Titanium Golf Shafts
Jim Bragg
well for me. However I never see titanium as am option anywhere for shafts
in clubs. Everything is graphite or steel shaft. Does anyone know why it is
not available or used. Is my driver one of a kind????
Kenny Stultz
I know that about a year ago, you could order Pings with titanium shafts.
I don't whether you still can or not. I have seen a Ping 5 iron with a
titanium shaft in one of their fitting carts. A friend of mine tried it
out and really liked it but when he found out the price, he went for
graphite instead. As I recall, they were talking something like $200 or
$300 per club with a 2 or 3 month delivery time.
As you can see, you're not going to find a lot of these sitting on the
shelf in your local store due to the high cost.
Kenny
In article <7oc9n6$6s4$1...@news.gov.on.ca>, jim....@jus.gov.on.ca says...
Allan Manning
myself. conceptually, i like ti for a club shaft because ti has great
properties (this is a popular metal in the cycling community for frame
construction): a properly chosen alloy wont go "soft", is very difficult to
bend/dent, it will never rust, and the flex properties can be tailored just like
steel.
Ground Zero
believe) Ping. There may be more manufacturers offering ti shafts as
options, but I am not aware of them. The titanium shafts for these three
brands are manufactured by Sandvik (actually Titanium Sports Technology -
the sports division that Sandvik sold off several years ago to a private
investor group. Sandvik still produces 100% of the titanium used by TST).
Aftermarket Sandvik titanium shafts are marketed/distributed by True Temper.
Price is probably the #1 reason why we don't see more titanium shafts on the
links - they're expensive and only made in any quantity by one manufacturer
(Sandvik). This is unfortunate, as robotic testing by the major OEMs and by
test groups of golfers of varying degrees of ability have proven titanium
shafts to be the most consistent in length and dispersion. Titanium shafts
have consistently tested longer than steel and straighter than both steel
and graphite composite shafts.
Titanium has many properties that make for an excellent golf shaft: high
strength, light weight, infinite fatigue resistance, low modules, positive
dampening characteristics, torsion resistance, and excellent corrosion,
moisture, and temperature-resistant properties. The weight of a titanium
shaft is nearly equal to that of a high quality composite (graphite) shaft
and considerably less than steel shafts. Like steel, titanium shafts will
stand up to years of use and abuse and can be reshafted over and over
without any damage to the shaft. Composite shafts contain epoxies and resins
which tend to break down over time. Composite shafts are also temperature
sensitive - the shaft performs differently at different temperatures - and
easily damaged. We've all seen the numerous posts to this NG discussing how
to prevent fraying and other types of damage to composite shafts.
Another obstacle confronting the widespread acceptance of titanium shafts
concerns the lack of knowledge and experience with titanium shafts by those
who sell golf equipment. The frequency (cpm) of a titanium shaft, with a
similar flex stiffness during playing conditions in relation to a steel or
graphite shaft, will be different than the other shafts' frequency. The cpm
of a titanium shaft is generally 7-10% less than a steel shaft with a
similar flex and as much as 20% less than composite shafts of similar flex,
depending on material used and its manufacturing processes. For example,
someone who plays a frequency of 265 cpm in a 43" steel-shafted driver with
a swingweight of D-1 would find a match in a titanium-shafted driver with a
frequency of approximately 244 cpm at 43" and with a swing weight of D-4.
Titanium shafts also react differently under playing conditions than what
they would indicate with a static test on a flex board. It is imperative
that customers, clubmakers, and retailers understand this and do not try to
match titanium shaft flexes to other shaft materials and design. As a
general rule, if a titanium shaft reads as a regular flex during a static
test, it will play much closer to a stiff flex in actual playing conditions.
This is mainly due to titanium's low modules of elasticity - a measure of
internal stiffness - which is approximately half that of steel. Not only
does the low modules of elasticity affect the static static testing, it also
provides superior shock dampening qualities to greatly reduce the amount of
vibration carried into the player's joints and tendons (not that any of us
ever mishit a shot....).
Some information and advantages of titanium golf shafts:
* With over 30 Tour victories, titanium shafts are proven winners on the
PGA Tours.
* Titanium shafts were first marketed in substantial numbers in the mid
1970's. However, manufacturing methods were not sophisticated enough to
ensure acceptable percentages of shafts meeting quality control standards,
and the manufacturer soon ceased production. the nest major entrance for
titanium shafts in the marketplace occurred in 1985. However, these second
generation shafts were too stiff for the average player (Remember the static
testing information provided above? Apparently, the manufacturers had not
learned this inherent characteristic of titanium). For this reason, many
people still have the misperception that titanium shafts are only for strong
players. However, during the past few years, manufacturing and design
methods have leapt forward. Titanium shafts are being designed and
manufactured to accomodate golfers of all skill levels - with fast or slow
swing speeds, golfers needing low or high ball trajectory, and a flex for
every player including women and seniors.
