Stock Shafts

[Ice]

For as long as I can remember (and beyond) OEMs have put watered down versions of popular shafts (or entirely unique, inexpensive shafts) as stock in their clubs to save on costs. They're often named exactly the same as their real counterparts to make buyers believe they're getting a $300 shaft with their club (Only Adams and Cleveland really offer expensive shafts stock). Some really work, and some suck.

 

What's your opinion on stock vs. aftermarket? Do you ever keep stock shafts in clubs or always fitted? What's your favorite and least favorite in recent years?

 

For me, PING really gets it right with their TFC shafts. I've also enjoyed the R11S Phenom and the Titleist Diamanas. The bad and the ugly: R11 Blur, "Callaway Graphite," and Tm Re-Ax shafts.

[Matt Saternus]

If it doesn't fit you, it's trash. If it does fit you, it doesn't matter what it cost or if it's stock.

 

The only thing that would make one stock shaft objectively superior to another would be consistency (i.e. if you bought 10 of them, they would all spec out the same), but I doubt any of them have terribly tight tolerances.

 

The only thing I object to with the stock shafts is the "made for" crap because I think it's dishonest. The reasons why they do this are plain as day (fool consumers into thinking they're playing "Tiger's shaft" or some such nonsense) and I think that's s****y.

[RoverRick]

I tend to buy my clubs on eBay, and heads only when offered. I really do not care what shaft is in them because I am going to replace them with a different shaft. I am a huge fan of the Axivcore Red and Proforce V2 shafts. This year I did try the Graphite Design Tour AD DI and like it a lot, and then the Talamonti. I have to say that the Talamonti was a beast. I broke it this weekend but have cut the tip and will put it in a 3 wood. I am 95% sure that I will replace the Talamonti with a Talamonti. It felt so much better than any shaft I have ever hit. I have the PD80 version in X Stiff Tour, which should have been way too stiff for me. However, I loved this shaft. I got it for $25 so I figured I could not go wrong but it was awesome. The next one will probably not be the same specs.