The topic of aftermarket shafts keeps creeping up in discussions and on forums online. Are these premium shafts that much better than stock shafts? Are the gains big enough to justify the premium prices? Inconclusive and irritating, but true answer is: It depends.

Premium equals better

When it comes to materials, production process and ultimately, tolerances, premium shafts will always be better than stock shafts. Now, it doesn’t mean that the highest priced shaft will deliver the best performance.

It will still depend on a proper fitting. Most premium shafts cost around P15,000 to P25,000 locally. Considering that a premium driver already costs around P30,000 to P40,000, the additional cost brings the cost of a customized driver to around P60,000. If you’re really loaded and would like the best there is, some shafts can go for even more. Paired with a “tour van” driver head, you can easily breach P100,000 for just one club.

So will the best shaft, fitted correctly to your swing, give you the best performance? Of course. The best materials will mean tighter tolerances; which means less room for error and variance, which in turn makes the most consistent, most predictable outcome. That’s what the best shafts do.

While some may claim added yardage, a properly fit, decent quality shaft will deliver your maximum yardage on a good swing. What you’re actually paying for in premium shafts are consistency and a tighter dispersion. You want your misses to be smaller, and off-center hits to not make the shaft and club twist too much.

How much difference a premium shaft makes will always be subjective. In my experience, a proper fitting with a decent shaft is enough. A good fitter will tell you if and when you need an upgrade, and when you’ll just be wasting money.

That’s why I trust my fitter, Jake Ong. I’ve come to his shop a number of times wanting to change shafts and would always be told to keep my current gamer shaft, which is a six-year-old Graphite Design Tour AD VR. While it is a premium shaft, I bought it used and luckily it fit my swing. The other thing is that once you are fit for a shaft, you can use them on different heads. So, if you upgrade to a newer head, there’s no need to buy a new aftermarket shaft again. Simply use the one you have.

Stock shafts are good enough

There are those who argue that stock shafts are more than enough for the average golfer. I also think that’s a valid point. As long as the stock shaft you have fits your swing, then you should be able to get good performance from it. In my case, my 3-wood used to have an aftermarket shaft installed. I wasn’t fit for it, and had very inconsistent results. I then replaced the shaft with a stock one and it luckily fit me better. I’ve been using that stock shaft ever since and have had no issues.

Speaking of stock shafts, I played one of my best rounds off the tee ever using rental clubs. On a trip to the United Kingdom without my set, I played a round using rental clubs. I crushed the ball the whole day, not missing a fairway.

The ball went where I aimed and faded like I wanted. I can’t forget that driver and shaft combo, it was an old, beat-up Callaway Razr Fit paired with an Aldila RIP shaft. Goes to show that aside from being dependent on your swing, there’s also a bit of luck involved in getting the right head and shaft combo for your swing.

So yes, for the majority of us, stock is enough, provided it fits your swing. Your trusted fitter can help you determine what fits and what doesn’t. What I don’t appreciate is the low-key trickery that manufacturers do. They’d collaborate with shaft companies and come out with “premium” stock shafts.

A recent example would be stock shafts labeled as Fujikura Ventus, a very popular shaft on tour. These shafts are popular for their stability, with their Velocore technology. But these stock shafts are labeled Ventus non-Velocore.

They have the same model name, but don’t contain the same tech. This fools a lot of golfers thinking they have the same shafts as the pros, expecting the same benefits. It simply is a marketing ploy, targeting folks who wouldn’t know better.

The bottomline (for me)

For me, it will all boil down to fitting and your budget. Get fit with stock shafts first. They might just be good enough for your swing and your game. If your fitter suggests an upgrade, go for it, if you can afford it. Premium shafts that are fit for you will last you a long time.

They can be transferred to succeeding sets when you upgrade so I think they’re a worthwhile investment. Now, if you play as an elite amateur or make your living playing golf, then premium shafts are a necessity. Every advantage, every ounce of additional confidence, every yard matters so get the best there is.