The manufacture of golf shafts depends upon the type of material that is being used. Steel shafts are either pulled or rolled and welded. Graphite shafts are made with multiple layers of material wrapped around a mandrel. Composite shafts (combination of steel and carbon fiber) are made according to the design and playability characteristics of the manufacturer.
Steel Shaft Manufacturing – True Temper:
True Temper Dynamic Gold shafts have been the standard for steel shafts starting with players like Jack Nicklaus. True Temper brands, including Project X, still dominate the iron shafts played on the PGA Tour with 122 out of 144 players using the True Temper brands in the Tampa Bay Classic. True Temper’s VWT (Variable Wall Thickness) technology is a proprietary process that features the ability to vary the wall thickness along the length of the shaft. This provides shaft designers the flexibility to change the performance of a shaft. For example, a shaft can be designed with a thinner wall thickness in the butt section to improve feel, yet a thicker wall in the tip section for better control and accuracy.
Graphite Shaft Manufacturing – MATRIX Shafts:
Graphite shafts are manufactured by wrapping sheets of graphite composite material around a steel mandrel. The composite sheets are cut into various sizes and shapes depending upon the design of the shaft. These cut portions are called flags. These sheets are wrapped in various directions around the shaft (straight, 45 degree angle, 90 degree angle to the axis, etc.) again depending upon the design of the shaft. The wrapping process is done by hand but using computer-controlled alignment rollers. The completed shaft is then shrink-wrapped in a cello material and heated in an oven to approximately 250 degrees in order to bond the individual wraps together. The shaft is then cooled, the wrap removed, and the shaft is sanded to exact CPM (frequency) tolerances. The shafts are then painted and decals applied, if required.
Each shaft manufacturer has their own design characteristics. One of the industry leaders is Matrix Shafts with several unique design techniques. See more here...
Composite Shaft Manufacturing – Aerotech:
Aerotech Steefiber shafts have a unique design that combines the strength and stability of steel with the feel and performance of carbon fiber. Their unique design is getting some traction on the PGA Tour with Matt Kuchar. and Cameron Beckman playing the Steelfiber shafts. For more on the manufacture and benefits of these shafts, let’s take a tour…
