From time immemorial, there was only one shaft to go with— the wooden shaft (mostly hickory). Then steel took over in the early 30s, with fiberglass coming in during the 50s. Today, aluminum has arrived on the golfing scene. Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Will golfers go with Arnie and aluminum or stay with steel or fiberglass? The dub manufacturers are prepared for any eventuality.

by Roger Ganem

t is known throughout the golfing shafts, billiard cues, ski poles and that the present trend is definitely fraternity that the aluminum shaft sports accessories. toward aluminum. clubs are lighter in over-all True Temper's aluminum shaft The one man most responsible for weight, can be swung faster with is identifiable by the familiar the excitement of the new shaft is, less effort and, because of the add- "steps"; LeFiell's shaft, by the of course, Arnold Palmer. With itional clubhead speed all this pro- straight taper. shafts from LeFiell, he whipped the vides, the ball will travel farther. The present-day aluminum shaft pack at the 1967 Los Angeles and And don't forget this free extra is an offspring of the aerospace Tucson Opens and finished high in feature: the aluminum shafts, ac- alloys. Previous attempts to use the money in so many of the others cording to tests, do not twist as aluminum in golf shafts met with that, up to the USGA Open in June, much as the steel shafts, reducing failure because the flex points and he had won over $90,000 for one of the tendency to hook or slice be- head torsion could not be controll- his fastest starts on record. cause of clubhead torque. ed. The new alloys developed have It was quite natural that the In the 42-year span the steelshafts provided the necessary strength, Arnold Palmer Company would have been ruled to be legal (in the stiffness, performance and life of break just as fast in introducing this United States), scores have steadily i the aluminum shafts so that they shaft to the general public. A become more spectacular, sub- compare favorably with steel shafts $30,000 sales pitch was carried rounds more common-place, and in these important respects. nation-wide and the result was a preponderance of new customers, pin-point precision more routine, by The aluminum shaft is lighter by most of them asking for the alu- professionals and amateurs alike. half an ounce. This means it will minum shaft. Still, the demands for the alumi- be easier to manipulate on the back What does Robbie Robinson, vice num shafts are exceeding the ability nine, when many golfers start to president of the Arnold Palmer to supply and who knows why? Is tire and begin to slug at the ball. Company, say about all this? Sim- it because they are new and there- The flex is controlled by a com- ply that, "this shaft could become fore desirable? Or because they bination of wall thickness and out- came through for Arnold Palmer, the greatest contribution to the golf side diameter. You can order the industry since the introduction of and others on the tour? exact "feel" you want. Although What are some of the known facts the steel shaft, and it could be a the aluminum shafts are generally tremendous boon to golfers." about this new shaft? thicker than the steel shafts, and Presently, there are two major therefore are not interchangeable, And so the aluminum shaft re- manufacturers of aluminum shafts: this doesn't influence the results. ceived its initial push toward wide- True Temper Corporation, Geneva, There was concern that the larger spread acceptance. Little did it mat- Ohio, long a leading supplier of golf diameter of the aluminum shaft 'ter that Arnie could probably bring shafts for the in- would be a drawback to sales, since any course to its knees using garden dustry, and the LeFiell Sport Prod- the ultimate success of this inno- tools. The truth was that he did use ucts, Inc., of Santa Fe Springs, vation rests in the hands (and eyes) aluminum, and, if it was good California, manufacturers of golf of the buyer; but all records show enough for him, it was good enough Continued on next page golfdom/1968 february • aIumìnum sIhaPt Continued from preceding page for the army of golfers who are mathematical formula: Energy always looking for that extra edge. equals Mass times Velocity squared Speaking of garden tools, the alu- divided by two, which they trans- minum used in golf shafts is not late into Distance equals Club- even remotely similar to the alumi- head weight times clubhead speed num found in tools, toys, furniture, squared. even structural buildings. Initially, By decreasing the total weight the aluminum gulf shaft was weak and at the same time increasing and soft with too much torque. Its clubhead weight, Spalding has in- modules being one-third that of creased both the Mass and the steel, its ability to resist taking a Velocity in the above formula. set was one-third less than that of Extra distance is mathematically the steel. Also, the aluminum shafts assured, says the company. were originally made to the same Golfers will like the lighter over- specifications (outside diameter) as all weight, the extra weight in the steel. These lacked the strength and clubhead and the control and dis- stability of steel, and soon a per- tance this combination carries. aluminum shaft has a tough act to manent set took away all control Tom Walsh, assistant to Joe follow, in my opinion. and most of the feel. Not anymore. Wolfe of Wilson, relates that "the "Tome, it's like the rookie tour- Spalding executive, Jim Long, step placement in the Wilson alu- ing professional. His credentials who guided his company's venture minum shaft is about the same as are excellent, but he still has to into aluminum, explains that anew with steel, because we are now able prove himself under the fire of alloy, never before used and cou- to control the flex. The lighter tournament competition." pled with their step-down shaft and weight to the shaft permits us to Still, the demands keep pouring a slightly larger wall thickness, add more weight to the head and to in and the suppliers are hardpressed provided a shaft that plays like keep the flex point much lower, to keep up. The LeFiell Company is steel, deflects like steel, and is step- where it'll do the majority of golf- no longer making clubs but now are tapered for the same response as ers the most good. The trend? It concentrating on manufacturing steel, but with less torque. appears that aluminum is more pop- their tapered aluminum shafts for How are Spalding's sales? "Tre- ular at this time. The feature of less the industry. And True Temper is mendous," says John St. Clair. torque? Yes, we've long been con- ready "to provide whatever facil- "The volume of orders in our Cus- cerned with this problem. In fact, ities are necessary to supply our tom Built Department has shown an we introduced the "flutes" on the customers with as many golf shafts amazing surge, all because of the steel shafts in our X-31 models for of any material they may want and acceptance of the aluminum shaft.'' the purpose of helping to eliminate that will meet our standards." Incidentally, Spalding guarantees torsion or toe flutter. This pre- The companies that have yet to that their aluminum shaft clubs will dated our entering the aluminum introduce aluminum shafts are busy make you hit the ball farther, golf shaft field." experimenting. Their engineers are whether you like it or not, by a But this optimism is not shared hard at work at the plants and their by the entire industry at present. golf consultants are testing sample One executive said, "It is doubted clubs on the nation's courses. at this time whether aluminum will Bill Kaiser of Hillerich & Bradsby supply the answer to those who are says, "We are spending a lot of looking for a panacea to their prob- time, money and effort to engineer lems. It may help the elderly and the and produce a golf shaft of alu- ladies, but we're not sure it is going minum that will give the golfer the to help too many others. Nor will it best results possible." improve the play of the tournament Paul MacDonald and Vaughn Clay golfer. At least they are not clam- of Dunlop have been on top of this oring for it yet. new approach to golf for many "The aluminum shaft has forced years, as has Gene Sheeley of the us into designing new and Ben Hogan Company. The Pedersen heads and at this point we Company has aluminum shafts in don't know enough about it. The its line and MacGregor, which fea- steel shaft has been engineered into ture a steel shaft of straight taper, the finest shaft possible. It has offers both the straight taper Le- helped set an awful lot of scoring Fiell shaft and the step-down taper records all over the world. The True Temper aluminum to their

