There are many parts to a club, and although the head and face generally come in for most discussion, there is a widespread belief that the shaft is actually the driving force. In bygone days, there was the hickory shaft and, in more recent times, graphite has made some inroads - but, when all is said and done, steel remains king.
Steel was first used as a shaft back in the 1920s. The US Golf Association approved its use in 1924 but the Royal & Ancient took considerably longer and didn't give the thumbs up until the end of 1929. A decline in hickory supplies was one factor in the conversion to steel, but it was also seen as more uniform than its wooden counterpart as well as being cheaper and more durable.
The steel shaft has stood the test of time, as has one of its leading producers, True Temper. When Mark O'Meara won the British Open at Royal Birkdale this year using the company's Dynamic Gold steel shafts in his irons, he became the ninth winner out of the past 10 years to win using a True Temper product. Interestingly, 87 per cent of all major championships have been claimed by players using such shafts and it is number one on both the US and European Tours.
Although the steel shaft was introduced in the 1920s, there have been modifications and improvements. Dynamic Gold has been around since the 1940s and is still the top choice but Sensicore, which was only launched two years ago, has se- cured a foothold, too.
For example, Davis Love - last year's US PGA champion - acknowledges that using Sensicore shafts was a great aid during a wrist injury. Sensicore was developed by True Temper who worked in conjunction with Rousch Anatrol, a specialist in vibration dampening, to develop a way to keep the uniformity and consistency of the steel shaft but bolster it with a method of reducing the shock and vibration a player receives at impact.
The outcome was the Sensicore plug seated inside the shaft. Dave McCarthy, the company's European-based head of operations, claims that it "reduces vibration by 30 per cent."
An indication of the steel shaft's survival is reflected in the manufacturing statistics for True Temper which show that steel accounts for 80 per cent of their shafts and graphite (mainly in wooden clubs) for 20 per cent.
McCarthy believes that the consumer has slowly but surely realised the importance of the correct shaft. "Personally, I'm a firm believer that every amateur golfer should be custom fitted. In an ideal world, that is what should happen."
He describes the shaft as "the engine room" of a club, adding: "If a player understands what type of shaft will benefit his game and the way he is swinging, then he should notice a considerable difference."
Although steel shafts have withstood the test of time, manufacturers continue to experiment with different materials. But McCarthy doesn't envisage too many changes. "Over the years, steel will continue to be exceptionally strong, certainly from the player's point of view. I think where the game will improve is by individuals being guided as to what they should be playing with. And steel will still have that corner (of the market), but it really is the process of educating each individual as to what is best suited for his game."
