In the previous post I talked about dividing a 45 inch shaft into three 15 inch sections for fitting. The butt section, the mid section and the tip section. I mentioned the butt section is mostly determined by swing speed. The mid section is mostly determined by your downswing force, or transition after you get to the tip of your swing.
Smooth golf swings do not need a very stiff mid section because the golfer doesn’t put a lot of force on the shaft starting the downswing. But a quick forceful downswing motion does put a lot of force on the center of the shaft and even bows the shaft in the center at the start of the downswing. These different force levels require the center of a golfers shaft to be different for the shaft to be effective for their swings. Note the bow on the left and a straight shaft on the right. To fit a golfer right both the butt section and mid section of the shaft must match his swing style. AGCP clubfitters are well aware of BMT and how to fit for it.
So now we know that swing speed influences the butt section selection and downswing transition force influences mid section selection. Watch the golfers at your home course this weekend and see who fits each profile. How many are mixed? Shaft manufacturers know this and design shafts with many profile variations to fit almost any combination of variations any golfer might have. When you order clubs get a friend to shoot a short video of your swing face on and down the line and send it to me along with your information in the order form. I know how to analyze your swing to determine which shaft profile will work best for your swing.
I use a frequency meter to measure shafts in 7 positions to determine the flex along the length of the shaft. I use two measurements on the butt end, 3 measurement in the center of the shaft and two measurement on the tip end. Those three measurement when averaged will tell me what swing speed a golfer need using the butt measurements, what midsection flex they need to keep the shaft stable based on their downswing force and tempo, and what tip section flex they need based on where they release their wrist cock before impact.
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