Continued on page 40 AluMifNUM sIhaÎT Continued from page 38 customers on special order only. fine golf shaft. We've learned how "We have a policy of making what- to make it strong so it'll flex but ever the customer wants," says won't bend, and tough so it doesn't Leon Nelson, MacGregor's pro- shatter under impact. We've got it motional manager. so it meets the club designer's needs Thus, the golfer has two styles for a club that hits true and far, of aluminum shafts to select from— with the proper swingweight and the straight taper of LeFiell or the proper feel. We turn out steel shafts step-down shaft that True Temper by the hundred thousand to the makes to the specifications of var- highest standards of reliability and ious companies. lasting appearance. The golf equip- Craig Walsh of LeFiell claims ment industry, in our opinion, is a superiority of their shaft's phys- long way from turning its back on ical properties, materials used, hit- the versatile metal which has helped ting benefits and the lighter weight. them create the modern game." "Our shafts weigh 3V2 ounces, So now, where do we stand? the lightest now being offered. And There are those who no doubt will our know-how in using alloys in the stay with steel shafts, while others aerospace program gives our crafts- will at least try aluminum, and a given weight distribution and over- men the experience needed in hand- goodly number will continue using all weight, there is only one com- ling the slim tolerance required by the fiberglass shaft. bination of wall and diameter that this product. The machines used Speaking of fiberglass, let's re- can result in a given flexibility. to make the LeFiell shaft are pat- view this interesting material. It, "We have over the years de- ented and the straight taper is pro- too, is a product of the space age. veloped a process that gives precise duced under a special formula. Our Fowler Blauvelt, vice president of control of both factors so that we aluminum is furnished by Alcoa. marketing, Owens-Corning Fiber- We offer shafts in all flexes." can make shaft after shaft witnthe glas Corporation, says, "The con- George Manning, of True Temper deflection characteristics and over- struction of a Fiberglas (trade states, "We feel we have engineer- all weight desired within very small name] golf shaft is unusual in that ed and developed the True Temper tolerances. For instance, a toler- it permits the designer to locate step-down aluminum golf shaft to ance of only .001 inch in the wall and orient the glass fibers to pro- meet our quality requirements and thickness of a steel golf shaft vide high tensile and flexural our customers' desires for a half- would mean the deflection char- strength for maximum efficiency. ounce lighter golf shaft. The only acteristics and weight would vary High speed stroboscopic photo- people we are willing to share about 15 per cent. To stay within graphs of actual golf swings have credit with in this development are our production tolerances, we must shown that the heads of Fiber- some technical assistance related control the wall thickness close to glas shafts apparently have less to selection and fabrication of alu- .0001 inch." tendency to flutter." minum alloys from Reynolds Metals With the initial success of the Dick Pietschmann, an agency Company and establishment of aluminum shaft, it might be feared spokesman, says that, "Fiberglas specifications in conjunction with that the steel shaft is going to go offers the advantages of totally in- our customers, the man- the way of the hickory. Not so. organic glass; non-corrosive, non- ufacturers. Since the Bristol Company won rotting, non-mildewing, non-ab- "No one manufacturer caused the patent on a locked-seam shaft sorbent, ease of maintenance and us to make aluminum shafts. It in the early 1920's and the Union strength. Helicopter rotor blades didn't just happen this year. It has Hardware Company in Torrington, are made of Fiberglas, and they been a continuous development Conn., in 1924, drew a seamless have demanding flex properties." over the past 20 years; but up un- shaft of high carbon steel capable And Bill Laurent, Shakespeare til the new aerospace alloys came of being heat-treated and tempered, advertising manager, says, "Our along, we couldn't satisfy our qual- and True Temper, in 1927, develop- customers like the Shakespeare ity standards. Some of the pro- ed the stepped-down steel shaft, Wondershaft because it lets them cessing is done on machines sim- the evolutionary process in steel stay with the shot longer, get better ilar to those used on steel shafts manufacturing has made contin- control, plus it gives off a cushiony and some on equipment completely uous improvement in steel shafts feel. There's never any recoil shock different. possible through the years. in your hands. Our shafts reduce "Flexibility is controlled by the Gurdon Leslie, vice president of torque, too." proper combination of wall thick- True Temper says, "Today's steel Golfcraft, another user of Owens- ness and outside diameter. At a shaft meets the requirements of a Corning Fiberglas, but with a dif- Continued on page 68 aIuMÌNUM sIhaÌT Continued from page 40