* Titanium's low modules of elasticity absorbs the shock that is
transmitted up the shaft at impact. This is an excellent attribute for all
golfers, and especially so for players who suffer from arthritis and/or
tendonitis. This characteristic also provides for consistent feel and
performance in either hot or cold weather conditions.
* The patented manufacturing process reproduces consistent shafts in
frequency and flex, providing consistent shaft performance and feel
throughout a set of titanium-shafted clubs.
* Titanium has proven through extensive testing its tight shot dispersion,
providing consistently closer shots to the target.
* Titanium combines the strength, durability, and accuracy of steel with
the distance of composite shafts.
* 80% of a club's performance is in the shaft, making it very important to
ensure proper fitting.
* Titanium is a metal, like steel, but provides greater torsion resistance
that steel. This means that the shaft brings the club head back to square
more quickly, providing more accurate shots.
* It takes an average of 225 days to produce a titanium shaft.
* Titanium shafts are manufactured with an alloy consisting of
approximately 95% titanium, 3% aluminum, and 2.5% vanadium.
I hope this information is a benefit to anyone considering titanium shafts.
Stuart Winsor
Ground Zero Enterprises
gdz...@teleport.com
Jim Bragg <jim....@jus.gov.on.ca> wrote in message
news:7oc9n6$6s4$1...@news.gov.on.ca...
Brad Swanson
titanium shafted Taylor Made Tour plus 9.5 degree driver which hasn't seen
any use in years. Its kinda funny looking at how small the head looks after
hitting some ofthe more modern metal drivers. Anyone interested in taking
it off of my hands for a few bucks, let me know.
Brad Swanson
Joseph N. Hall
a True Temper titanium shaft. Expensive parts, came to around $160, but
now I have a "titaniumwood" to play with. Still think I like my GBB
better though.
-joseph
Joe Cartpath
kept them out of most players bags. Their primary benefit was (is?) their
combination of light weight and low torque - when low torque graphite shafts
were rare. The current low torque, lightweight graphite shafts are
considerably cheaper and less harsh feeling -giving one little reason to opt
for titanium.
--
joeca...@hotmail.com
http://home.midsouth.rr.com/joecartpath
RSG Roll Call: http://u1.netgate.net/~kirby34/rsg/reedj.htm
The AceyMan
wrote:
||* Titanium's low modules of elasticity absorbs the shock that is
|transmitted up the shaft at impact.
Uh, isn't it "modulus of elasticity?".
|* It takes an average of 225 days to produce a titanium shaft.
Uh, you can build a house in 3 weeks. A transport plane takes less
than a month.
Just my thoughts
The AceyMan
The AceyMan
_______________________
tjlever<at>mediaone<dot>net
Ground Zero
Technology. If you have a problem with it, take it up with them...
Apparently, you should think a little more before posting unprovoked flames.
The AceyMan <tjl...@mediaone.net> wrote in message
news:37ab7e04...@news.supernews.com...
> On Thu, 5 Aug 1999 11:37:34 -0700, "Ground Zero" <gdz...@teleport.com>
> wrote:
>
> ||* Titanium's low modules of elasticity absorbs the shock that is
> |transmitted up the shaft at impact.
>
> Uh, isn't it "modulus of elasticity?".
>
> |* It takes an average of 225 days to produce a titanium shaft.
>
John Baima
>Price is probably the #1 reason why we don't see more titanium shafts on the
>links -
Yes, $50+ per shaft.
>they're expensive and only made in any quantity by one manufacturer
>(Sandvik).
Do they make the Ti shafts for True Temper and TiSystem?
>Titanium shafts
>have consistently tested longer than steel and straighter than both steel
>and graphite composite shafts.
Sorry, I don't believe that.
>The weight of a titanium
>shaft is nearly equal to that of a high quality composite (graphite) shaft
>and considerably less than steel shafts.
Humm. The Ti shafts I've seen are 100+g, about the same as Rifle Lite
and more than a MicroLite steel shaft. Way heavier than the average
graphite shaft.
>Another obstacle confronting the widespread acceptance of titanium shafts
>concerns the lack of knowledge and experience with titanium shafts by those
>who sell golf equipment.
Yea, I guess the boys and girls at Golfsmith, Dynacraft, people who
fit the pros for OEMs and others don't know much about shafts. NOT
The one thing that the failure of Ti shafts to make a significant dent
in the pro market proves is that torque is not the most significant
feature in selecting the "best" shaft for any given golfer.
John Baima
jo...@silvershot.com
Silver Shot Custom Clubs www.silvershot.com
DFW Golf and the Java Swingweight Calculator
The AceyMan
|All of the information in the post was supplied by Titanium Sports
|Technology. If you have a problem with it, take it up with them...
|
|Apparently, you should think a little more before posting unprovoked flames.
|
|
No flamage intended - just a little clarification.
The 225 days did seem a little odd, tho. Perhaps missing a decimal
somewhere ?
In my asbestos FootJoys, I remain...
Joseph N. Hall
cheaper ($50+, same as or more than Ti) nor less harsh than titanium.
A high quality graphite shaft is still around 20g lighter though.
-joseph