Steel vs graphite iron shafts

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By Walt S

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  • 23 Replies
  1. Allen L

    Allen L
    Clarington, OH

    Walt, I'm same age and about your handicap.  The steel vs. graphite decision is a tough one and I made a mistake last spring.  I bought a non-Titleist set recommended by a vendor that included hybrids.  I was never able to adjust to the graphite irons, gave them to my wife and she hits them better than her old clubs.  I'd suggest that if you have a partner who plays graphite, or know of a club where you can rent some graphite's, give them a try out on the course.  I now have Titleist irons with steel shafts, regular flex, and I love them.  I also bought a Titleist 913 D2 driver and fairway wood with graphite shafts, while I am hitting solid and finding fairways, I don't get the same accuracy or distance of my ancient steel shafted woods.  Take all this with a grain of salt as I'm not an expert at anything.  See how the fitting session goes and let your expert know about your concern.  Hopefully someone will give you better advice than I have.

  2. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    So many shafts, so little time....

    Off the rack graphites will feel whippier than the same steel shafts on the next display.  They also tend to be A or R flex while the steel shafts will be R or S (please just avoid commenting that A/R/S are not a standard for now...).  And, if including hybrids, the graphite set is the one size fits all for the low speed/high handicapper.  However there is now so much overlap for fitted orders, there is great reason to get fitted.  They have new (exotic) 45 g driver shafts in X-stiff, and steel shafts in 90 g.  Lighter shafts tend to allow a little more speed but can still be stable.  So finding a shaft that feels good and is stable for your swing is not just graphite or steel. 

  3. Todd T

    Todd T
    San Diego, CA

    Military

    So easy to get advice on the 'net, but just see a PGA Pro and you'll be most happy!

  4. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military

    Guys, Thanks for all of your replies, naturally I will be going to a pro and get fit, however, I just wanted to hear from someone who has had experience with graphite in their iron shaft and switched from steel and how long of an adjustment period was there. Somehow I can see myself switching from steel to graphite in a driver more so than an iron. The other issue is that if I don't like the graphite shaft, it would be a lot harder to go back to steel just because of the different head weights as I understand it.

    I also doubt that if I went to a pro to get fitted that he would have the current line up of different shafts steel and graphite for the AP1's, so that's why I am reaching out to guys that have used graphite in their irons and their opinion.

  5. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military

    Allen L said:

    Walt, I'm same age and about your handicap.  The steel vs. graphite decision is a tough one and I made a mistake last spring.  I bought a non-Titleist set recommended by a vendor that included hybrids.  I was never able to adjust to the graphite irons, gave them to my wife and she hits them better than her old clubs.  I'd suggest that if you have a partner who plays graphite, or know of a club where you can rent some graphite's, give them a try out on the course.  I now have Titleist irons with steel shafts, regular flex, and I love them.  I also bought a Titleist 913 D2 driver and fairway wood with graphite shafts, while I am hitting solid and finding fairways, I don't get the same accuracy or distance of my ancient steel shafted woods.  Take all this with a grain of salt as I'm not an expert at anything.  See how the fitting session goes and let your expert know about your concern.  Hopefully someone will give you better advice than I have.

    Thanks Alan for responding. I have tried some graphite irons from guys but they just didn't do anything for me in terms of added distance or accuracy and to be honest, they were kind of harsh even if you hit them dead center, but again these were not the Kuro Kage that will be offered in the AP1's.

  6. Tee Time Kev

    Tee Time Kev
    East Hampton, CT

    Hey Walt

       You have gotten a lot of great info here, and will probely get a bunch more.  Let me throw in my two cents.  I am 58 yo and at one point I had been down to a 9 hcp.  The last few years i have been going up now a 15 hcp.  I have been playing the AP1s with stiff graphite and all I can say is the guys i play with want me to get rid of them! I was going to go from stiff steel to reg steel but went stiff graphite.  and I'm hitting the ball better now then when I was a 9.  Getting chilly here in CT now but I can't wait until next season --- I see my HCP taking a dive again.  Oh yea I think my buddies will be forking over some more $$ along the way.  