ferent method of making the golf because this former direction of "half shots" or three- shaft (Shakespeare bonds millions star has been doing that for many quarter shots—I left the ball out to of glass fibers into a double-built years, but because he took a big the right. But I like aluminum and tubular shaft, with the fibers run- title using the aluminum shaft. anticipate having a good year in ning lengthwise on the shaft round We're talking about Dale Morey, 1968." a fiberglass wall; Golfcraft lamin- who won the North Carolina Open This almost makes you want to ates the glass fibers to a thin steel shooting a 66-67-68-72=273 the first run out and buy a set of aluminum core), also has good reason to stay time he used them! shafts. Well, okay by everyone con- around. Here are his answers to the cerned, but one last word about According to a company spokes- questions we posed: "Afteralimit- Dale. He also won the 1967 Caro- man at Golfcraft, "Our patented ed amount of play with the alumi- linas' Amateur with steel shafts! process helps the golfer retain all num shafts, I think I may get a How about stainless steel? True the power of his swing. This means little more distance with the irons— Temper has been working with the that much less power is lost be- I don't think it has yet been true new steel alloys and has discovered cause of excessive vibration and with the woods; I do hit the ball possibilities inherent in the new distortion at impact." straighter; I do hit the ball higher titanium bearing steel alloy, Almar Now, do we turn our backs to with the irons; I get a softer feel- 362. It possesses approximately the those shafts we have been using ing out of this shaft and I think it same stiffness as carbon steel, but and go over to the newest, one, is easier to swing. The thicker shaft permits the manufacture of a stain- aluminum? Well, let's check one does bother me a little, but only in less steel shaft with such superior more incident in the life and times appearance. corrosion resistance it can almost of the golf shaft. "I'm swinging the same swing- be called a "lifetime" shaft. The name of an old friend pop- weight as before, though the over- It may be on the market next year! ped up in print the other day, not all weight is lighter; I did find it a And after that? Try to picture shafts for winning a certain tournament, little more difficult to control the of titanium and beryllium,! •

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