply because of the material it is made of. A degree of 3 to 4 is normal for a steel shaft. Graphite shafts can have a lot more torque. Since graphite is not a solid piece of material, the torque can be much higher; to degrees of 7 or 8.
When you strike the ball, do you want your club head to be square?
When you strike the ball, you want your club head to be as square to your target as possible. When the club head twists, it can make the club head a degree or two open or closed when it makes contact. Therefore you want less torque when you are looking to straighten your ball flight.
Does Tiger Woods know how much torque he needs?
Certainly Tiger Woods knows exactly how much torque he needs for every club in his bag , but for a beginner it won't matter much. Torque should be one of the last things you look at when trying to improve your game. Golfweeks' Adam Woodard breaks down the results from the match.
What does a lower torque shaft feel like?
Lower torque shafts feel stiffer . What many players describe as a shaft feeling too soft or too stiff may not be related to flex as much as it’s related to torque. Additionally, the shaft’s torque will affect how it feels on mishits. Shafts with lower torque will feel harsher and more punishing on mishits. Conversely, shafts with higher torque ...
What is torque in mechanics?
Torque is the measurement of a shaft’s resistance to rotational twisting . Torque is expressed in degrees – the higher the number, the less resistance.
What is the function of the shaft's GJ profile?
Torque is a function of the shaft’s GJ profile, where G is the shear modulus (resistance of the material to twisting) and J is the shape (diameter and wall thickness). In a carbon shaft, we can vary the G by changing the type of carbon we use of the size of the torsional ply we use. Because of the steels used in golf shafts, G is always the same, ...
What is clamped on a shaft?
The butt of the shaft is clamped, a force is applied to the tip, and the degrees of twisting are measured. What can vary are the size of the clamp, the distance between the clamp and the force, and the amount of force used.
Can torsional stiffness be separated?
Bending stiffness and torsional stiffness cannot be separated in steel. Composite materials are anisotropic , meaning their properties vary in different directions. As a structural designer, there is a lot more flexibility in designing with composite materials.
Where does Matt Saternus live?
He's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Matt lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago with his wife and two daughters. Latest posts by Matt Saternus ( see all)
Is torque measured on graphite shafts?
Most shaft manufacturers report the torque measurement on their graphite shafts, but it’s not a number you typically see on spec sheets for steel shafts. We asked the manufacturers why that is. In short, torque values are smaller and less variable in steel . It can be measured the same way, but the range of values is not large, ...
What does torque mean in golf?
Torque can also be thought of as a force that leads to rotation within a golf club, or a measure of approximately how much twist there is in a particular club.
What is flex in golf?
The flex of a golf club shaft is the energy stored during the downswing, upon which it is released at the point of impact. This flex is directly correlated with torque, in that the more a club can flex the better it can rotate around its axis (which, in essence, is the definition of torque). Of course, the more flex there is in a golf club, the more torque--and in all likelihood-- the less accuracy and forgiveness on a golf shot.
Why are low torque shafts so expensive?
“As you go up in grade of material, which is actually going up in stiffness and strength of the material, you essentially double the cost of the material for every step you take up ,” said designer John Oldenburg.
What materials are used to stabilize a golf swing?
Torque can be controlled a number of different ways, but the most common is utilizing exotic materials — including Kevlar, Carbon, Boron and Zylon — to stabilize the shaft. Accomplishing this makes the profile more resistant to unwanted twisting during the swing, especially at impact. In other words: improved consistency.
Why do golfers need torque?
Golfers with slower swing speeds (less than 90 mph) typically need higher torque to help them return the clubface to square at impact. Of course, a shaft’s torque must mesh with other qualities (length, weight, flex etc.) to produce the desired results for any individual golfer.
What does low torque mean in golf?
Basically, a low torque value means the shaft will twist very little during the swing; a high-torque shaft twists more. The range of available torque is wider in graphite shafts than steel, because manufacturers can blend different graphite composites to produce very specific characteristics. Still, the torque range that applies to most golfers is ...
How fast does a golf club need to be to match torque?
The basic rules when choosing a shaft with the right torque are as follows: Golfers with high swing speeds (100+ mph) typically need lower torque shafts.
What is the shaft of a golf club?
By now, most golfers are aware that the shaft is the so-called “engine of the golf club .” They have a basic understanding of how length, weight and flex affect ball flight and shot distance. They may even be familiar with the concept of the shaft’s bend or kick point.