what does torque mean in golf shafts

"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.

Full Answer

How does torque affect your golf clubs?

In simple terms, torque does two things, it helps control the club face through impact and it provides the feel of the shaft. If you are using a torque that is too high, say someone with a fast swing using a shaft with a torque of 6, you will hit low hooks. The club will feel like a whip, not in a good way.

What is shaft torque and why is it 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.

How is torque measured in shafts?

If you read the first Shafts 101, you know that there are virtually no industry standards in shafts. Measuring torque is no exception. While the specifics may vary, the procedure for measuring torque is the same across the point. The butt of the shaft is clamped, a force is applied to the tip, and the degrees of twisting are measured.

How many degrees of torque should a golf shaft have?

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 have less torque in your club shaft, it is said that you will have a straighter shot and a stiffer feel.

How important is torque in golf shaft?

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). A golfer's swing, and the clubhead attached to the end of the shaft, exert forces on the shaft that lead to twisting.

What does torque do in a shaft?

Shaft torque is measured by a device that records the amount a shaft will twist under a certain amount of force, and it's recorded in degrees. A shaft with 3 degrees of torque will twist less than a shaft with 5 degrees of torque, and so on.

How does golf shaft torque affect ball flight?

If we think about torque affecting how the club head is delivered to the ball at impact, you can imagine that it would affect ball flight. One study in 2017, showed that shafts with a higher torque caused a more open club face at impact which led to a slightly higher launch that tended to go right.

What does high torque mean?

In simple terms, the more torque an engine has, the better suited it is to hard work such as towing, hauling or climbing steep grades. This is why torque is often the figure of utmost importance when moving something big and heavy, like a truck with a trailer attached.

What weight golf shaft should I use?

In general, golfers with slower swing speed and tempo can and should play a lighter shaft. Golfers with very fast speeds and tempo should play heavier shafts. Driver shafts typically weigh 55-60 grams for men and 45-50 grams for ladies.

What is considered low torque golf shaft?

Amount. 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.

Does tipping a shaft affect torque?

In most cases, tip trimming a shaft makes it meaningfully stiffer. It also increases torsional stiffness, known as “torque,” which is a shaft's resistance to twisting. On the other end of the shaft is the handle, which is also generally trimmed some amount when building a golf club.

How do you measure torque on a shaft?

To calculate load torque, multiply the force (F) by the distance away from the rotational axis, which is the radius of the pulley (r). If the mass of the load (blue box) is 20 Newtons, and the radius of the pulley is 5 cm away, then the required torque for the application is 20 N x 0.05 m = 1 Nm.

What is motor shaft torque?

Torque is a physical magnitude that measures the moment of the force to be applied on a shaft rotating on itself at a specific speed. It is the moment a motor exerts on the driveshaft; the force trend to rotate an object around a shaft or support.

How does shaft length affect torque?

The other way to calculate minimum shaft size for a motor is to set a limit on the amount of torsional deflection (twisting) that may occur. Resistance to torsional stress is directly proportional to shaft size: the larger the diameter, the greater the resistance to twisting.

What is armature torque and shaft torque?

Shaft Torque of DC Motor In a DC motor, the total torque developed in the armature of the motor is not transferred to the shaft of the motor as a part of it is lost in overcoming the mechanical losses in the machine. Hence, the shaft torque is somewhat less than the armature torque.

Is torque the same along a shaft?

a) Torque stays constant along a shaft (so we're neglecting any friction in bearings that hold the shaft in place).

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). ...

How Does Torque in Steel Shafts Compare to That in Graphite Shafts?

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.

What torque is needed for a graphite shaft?

So for most golfers, as long the torque of a graphite shaft is between 3.5 and 5.5 degrees - which is the case for the vast majority of graphite shafts today - the golfer will be OK and torque will never be a factor to worry about in the shaft fitting.

How much torque does graphite have?

This allows the torque in graphite shafts to range from as high as 7 or 8 degrees to as low as 1 degree, while in steel this range is only from a little more than 2 degrees to a little under 4 degrees.

What happens if you use too high a torque rating?

a strong golfer who uses shafts with too high a torque rating might produce shots that leak to the fade side;

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.

What is torque in a car?

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°.

Which player will benefit from a lower torque shaft?

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.

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.”.

How many shots does each golfer hit with each shaft?

Each golfer hit 10 shots with each shaft and the results were measured by our FlightScope X2 launch monitor. All testing was done at the range at The Bridges of Poplar Creek Country Club.

Does Tester 3 like low torque shafts?

Tester 3 hates boardy feeling shafts, so, despite the fact that his most-hated miss is a hook, he does not like low torque shafts. On the other hand, Tester 1 doesn’t like loose feeling shafts despite the fact that he needs all the help he can get to square the club face. Historically, he has found better success with lower torque shafts because he feels like he can release the club more aggressively.

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.

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.

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.

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 my golf club go faster?

This also means you can hit the ball a little further, because at the time the club strikes the ball the torque can cause the club head to go faster.

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 is torque in golf shafts?

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, regardless of the heat treatment or alloy. And since most shafts have a very similar diameter profile and a small wall thickness variation, GJ, and hence torque, changes very little across steel golf shafts.

Why is torque mentioned more often in relation to composite golf shafts vs. steel?

steel is because composite shafts offer so many choices in torque while in steel, such a vast selection simply does not exist.

Is Zero Torque Possible?

The answers to this question ranged from, “Possible, but difficult” to “Impossible.” What everyone agreed on, however, is that it’s not desirable . MRC pointed out that a shaft with zero torque would transfer very little energy to the golf ball . Others mentioned the drawbacks of extremely rigid feel and the lack of forgiveness

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.

Why is torque important?

Torque, just like shaft flex, is an important factor in selecting a shaft. Not only does it have a huge impact on the way a shaft will perform , it’s one of the biggest factors in how a shaft feels.

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.

What does low torque mean on a golf shaft?

The lower the torque number — it’s measured in degrees — the more resistant the shaft is to unwanted twisting. For someone like Tiger Woods or Rory McIlroy, who generate top-end speed with the driver, having an uber-stable shaft with low torque ensures they can go after the ball and not have to worry about speed affecting launch angle, spin rate and dispersion.

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 shaft is Tiger Woods?

Tiger Woods' Mitsubishi Diamana D+ Plus shaft is an example of a low torque product.

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.

Does every shaft have torque?

Not every shaft has the torque number emblazoned on the shaft, but if you happen to play a Project X HZRDUS or Aldila Rogue — these are just a few examples — you might notice a number with a decimal point that looks somewhat out of place. It’s too small to be the shaft weight or flex (in the case of Project X products), which leaves us with one other option: shaft torque.