PUREing a Golf Shaft
Contrary to what you might think golf shafts aren’t a perfect circle.
Every golf shaft to varying degrees has irregularities in straightness, roundness, and stiffness that are inherent in the manufacturing process. It is a fact that certain shaft companies tend to have less of a spine than others. These structural inconsistencies affect a shaft’s performance, depending on how the shaft is aligned in the club head. Irregularities cause problems when the shaft twists and bends during the swing. The system of “PUREing” works to minimize those irregularities and improves shot dispersion. Golf shaft PUREing is a technical process, which is one of several mechanical approaches to improving shaft performance.
Hundreds of PGA Tour players have their shafts pured. And, PUREing is done to both graphite and steel shafts. The process involves identification of the most stable bending plane or “neutral-axis” of the golf shaft. When the club head is installed in the proper orientation with the “neutral axis,” experienced golfers will see improved consistency.
Testing Results
Testing and research data combined with our own firsthand experience at Better Golf Shot has proved that PUREing your clubs definitely leads to improved performance. The players we have tested could feel a difference and commented that the club felt more stable and uniform during the swing. We can see the difference in a pured shaft, when put it on our frequency machine. Pured shafts have little to no oscillation. Shafts that haven’t been pured oscillate in a circle pattern. Our research has demonstrated that PUREing graphite has a much greater effect than PUREing steel, but has a definitive impact on both.
So why don’t the manufacturers pure their shafts at the factory?
Golf equipment OEM’s do admit that PUREing works, but it is a process that takes extra time and effort. The extra time and labor hours would cut into profit margins. There is no short cut in this process. The process would greatly slow down production and for the OEM’s it is all about mass production – not quality. All clubs have a bottom line budget and this would increase costs significantly.
If you were to test a club on a launch monitor and then have it pured, when tested back on the monitor, you would see more consistent numbers from shot to shot. In reality, it is about consistency and feel – not distance. If you want your shafts to perform more accurately and consistently, consider having it done.
You may also want to check out MOI Speedmatching and Frequency matching. We do both of the also at Better Golf Shot.