What is Torque in a Golf Shaft?
Golf shafts may seem pretty straightforward when it comes to build and technology, but there’s a great deal of science that goes into their design. Torque is an important metric to consider when choosing your golf shafts.
What is torque in terms of golf shaft design and what should you look for?
Golf Shaft Torque and Twist
Whenever you swing a golf club you will be exerting force on the golf shaft. This is true with steel or graphite-shafted clubs, including woods, irons, or wedges. This is why you’ll see a golf shaft bow when a golfer’s swing is filmed in slow-motion or a still picture is taken during the downswing.
In addition to this “linear” force, the golf shaft will also experience a certain amount of twisting as it travels back to the golf ball at high speeds. The degree to which the golf club “twists” — or rather, the golf shaft’s ability to resist twisting — refers to the shaft’s torque.
In the simplest of terms and for the purpose of illustration, imagine the clubhead weight pulling “up” on a golf shaft as you swing a golf club down to the ball. This opposite and equal force — something we all learned about in science class — may also exert an amount of twist in the shaft due to a number of variables. This twisting must be controlled in some manner so we can make solid contact with the ball with any amount of consistency and accuracy.
Degrees of Torque and Shaft Flex
Torque is measured in degrees and is an important metric to consider in your golf shafts. Torque measurements on most golf shafts range anywhere between 2-degrees to 7-degrees of torque (or higher).
A good way to think of this metric is “the higher the torque, the more twisting will occur.” For example, a golf club shaft with 2-degrees of torque will be more resistant to twist than a shaft with 7-degrees of torque.
What’s interesting about torque is how it relates to golf shaft flex. Most golfers are aware that golf shafts have a “flex” designation such as “extra stiff,” “regular,” or “senior flex.” There are multiple iterations of flex along a wide spectrum and not all golf shaft brands measure this uniformly.
Torque, however, throws another variable into the mix and can make a golf shaft of a certain flex feel very different from what you’d expect.
For example, it’s possible to have a regular-flex golf shaft with a low degree of torque that feels more rigid and stiff than a stiff-flex golf shaft with a high degree of torque. You may also see the effects of different flex/torque combinations in your shot shape.
This possibility alone should be enough to convince any golfer that they must get fit by a professional fitter in order to truly benefit from their golf clubs. As innovation and technology increases in golf shaft design so does the number of variables that must be considered when fitting your golf clubs to your swing.
How Do I Know the Torque in My Golf Shafts?
It’s possible to determine the amount of torque in your golf clubs in a few ways.
The easiest way is to reference the website of your golf shaft brand and look for a specifications or details breakdown of your shaft. Most companies will include this information with a great amount of detail.
Another way is to visit a local golf club fitting company like Club Champion, True Spec Golf, or similar location. These experts have devices that can calculate the amount of torque and shaft flex frequency on your clubs for a small fee. Some may even do it for free.
