Too Many Broken Shafts!?!?!

[Charles In Charge]

Here's my Dilemma:

Standing at the tee box, I wind up and connect very well. Now the only problem is that I am standing over the top of my driver in pieces.  This was not the only time or last time I would break my shaft on a golf club. 

Let me begin with the first occasion.  I was just learning how to play golf around the age of 24.  I was at the driving range with my buddy.  He had a full set of clone clubs.  I was hitting his driver, and I swung and connected and the head only flew off.  Ok, we originally thought...these clubs were 10 years old (circa 1997), and the "glue" broke down and then I gave that clone driver it's farwell swing. 

Fast forward to the ages of 29-31.  In that span I have broke 3 steel iron club shafts, 2 Driver Shafts, and most recently a 3-wood shaft.  I believe that I have a fast swing speed, but I haven't tested it yet.  With my iron shots I always take huge chunks 'o dirt, real nice pelts that a taxidermist would love to use :-P   Below are the clubs that I have broken the shafts:

 

-Ping G10, Black Dot, True Temper zz65 shafts

   A-wedge, 8-iron, and 6-iron

 

-Adams Speedline 4G Ultra-Lite 12 degree Driver,  55g Grafalloy Blue ProLaunch Regular Shaft

 

-Callaway Diablo Edge Tour  15 Degree 3-Wood, Aldilla Voodoo SVS7 Shaft

 

- Adams Fast 12 Driver, Stiff Stock Shaft (TESTER at local pro shop)

 

Here's the cherry on top....Every shaft has broken over my shoulder/back on my follow-through.  The obvious comes to mind...

 

Control your follow-through. Everything I read says that it's incredibly difficult to do such a thing. 

 

I leave this to you.  Attached here a couple of photos that I have of the carnage...

 

Has anyone heard or seen this happen before? 

[MarcKilgore]

Get some lessons with a pro on a trackman.

[Kor.A.Door]

the one with the head coming off, it probably is the glue that broke down. Breaking the others over your shoulder sounds very odd, ive never seen anything like that, most clubs that i have seen break are down close to the hosel and what you are showing is breaks in the center of the shaft, i would definately get your swing looked at, the shafts may just be too weak and lightweight for your swing, some of the other guys or gals here will certainly be able to give you more insight into your shaft breaking issues.

[Blade]

Across your back? The shaft shouldn't hit your back at all.

 

I've had iron shafts break. Over time hitting on a mat was slowly bending the tip until it finally broke. My swing isn't as steep now to be that hard on my clubs. Steep into the ground taking big divots will do the same thing. Steel shafts can take quite a bit. But they can't hold up to that abuse forever. The first one the head came off wasn't the glue breaking down unless it slid off the shaft. If it broke at the hosel, the glue was fine.

 

As far as breaking shafts across your back, yea, take some lessons. Sounds like you're not turning through your finish right or something. Have someone who knows what they're doing watch you.

[RookieBlue7]

The two sheering off at the hosel could possibly be improperly prepped hosels. But that could be extrapolated by slapping the club on your back. That's an improper follow thru and the extra vibrations can easily break a shaft.

[JBones]

Across your back? The shaft shouldn't hit your back at all.

That happens with hard swingers, I've broke several driver shafts across my back.

 

That was also when I was doing LD and had a SS up around 130.

[SMRT]

I have had the same problem. I broke 4 driver shafts and 2 3 wood shafts across my back last year. (All about 2" out of the grip). I broke a lot more than that by the Housel but that was because they were used shafts and were probably damaged when they were previously pulled. (the ones that broke closer to the head has nothing to do with the shaft hitting across your back) I have never broken a steel shaft but I do not take much of a divot, if any.

 

The only fix I have found is to use extremely stiff shafts. They do not flex as much so they do not break as easily.

 

It really has nothing to do with swing speed though. The first time I did it I was only swinging around 120 and it was a 2X flex shaft. The shafts are just not made to slap across your shoulder and back like that. You can start using 3X or 4X shafts, or just get used to replacing your shafts. You can still break the stiffer shafts, it just usually takes a little longer.

