Steel vs Graphite

I recently bought a cheap steel shaft 7-iron (for like USD9) just to get a feel of how it's like, and just tried it at the range just now. Surprising, it wasn't as heavy as I expected, and my shots were actually going exaclty like my graphite shaft 7-iron. Distance and direction were the same.

With my regular 7i, I can see the thick clubhead at address, but with this steel 7i, all I can see is the clubface, so it feels much thinner. Swinging it was also better - felt more control and had definitely more feel to it.

So what actually are the arguments for or against using steel shafts? Granted I was only using a 7i so I have no idea how it would be with the longer or shorter clubs, but I really liked it and I was wondering if I could actually play with steel shafts?

I play with steel shafts in all my irons.
why do you use graphite?

The argument against steel is for slower swingspeeds and/or physically weaker golfers. The idea is that steel makes for a heavier club, making it harder to swing.

The only reason that graphite clubs are longer is to keep swingweight about the same as their steel-shafted brethren. There's no reason why you couldn't play steel. Most people choose steel unless they have a physical problem swinging it.

general rule of thumb:
graphite is lighter, so you should be able to hit farther but the material is not as strong as steel, so the results between good shots will have a greater range in distance and direction.
steel is heavier so swing speed won't be as high, resulting in a bit less distance. But steel is stronger, so your results from good shots should have much more consistant results.

Graphite technology has gotten so good there isn't much difference in steel and graphite anymore. I use steel in my irons but may switch to graphite because I have wrist problems. If you have noticed Scott Verplank uses graphite and so does Colin Montgomerie. I think Scott does becasue of his wrists.

Yep I think it is back to the issue of swing speed again? Correct me if I am wrong, but most 'beginner' sets are graphite shafts? And practically every brand of iron you buy, you will have the choice of graphite and steel. I guess I fell into the category of "you're a beginner so you should use graphite shafts". I guess weight is also an issue, as they just want beginners to have as easy a time as possible swinging and hitting.

Never thought I'd touch a steel shaft until I saw someone selling a cheap 7i in the auction. It really felt good. Distance was no less than with my graphite shaft. And I really like the ideal of more consistent results with good shots. Definitely felt more control in my hands.

Glad to know us beginners aren't only restricted to graphite shafts :P

I also have been interested in steel shafts.. not for my irons though, i allready use stiff steel shafts and they are fine.. which is why I wondered whether my woods would benefit from it, i know my swing speed would be fast enough for them, but do they hold any more benefits than say a stiff graphite shafts on fairway woods and drivers?

If you're particularily quick, a heavier steel shaft might be the thing, RacLt.

I know for myself, a 78g shaft in my driver has done wonders for me.

The 7i I have just says steel, but do they still have all those kinds of flex for the steel shafts? And how do you choose the weight difference in terms of grams wow :P

Yes Simon, there are still flex variances in steel, but as you've noticed, it's not silkscreened on. The flex is usually marked by a shaft band (it usually also identifes the type of shaft within the manufacturers offering).

You choose the weight differences the same way you do for graphite. The main difference is that the numbers are bigger, is all.

And as always, one mans' "R" is another mans' "S" is yet another mans' "A".

Choice of shaft flex is directly dependent on swing speed right? So if I have swing speed that's suitable for a graphite R say, would it also be a steel R so to speak? (I'm assuming steel shafts have the same breakdown like L, A, R, S, X)?

All things being equal, yes. Unfortunately, if you order 30 shafts for 30 different companies, all with a regular flex, I bet you wouldn't find 2 that are the same. I would guess that at least 5 would be somewhere in the "A" range, another 5 would be in the "S" range 2 would be around "X" 2 would be around "L" and the remaining would be somewhere between "A" and "S", but none would be wexactly the same. This is where the ability to order your set 'frequency matched' is so important. They actually make sure the shafts the send are all the same frequency before sending so that all the shafts for your iron set are matched with the same flex.

__________________
Gord

Quote of the month:
"It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification." ~Bruce McCall