Metal vs. graphite putter shafts: What do the top-25 PGA Tour gamers truly use?

Earlier than we get into the analysis experiment beneath, I needed to say one thing rapidly: NO ONE, ever, has “discovered” find out how to putt.

There are some golfers who’re much less horrible at placing than others, definitely, or they’re much less horrible than they was once, hopefully, however nobody has ever discovered the right method, grip, shaft, head design, face design, hosel configuration, toe hold, or swing weight.

Over time, there have been numerous waves, traits, fads and programs that get launched to the world of golf.

Some concepts come and go. Some concepts are a flash within the pan, they usually work for just a few rounds, or for just a few folks, however the golf world finally ends up shifting on.

However, sometimes, some concepts spark a whole paradigm shift, and assist transfer the way forward for the golf business ahead, whereas additionally making golfers higher.

Are graphite putter shafts merely a flash within the proverbial pan? Or are we standing on the forefront of a large shift in what’s thought-about a “regular” putter?

If a golfer, within the 12 months 2023, stepped on the tee field with a steel-shafted driver, they’d be enjoying the sport utilizing historical expertise. And probably mocked by their enjoying companions.

Is that the place we’re heading with putter shafts? Will each putter have a graphite shaft in 20 years?

From my perspective, as somebody who covers golf gear on the PGA Tour week-in and week-out, it has definitely appeared that graphite putter shafts are gaining extra traction amongst PGA Tour gamers. Extra gamers testing every week, and extra gamers switching.

Just a few a long time in the past, there was one possibility to your putter shaft: Metal.

Now, there’s a broad spectrum of composite shafts which are accessible to PGA Tour gamers, provided in a variety of various flex-and-weight choices.

As I just lately realized from Collin Morikawa’s putter shaft prototyping process, it’s not all the time simple to search out the proper mixture of stiffness and weight with a graphite putter shaft, however hanging that steadiness can show profitable.

Some PGA Tour gamers appear to be discovering better stability, and thus, much less face twisting all through the stroke, when utilizing graphite or composite shafts.

Placing is placing, although, so discovering the proper really feel and weight for pace/management functions stays important. It’s not purely about stability, since there’s nonetheless human movement concerned.

Odyssey putters on the Sanderson Farms Championship.

On the whole, composite shafts have undoubtedly develop into extra mainstream, and numerous producers are at the moment promoting graphite shafts to the general public. It appears the listing of choices, and the listing of corporations making graphite putter shafts, continues to develop.

With all that being stated, I needed to know what the putter shaft panorama seems like for the time being. What are the most effective gamers on the PGA Tour utilizing? What are the top-ranked putters on the PGA Tour utilizing?

Are we driving a wave of graphite putter shafts, or is that this extra of a everlasting shift?

I’m contemplating this story because the baseline knowledge pool for future reference, in order that we are able to look again later to find out if the variety of graphite putter shaft customers is rising, or shrinking.

On this story, I tracked the highest 25 golfers, as ranked by the Official World Golf Rankings, to see what putter shaft fashion they’re at the moment utilizing. Then, I tracked the highest 25 golfers, as ranked by the Strokes Gained: Placing class for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season.

Under are the outcomes, as of the 2023 ZOZO Championship.

I’ll see you once more in 2024 to see if the numbers have modified.

High 25 within the Official World Golf Rankings

1. Scottie Scheffler: Metal
2. Rory McIlroy: Metal (Black)
3. Jon Rahm: Metal
4. Viktor Hovland: Metal
5. Patrick Cantlay: Metal
6. Xander Schauffele: Metal (Black)
7. Matt Fitzpatrick: Metal
8. Max Homa: Metal
9. Brian Harman: Metal
10. Wyndham Clark: Metal
11. Tom Kim: Composite (LA Golf P135)
12. Tyrrell Hatton: Metal
13. Collin Morikawa: Composite (Mitsubishi Diamana 105-gram Prototype)
14. Jordan Spieth: Metal
15. Tommy Fleetwood: Metal
16. Cameron Younger: Composite (UST Mamiya All In)
17. Keegan Bradley: Metal
18. Brooks Koepka: Metal
19. Cameron Smith: Metal
20. Sam Burns: Metal (Black)
21. Jason Day: Metal (Black)
22. Tony Finau: Metal
23. Sepp Straka: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab, all-steel, half-composite)
24. Rickie Fowler: Metal
25. Justin Thomas: Metal

Takeaways

• 4 (4) golfers from the High-25 within the present OWGR are utilizing a composite shaft
• 4 (4) of the 22 golfers who’re utilizing metal shafts are utilizing metal shafts with a black end
• 17 golfers within the top-25 within the OWGR are utilizing silver metal shafts

High 25 Strokes Gained: Placing

1. Maverick McNealy: Metal
2. Taylor Montgomery: Metal (Black)
3. Denny McCarthy: Metal
4. Harry Corridor: Metal
5. Xander Schauffele: Metal (Black)
6. Max Homa: Metal
7. Tyrrell Hatton: Metal
8. Sam Burns: Metal (Black)
9. Justin Suh: Metal
10. Matthew Fitzpatrick: Metal
11. Andrew Putnam: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
12. Sam Ryder: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
13. Tommy Fleetwood: Metal
14. Brendon Todd: Metal
15. Sahith Theegala: Metal
16. Adam Scott: Composite (TPT Prototype)
17. Eric Cole: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
18. Harris English: Metal
19. Peter Malnati: Metal
20. Keegan Bradley: Metal
21. Brian Harman: Metal
22. Adam Hadwin: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
23. Alex Noren: Metal (Black)
24. Aaron Baddeley: Metal
25. Nicolai Hojgaard: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)

Takeaways

• Six (6) of the top-25 putters use a composite putter shaft
• 4 (4) of the golfers who’re utilizing a metal shaft are utilizing a metal shaft with a black end
• 15 golfers within the prime 25 of Strokes Gained: Placing are utilizing a silver metal shaft

Conclusion

The PGA Tour is a superb place to search out out concerning the gear that’s trending among the many finest gamers on the earth.

Actually, there have been fewer top-25 gamers utilizing graphite shafts than I might have guessed. However, there are undoubtedly extra graphite shafts getting used among the many prime putters on the earth than among the many prime gamers on the earth. I’m not saying there’s a correlation, however there’s a distinction.

Both method, take this story as a nudge into experimentation. If among the finest gamers on the earth are attempting graphite putter shafts and placing them in play on the PGA Tour, then possibly it’s time you give one a strive for your self.

Subsequent time you’ve gotten the possibility, ask your native skilled fitter or instructing professional if you happen to can provide a brand new graphite putter shaft a take a look at. Perhaps it’s your reply. Or possibly not. One of the simplest ways to know is to know.