Shafts

[StuartD]

Currently looking for a new driver and I am getting confused regarding the shafts. Many drivers are advertised with shafts such as

Matrix OZIK XCON 5.5 MOI

Aldila VS Proto 65g “by you”

If you go to the shaft manufactures websites the above shafts don’t exist (you can get 60g or 70g but not 65g also 5.0 and 6.0 but not 5.5.) My question is are these shafts developed en mass exclusively for club manufacturers. If they are developed en mass is the build quality as good as the 60g and 70g advertised by the shaft manufacturer

 

[USER1999]

These are shafts produced for the OEM market. They are not on general sale. Whether they are as good, maybe, who knows. They are certainly sold to the OEM on the cheap.

One of the reasons they may be different is that the weight, kick etc is designed for a specific driver head, in conjunction with the OEM.

Or, it is done so as to not upset stockists of the available shafts by selling the same shaft to an OEM at a vastly reduced prices.

It also means that if you break it, it has to go back to the OEM if you want the same spec shaft.

There are other forums where OEM shafts are viewed as inferior. This may just be snobbery.

If you can hit it well, does it matter?

 

[StuartD]

If you can hit it well, does it matter?

No not at all. Just curious. If these shafts are not as good quality, it might be best to take the advice on buying the club you have actually hit as the manufacturing tolerances on the shaft may not be as good.

Thanks for that

 

[USER1999]

If you took the shaft out, and rotated it a bit, and then put it back in, it could change from stiff to regular quite easily due to spine misalignment(this goes for all shafts, regardless of price, and what is written on the shaft X,S,R etc).
Therefore, although the tolerances on the shaft may be quite accurate, if you pick any two off the shelf, due to the way they are installed, they could be quite different (unless they are pured, which can be expensive, and if the one you tried wasn't then here we go again).
This is less the case with irons, and less again the shorter the shaft.

The rule is, buy the one you hit, not a different one which is similar spec off ebay.

 

[andiritchie]

agree buy the one you hit unless you get the same one pured,

The shafts that you talking about murph are they like the the diamana white board designed for taylormade and the 'proper' diamana white there might not be of the same quailty for example

 

[DCB]

StuartD
I ended up going for the Aldila VS Proto when I was fitted earlier this year for a new driver. Found it to be slightly better for my swing than the Aldila NV shaft. I am at the moment thinking about having one (VS Proto) fitted to a fairway wood that I like, all because I like the way this shaft has worked for me this year. I don't think there is any real difference in manufacturing at this level (cost)of shaft.

Try before you buy is best advice. I liked the feel and the results on the monitor confirmed my thoughts which is why I got this one as opposed to a couple of other possible options.

 

[USER1999]

Andiritchie - that is exactly what I am talking about. Ditto for the diamana fitted to the Nike sasquatch.

 

[andiritchie]

yeah i had the first batch of sasquatchs after it would cost me 150 upgrade to have that shaft in a titleist 905r,No chance i paying 350+ for a driver