 

Some of the stronger ones that  have found are the USPG - Black Ops LD shafts, the heavier House of Forged shafts, and the UST Proforce V2 LD shafts. The Banshee LD shafts are pretty good as well.

 

Sure, you can always learn to stop your swing before hitting yourself, but what fun would that be?

[RookieBlue7]

SMRT might not be previously damaged shafts breaking at the hosel. The hosel cone is sharp and if you don't use a debuting tool and clean it up before installing the shaft, there's a good chance it'll shear off right there. I've seen it happen to a bunch of people, looked inside the head and you can see it was an improper install.

[HighFade]

I would have said you're too steep and hitting too much turf, weakening the clubs. But if you're hitting your back, that's strange. Would seem more likely that you would hit the back of your neck on follow through.

I think you're just a beast. In 20 years of playing, I've broken two clubs. And one of those was on a root.

[SMRT]

@Rookie

I agree. I have seen both scenarios. Your way is probably more common.

[Charles In Charge]

Here's what I have planned.  I just learned that one of my golf buddies has a trackman in his garage.  I am going to work up an analysis of my swing and try to figure out what I am doing to break all these darn shafts.  I will get back to you guys to let you know how that goes. 

 

BTW thanks for all the input.  I am going to look at every possibility in order to stop breaking all this expensive equipment. 

 

Cheers!

 

-Chuck

[SMRT]

After my first post I re-read that you were breaking regular flex and stiff flex shafts. You can break a regular flex shaft across your back by swinging 90 mph or even less. Some stiff shafts only take a little over 100.

 

Trackman may help you find a shaft that will give you the best performance but until you stop hitting yourself it will be hard to keep them from breaking.

 

Good Luck!

[JimmyZ]

Hey,

Ignore all the idiots telling you to get lessons because you break clubs over your back...you might still want lessons, but the two aren’t really related. I agree clubs broken at the hozzle we’re probably manufactured with a defect. I’ve broken at least one club over my shoulder every season 10 years since my junior year of high school where I had one break at a varsity tournament on a par 3 and I put the ball 2 ft from the pin. I have a fairly high swing speed, but not crazy and I found if I swing a little flat I can still hit a great shot, but when I follow through it bends over my shoulder blade and breaks vs. landing in meaty part between my shoulder blade and neck. I’d suggest to prepare to replace your shafts regularly, or try swing a little more upright. 

[Chip Strokes]

i swing my driver 135mph and have never had the club slap against my back. 

i’ve sent a few cheap older club heads flying down range, but never had a shaft snap on me

you're doing something wrong. 

[Happy Gilmore]

Elevate shafts came up with the brilliant idea of putting water retaining foam at the grip area for dampening vibration.  Unfortunately condensation from taking clubs from cold (house)to heat (course) gets absorbed into this foam creating a stagnant moist area on carbon steel.  This leads to accelerated corrosion from the inside of the shaft and cannot be seen until the shaft snaps.  I broke over 3 shafts in the same place because of this stupid engineering design.  Stay away from elevates, they won’t last a year.

[Highmark]

I have broken 6 in the last 2 years.   All clean hits that break mid shaft on my swing follow through.   4 Graphite driver shafts and couple steel iron shafts.

I have a Golf Sim setup in my home with a GC Quad.   My driver club speed is around 103-106 mph and consistently carry 270+ on the sim and on the course when I have a good smash factor.   I've had a number of people witness this.

I'm a fairly Fuscular (fat-muscular) so with that and being 52 yo my flexibility isn't the best.  What I think happens for me is because of my size/poor flexibility my rotation stops fairly quickly after impact.  With my decent club speed the momentum just keeps the club moving forcing my arms to bend and I can feel the shaft slam onto my left shoulder.  Some of this may be the result of playing a high level of baseball (D1 and after) and still have some of that swing left in my game.  My transition is fairly aggressive in anything less than a x-stiff 65g I can really feel flex during my swing.   Easy fix is swinging at about 90% but where's the fun in that. :)      

I'm a 16 HC