# Graphite or steel what is your opinion?



## ryan8812 (Jan 17, 2007)

Hey Everyone,
My name is Ryan and I am a senior in High school. For my senior research paper I am writing a pare on the above subject and I was wandering, what is your opinion. Thank you for your time.


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## 65nlovenit (Dec 8, 2006)

Your choices for the paper usually comes down to three qualifiers. Age, Club Head Speed, and weight.

If you have a high club head speed then a rigid flex shaft (steel) is the prescribed way to go. 

If your club head speed falls into the average category then regular flex graphite is the prescribed way to go.

If your age affects club head speed then it will normally affect the weight factor in lugging the clubs around. Graphite are definitely lighter. 

I'm 67, club head speed 97 mph, definitely use graphite.


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

It should be pointed out that the club most often used as a measure for clubhead speed is the Driver. All other clubs will measure lower than the driver. It should also be noted that 99.9% of all players now use graphite in the driver, regardless of how hard they swing. The percentage is almost that high for fairway metalwoods too. 

Where the preference issue comes in is with the irons. More players still use steel in irons, in part because of the real fact that you don't get as much feedback from graphite. Graphite shafts absorb more of the impact shock, so it's harder to tell when you've mis-hit and just how you mis-hit the ball. The issue of accuracy is no longer bourne out by actual statistics with the modern graphite materials, but most players haven't been convinced yet. If they were only for weaker swings, they wouldn't even make them in stiff flexes. My King Cobra irons are stiff flex graphite. But mostly, graphite just feels so much different that it's harder to make adjustments because it's harder to tell what's going on with the ball. 

As your first responder said, you will most often find graphite irons in the bags of senior players and women because a weaker swing can see a real gain in distance with the additional flex or whippiness. The club will load more on a slower downswing than a stiffer steel shaft, then release that energy at impact if the player's timing is right.

The only clubs in my bag with steel shafts now are my sand wedge and my putter. My other irons are all stiff graphite. My 3 hybrids and my 3 wood are regular flex graphite. My driver clubhead speed is right at 95 mph, and I use a regular flex graphite in my driver. But I'm an old fart too.... 60 years young.


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## Butz (Nov 17, 2006)

Hey,

My first golf iron was a Callaway replica ( I was duped...I thought it was the real thing. X18 )

But my Pro who is an expert noticed the details why my set was a replica.

Anyway, the shaft installed were graphite @ 65grams.
And after my 5 & 6 irons were dislocated. The clubhead & hosel broke into two...hehehe

So right now, Im moving up to the steel shaft. I felt it was heavier but it gave me more control due to its weight.


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## zaphod (Jan 3, 2007)

Whoa you've pick a complex subject. As 4putt points out 5-8 years ago the decision was easy Graphites for woods ( longer shafts therefore weight larger issue) and steel for irons ( feedback and consistency).With improved graphites if the golfer is looking for weight issues the combination of the new graphites shafts and forged iron heads for feedback make a good combination. New construction techniques in steel shafts have reduced weight and still retain feedback.

PGA pros now are beginning to play graphites in irons( swing speed is not an issue with them) K.J. Choi for example( check out the orange crush shafts) 

More importantly the all shafts now are analyzed for both frequency (degree of stiffness) and spine-flo alignment( think of shaft as an oval and how the angle of bend will affect the rebound of the shaft in relation to orientation to oval).For more on this Google "spine golf shaft". The golfer now has more choices and with launch monitors the ability to "choose wisely"

Currently all my woods and hybrids are graphite and I have one iron set graphite and 1 set steel. So I would in a thesis of paper point out the choices not the superiority of one vs other.

BTW good luck on your senior year on golf team


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## Puffysheep (Feb 23, 2007)

Choosing graphite shafts vs steel shafts really comes down to how you swing and your physical shape in my opinion.

Just like Sir Fourputt has mentioned, if you have a fast down swing with lot of power, then steel shafts are defintely better for your irons. Graphite shafts tend to give extra 10 yards in distance but they don't quite give you the feedback you need at times and accuracy you need especially when you are recovering.

Remember, golf is a very delicate sports and if you mis-hit or your shafts are too wobbly, it can traslate into difference in 1-3 degrees to left or right and thats huge when you consider the actual distance that results from those range.

I also mentioned the physical shape as a factor becauase as Sir Fourputt mentioned, older players tend to swing slower because many of them don't have the physical strengths they once had or many of them have learned to play more patiently and wacking the heck out of their ball like many younger players tend to do won't get them anywhere in this game. (In other words older players tend to have lot more experience thus they play more wisely)

I am sorry if I categorized the older and younger players too stereotypically but I hope Ryan gets the point...

So coming back to players having slow-swing speed, the graphite is actually better because the graphite gives the extra distance through a whipping action. Also because slow down swing results in weak swing, the bending of the shaft during the impact is not as extreme as the players with stong-fast swing, thus the slow-swing players don't lose too much accuracy from using the graphite shaft.

That was for irons but for fairway woods and drivers, I believe graphite shafts are much better for almost all players. In my opinion the whole point of driver and fairway woods are to gain as much distance as possible. Graphite shafts certainly help to achieve that goal and if you can hit the ball far enough with slight decrease in accuracy, I think it's more than fair compensation.

Also if your ball doesn't exactly end up where you wanted to from using the graphite shaft driver or fairwaywoods, you can recover from a rough using your more accurate steel shaft irons.

In my case I can hit the driver far enough so that my second shot even from a rough could easliy reach the green with my steel shaft irons in some par four holes.

I hope this helps and good luck with your paper Ryan...=)


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## Leo (Feb 21, 2007)

My graphite shafted irons made my bag lighter. My steel shafted ones make my bag heavier. I bought a lighter bag.


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## zaphod (Jan 3, 2007)

Leo a simple yet eloquent reply. 
Its interesting to see golfers perceptions have not changed as to the issue that steel shafts have less shot dispersion despite recent advances in graphite shaft technology.
There is a lot of money being spent on marketing the newest technology by the shaft industry. I believe in the next 1-3 years you will see more OEM club companies will come with stock graphites shafts. The steel shaft industry will respond with lighter shafts and more vibration dampining. Perhaps a hybrid graphite- steel shaft for irons will come out like the True Temper BiMatrix wood shaft.

When money is to be made claims for superiority will follow.
The average golfer population is more than willing to buy that magic bullet to improve their game.:laugh:


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