Whats the difference between a steel shaft versus a graphite one?

Question

Whats the difference between a steel shaft versus a graphite one?

Answer 1

Graphite is for old men and ladies. Not for the accomplished player. Graphite bends easier than steel. Steel shafts are more accurate and give you a better feel at impact. Graphite tends to be more flexible and can vary from club to club. Steel is steel. If you want to be a good golfer, use steel shafts

Answer 2

while graphite is lighter, its more flexible or "bendy". depending on your swing speed, this can be good or bad.  if you have a super fast swing, go with the steel shaft. while it is heavier, this wont matter much because of your speed. and its really not that much heavier. i believe graphite is a kind of cool marketing scheme =/

Answer 3

graphite sucks

if ur like 12 get them

but when your 14 and been weight lifting they feel like your swinging a whip or a twig

steel are stiff and graphite are way more flexible

Answer 4

The biggest difference is that graphite can be made as strong as steel, but will generally be lighter in weight.  Graphite is layered and manufacturers can control more of it's properties by the way they construct it.

Answer 5

flexibility.  Graphite is forgiving, so you'll hit less accurate shots, but you bad swings will not be so bad.  Steel is rigid and more accurate.  You'll notice pros rarely use graphite.

Answer 6

Steel is heavier and more durable than graphite.  It will also lead to more accurate/consistant shots.  But, steel and graphite can come in almost any flexibility to match your swing speed.  Most older people will us graphite in their irons to make them lighter to gain some lost clubhead speed due to aging.  The advancement in graphite shafts has gone thru the roof in the last ten years.  Most if not all drivers come with graphite shafts.  Be careful, if you own a driver head that had a graphite shaft in it, you must go back with a graphite shaft due to the weight of the head.  Most people don't realize a steel shafted head weighs more than a graphite head.

Answer 7

Oh how wrong you are. Graphite is lighter. That way a driver that has a weight of say for example 6oz. can have more weight in the head than one with a steel shaft. That gets you somewhat higher "Mass times velocity squared". They can also be engineered for various flex points.

Answer 8

Don't listen to some of them, stiff is stiff and regular is regular.  Steel is not stiffer than graphite and graphite is not whippier than steel.  With graphite the manufacturer can control where the shaft will bend(kickpoint) to control the trajectory of the ball.  Also as some has said graphite is lighter for greater swing speed, but they also make heavier graphite shafts.  The manufacturer can control more variables in a graphite shaft.  True Temper makes both steel and graphite shafts(Graphalloy*sp?) look at the amount of shafts offered in steel vs. graphite.  In the end graphite is better.