  7. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military

    Tee Time Kev said:

    Hey Walt

       You have gotten a lot of great info here, and will probely get a bunch more.  Let me throw in my two cents.  I am 58 yo and at one point I had been down to a 9 hcp.  The last few years i have been going up now a 15 hcp.  I have been playing the AP1s with stiff graphite and all I can say is the guys i play with want me to get rid of them! I was going to go from stiff steel to reg steel but went stiff graphite.  and I'm hitting the ball better now then when I was a 9.  Getting chilly here in CT now but I can't wait until next season --- I see my HCP taking a dive again.  Oh yea I think my buddies will be forking over some more $$ along the way.  

    Thanks for the write up on the graphite shafts. I already ordered and received the AP1 irons and got fitted with a steel reg. flex with a hard step. This is my first time with reg. shafts or even the hard step which I knew nothing about until recently. So far, I am hitting them OK, not great (yet) but OK. I love the feel and looks but they are about 1/4 to 1/2 inch shorter than my previous clubs (Cobra). If anything, they hit maybe a few yards shorter on off center hits and about the same if not a tad longer on center hits. I tried the graphite shafts and I just couldn't swing it as consistently as I could my steel shafts and to me, they felt a bit harsher, maybe it was just me and I should have given them more time instead of just about a dozen hits. Glad they are working out for you though.
  8. Luke N

    Luke N
    Wexford, PA

    To help give you some insight, I recently went to the Palmer Cup(a tournament that is features local Pros v local AMs, in Latrobe, PA). Among those in the field was Nathan Smith, a prolific Western PA Amateur, and probably the best in the country that does not want to turn professional. Nathan is known by all who play pro and am events in Western PA. He has played in the Masters four times, and won the mid-Am four times, and also played along side Arnold Palmer in his last Masters. I was curious looking in his bag because as he had cally over-sized head  irons... in graphite, senior flex!! Nathan is in his mid to late 30's, and I couldn't believe that he had senior graphite shafts. The crazy thing about it was he could hit a 4-iron 240 yards. He also has excellent timing. He said that graphite shafts are are light, allowing him to create more club-head speed, which he had been lacking throughout most of his career. That combined with the over-sized heads added even more distance.(similar to the AP1's) He said that he wished he could have made the move earlier in his career. If one of the best Amateurs in the country has moved to graphite senior flex, I think anyone can. Hope this was helpful or at least a little interesting.

    Cheers

    -Luke

  9. I'm 76, handicap 9, driver swing-speed around 85-90. I currently play 712 AP1s with Tour AD graphite shafts in A Flex. I previously used the Nippon 105 in R flex. The graphite shafts enabled me to increase my iron lengths by 10 yds a club, but only in calm conditions. The downside is that I get a very high ball-flight, especially in the 7-PW, that creates ballooning in the strong winds that we experience on our course alongside the North Sea. The move from the R steel to the A graphite was too extreme.

    I've been doing a lot of research and am now considering a move to the 714 AP2s, because of their higher lofts in the long-irons and lower in the short. I'm looking for a shaft that will produce high ball flights in the 4-6 irons and lower ball-flights in the 7-PW.

    Graphite is starting to make an impression on the Tour. A popular choice is the Aero Steelfibre, which is graphite wound with steel wire - I believe that Matt Kuchar is using them in his irons.

    My choice will probably come down to either light-weight steel or graphite. My current favourites are:-

    Nippon Pro 850 GH in R flex - weight 87g, torque 2.1

    Project X graphite 4.5 - weight 91, torque 3

    UST Mamiya 95 F3 - weight 90, torque 4.1

    I'll also try the Kuro Kage in S flex - weight 65, torque 3.4 

    Ideally, I'd like to have a demo 6-iron with each of the shafts to do extensive testing - I dream on!!

