Are (light) Steel shaft irons suitable for beginner?

hi all
just wondering, are (lightweight) Steel shaft irons suitable for beginner? or is it just a preference? the club head are wide sole and the forgiving type (beginner)...

pardon me, I cant help but to ask tis dumb qn.
Is a Stiff/Xstiff graphite shaft = Regular steel shaft? whats the differences?

anyway is it true that its better not to leave graphite shaft clubs in the car (in the sun) as compare to the steel shaft. heat shorten the graphite lifespan??

pls advise. thanks.

Stiff graphite simply means it does not flex as much, not the same as regular steel shaft.

on top of that, I believe cost, weight and feedback of graphite vs steel are the main differences.


lastly I think the heat would kill your grip more than the graphite shaft itself..


for more professional stuff, read here,

http://golf.about.com/cs/componentscustom/a/steelvsgraphite.htm

If you're looking for a light steel shaft, try True Temper Feather Flight. Its light, almost too light, for a steel shaft.

Plus point is if your clubhead is well weighted, you can "feel" its location, much like a rock at the end of a string.

Graphite shaft and steel shaft are simply different. There is no comparison as to which flex graphite shaft is equal to which softer flex in steel. They are simply made for different kind of player, giving a different kind of playing characteristic.

Going back to your question, I used to play Rifle's Air Lite. They do not make it anymore ever since Dynamic Gold took over Rifle. I still keep a set of those shaft in regular flex if you are interested. It is only around 90 grams, and very easy to elevate the ball.

KBS 90 is another good, light steel shaft. But I believe it is harder to handle than my Air Lite.

Alternatively, try looking at NS Pro light steel shaft. They are pretty good, too.

thanks for all the advise.

just to add on, what are the 'usual' weight for a steel shaft? a light weight steel shaft will be at 90gram and below?

a club swing speed is determine by D0-D9? is D1 or D3 or D6 determine by the weight of the club itself (shaft+clubhead)? Any website to illustrate the D0-D9 thingy?

Steel shaft could weighs anywhere from 75 grams (NS Pro) to 135 grams and beyond. Swing speed is the speed of which the club head travel at the moment of impact with the ball. Those C- and D-whatever is called the swing weight. Don't worry about that...

horsie wrote:

hi all
just wondering, are (lightweight) Steel shaft irons suitable for beginner? or is it just a preference? the club head are wide sole and the forgiving type (beginner)...

pardon me, I cant help but to ask tis dumb qn.
Is a Stiff/Xstiff graphite shaft = Regular steel shaft? whats the differences?

anyway is it true that its better not to leave graphite shaft clubs in the car (in the sun) as compare to the steel shaft. heat shorten the graphite lifespan??

pls advise. thanks.

Yes a Light weight steel shaft, like 75 or 85 grams would be ideal for Beginners.
Because the learning process will take time, depending on how much he/she spends time with his Golf Pro and his/her time on the Golf Driving range.

And as he/she gets better, he/ she will later on developed his/her own swing tempo. Thereby establishing what shaft is more suitable for him/her.

Lastly, I prefer not to use Wide Sole ( Super Game Improvement Irons ) like Cleveland HiBore irons. Because once you switch to those GI ( Game Improvement ) irons, it will be difficult.

You need to be accurate on G.I. irons as compared to SGI irons.

Try the new upcoming Nike MachSpeed irons. They come with NSPro 95 shafts, which arent too heavy. Pretty forgiving clubs and looks nice.

I'm also looking forward to the Nike MachSpeed driver. Nike claims that this driver optimizes aerodynamics throughout the swing to deliver more speed than any previous Nike drivers. The reduced drag throughout the downswing allows the club to reach its true maximum speed, delivering maximum energy to the ball which in turn translates to longer and straighter hits.

I hear you can try all these clubs out in the upcoming demo days. I found the schedules here: http://www.golfgreedy.com/happenings.asp



Singapore & Malaysia Tee Times

Come to think of it, when you are a beginner, doesn't matter what shaft you play. You just need a forgiving head with shaft that is easy to elevate. When your game gets better, that is when shafts and everything else matters.

For the mean time, just enjoy the frustration of trying to hit the ball good at the range...

i dun feel a beginner should use light steel shaft... if thats the case might as well start with graphite, definitely lighter....

if the beginner is very strong physically, a light shaft will not really help...

I started learning with graphite shafts but only improve when i change to steel shafts.... the slight increase in weight actually helps me.

Sometimes too light also not easy to swing...

Just my thoughts

as most beginner, u may top or hit a fat shot.

if u use graphite shaft, graphite will absorb part of the impact of club head on mat or ground but steel shaft will not n u will get tennis elbow soon.

steel is good in controlling distance n direction but bigggest problem most begiiner hv is to launch the ball!

AS a beginner, my advise is go for graphite shaft. Until you reach a certain level, then progress to steel. Or you will regret later because like bro Poresia mentioned, you will get golfers elbow and then the pain will come and it will be too late to regret. JMHO

titu

Funny that you guys mentioned steel shaft will cause golfers' elbow. All my family members learned to play this game with steel shafts and none of us got golfers' elbow...

Graphite shafts are simply a very lightweight alternative to traditional steel shafts, and while lightweight steels shafts are getting close to graphite shaft weights, some people prefer graphite for various reasons, mostly related to individual's strength and tempo.

I really don't think that graphite shafts directly reduce the likelihood of golfer's elbow, but it may be possible that since you have to swing less hard and may end up sweeping the ball instead of striking down on it, that one avoids golfer's elbow. If so, that would be the result of a change in swing path and less so of the shaft.

Yarra wrote:

Funny that you guys mentioned steel shaft will cause golfers' elbow. All my family members learned to play this game with steel shafts and none of us got golfers' elbow...

touchwood, not yet

hi all. thx for the advise
i am a beginner and using graphite shafts at the moment. think it will stay that way for a while.

I don't think it really matters for most amateur players whether we use graphite or steel, as long as it right for you. If you look at the LPGA, lots of players use graphite on their irons.

There are steel shafts that weigh in the 90g range (or less), and graphite iron shafts that weigh more than 110g. There are also many graphite iron shafts that have similar torque rating as steel shafts. There's obviously a lot more that goes into selecting the right shaft, and you should visit a good club fitter for that. If you're a beginner, don't worry so much about this and it's probably a safe bet to choose something in a R flex, unless your coach suggests otherwise.

In any case, as you further your game, just go with whatever you want and don't worry so much about the steel vs graphite issue. I started with steel and am now playing graphite on my irons.