  10. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military
    This is the mystery of the golf shaft. I'm sure if we all could swing the different shafts that are offered, we would be able to find the right one no question but we need to rely on a club fitter for that purpose and most of them do not have the various offerings that are out there. They also have their favorites that they use either because of cost, availability, or maybe some sort of kick-back. I am still half struggling with my irons because of the hard step and 2* upright which I never played before but was told by my fitter that it was the best combination for my swing. Not being a fitter by any means, I would look at your shafts first before I go to any club changes. Being a 9 hdcp., maybe changing shafts in your 7-pw could get the results you need, if not, the AP2 is a very nice club.
  11. I am 61 and play the AP1 irons with steel shafts. Arthritis has crippled my hands and I am buying the same clubs with graphite. I played graphite irons for 6 previous years and loved them ..... My attempt at steel shafts did not work out. Bottom line, graphite are easier to hit and absord the mishits a lot better

    Mike

  12. CrazyGolfNut

    CrazyGolfNut
    Omaha, NE

    I am 62 and will be purchasing new AP1's in the spring.  Arthritis has set in over the past couple of years so I may go with graphite.  

  13. jm.thome

    jm.thome
    Richmond, BC

    I believe your curiosity is something you need to flesh out. Graphite shafts will be lighter. As we age, swinging a lighter shaft will help with your control, and you will probably find your club head speed will slightly increase. Both are beneficial.

  14. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military
    I don't know if this is the right way or not but I am going to buy a single iron (7) with a graphite shaft and have it set up 2* upright like my current irons and see if I get the results that I want or expect. With my steel shafts I had also a +1 hard step but I don't think that you could do that with graphite. With so many graphite shaft options for irons now, it's almost impossible to try everything out, so this will be my trial and error with the standard Kuro Kage TiNi65 offering. The only reason I am hesitant on ordering a set with graphite is that I tried graphite shafts in my current irons before I went with steel and found them being harsh and clunky feeling and sounding. If I don't like the way the new iron feels with the graphite shaft or don't get the results, my investment won't be as much as a new set that I wouldn't enjoy playing.
  15. Don O

    Don O
    Madison, WI

    My personal experience is the AD-65's (in the AP1 712) were too limp and the stock DGs were too heavy. It came down to the KK 85 g or the TT XP-95 in the 714 AP1s (the KK 65 felt a lot like the AD-65s). The KK-85 (R-flex) won as it was a tad better in the 6-7 irons, equal from the 8's and down. Since the hybrids are graphite (S+ R-flex), it wasn't a big deal to use graphite. Also, at 65 with some arthritis creeping into my hands, the steel wasn't going to get easier over time.
  16. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military

    Don O said:

    My personal experience is the AD-65's (in the AP1 712) were too limp and the stock DGs were too heavy. It came down to the KK 85 g or the TT XP-95 in the 714 AP1s (the KK 65 felt a lot like the AD-65s). The KK-85 (R-flex) won as it was a tad better in the 6-7 irons, equal from the 8's and down. Since the hybrids are graphite (S+ R-flex), it wasn't a big deal to use graphite. Also, at 65 with some arthritis creeping into my hands, the steel wasn't going to get easier over time.
    Don, Thanks for your insight on graphite shafts. I think that I'll try the KK 85 through the custom shop. I want something that is comparable to what I'm playing now without feeling too whippy. The KK 85 is a mid launch whereas the 65 is a high launch. I don't have a problem with getting air under the ball.The 85 is between the XP 95 and the KK 65.
  17. tdogg21

    tdogg21
    Chambersburg, PA

    For what it's worth, I've been playing graphite shafted irons for about 3 seasons.  At 35 and a long hitter, I'm not the stereotypical player for graphite, but I absolutely love them!  I gained two full club lengths in distance without sacrificing any height or spin.  It totally changed my game.  I use to be as long or longer than anyone else I played with off the tee.  But when we got to our approach shots, I was using at least one club more than them.  Because of that, I had a lot more trouble get shots close to the hole and holding greens.  Now I'm mainly a tee shot and short iron to most every par 4 I play.  They're more expensive, but I doubt I will ever go back to steel shafts.

  18. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military

    tdogg21 said:

    For what it's worth, I've been playing graphite shafted irons for about 3 seasons.  At 35 and a long hitter, I'm not the stereotypical player for graphite, but I absolutely love them!  I gained two full club lengths in distance without sacrificing any height or spin.  It totally changed my game.  I use to be as long or longer than anyone else I played with off the tee.  But when we got to our approach shots, I was using at least one club more than them.  Because of that, I had a lot more trouble get shots close to the hole and holding greens.  Now I'm mainly a tee shot and short iron to most every par 4 I play.  They're more expensive, but I doubt I will ever go back to steel shafts.

    If I can ask, what brand of graphite shafts did you get and were you fitted to them or did you just ordered them?
  19. Frank P

    Frank P
    Port St. Lucie, FL

    Military
    Walt, if I may suggest, do yourself a favor and go to a Titleist Advanced Fitting Center and they will get you into the right shaft for your game. Drop a line to Cathi and tell her where you live and she will let you know of ones in your area. She hooked me up with a great one and it made all the difference when buying my AP1 714's. By the way , my shafts are the KK 65'S Reg. flex.
  20. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military

    Frank P said:

    Walt, if I may suggest, do yourself a favor and go to a Titleist Advanced Fitting Center and they will get you into the right shaft for your game. Drop a line to Cathi and tell her where you live and she will let you know of ones in your area. She hooked me up with a great one and it made all the difference when buying my AP1 714's. By the way , my shafts are the KK 65'S Reg. flex.
    My last set of Titleist(AP1 714) was done by a "cart" fitting center. The advanced fitting center is over 100 miles away from my house. I have been there before and while they had the necessary equipment to do a fitting (trackman), their fitment was no better than a cart fitting (having different shaft combinations on hand). I have spoken to Cathi in the past about my clubs and she was very helpful in explaining the set-up of my irons and various fitting centers, but sadly none are that close to my location. I play to a 13 HDCP which is far from being consistent but I still would like the option of trying different shafts to see what difference it would make in my swing and accuracy. My current irons have XP 95 (R + 1 hard step) shafts in them. The last few times I tried graphite in the irons (not fitted), the feeling was somewhat harsh. The results were OK, but just felt harsh(some vibration)! I'm just trying to gauge everyone opinion on their shafts, likes and dislikes so I kind of know what to expect.
  21. Marc H

    Marc H
    Leesburg, VA

    That is what I did.  

    My steel irons were feeling very heavy and clunky when slightly mishit.  Hurting my shoulder and elbow.  Especially after practicing on a mat at the range.  Ouch.  Actually the TPI guys report lots of arm injuries from hitting off mats with cement underneath.

    Bought a single 6 iron with graphite R to compare with my 6 iron with the Dynalite Gold XP.  The only way to tell is to take them out on the course, when it is not crowded.  The results at the driving range, trackman, or in a net are nice, but insufficient.   You've got to have confidence hitting a 7 iron off a downhill lie to an uphill green over a trap.  Can't do that on the range.

    Results - the graphite are alot higher and softer.  Really easy to hit.

  22. Walt S

    Walt S
    Mckenzie, TN

    Military
    Marc: Thanks for your suggestion. Actually, I have been thinking of just biting the bullet and buying a 6-7 iron in graphite. I need to get refitted again to the new AP1 because my original fit and subsequent re-fit are different. My original fit was 2* up with a +1 hard step. My re-fit was 1* up, period. I normally hit off of mats when I got fit plus a lie board. Not ideal, but when it's all you got, you use it. Thanks for your insight!
  23. 3 years playing golf, 52yr old started with xxio graphite irons, 20 handicap. First pro fitting today has me in a light steel shaft, Ap1 titleist iron heads. Will report back on how I go. Lots of old injuries to low back and shoulders over the years.

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