There are two main problems when discussing torque as it relates to golf shafts. The first is that, technically speaking, golf shafts do not have any torque. Torque is a force. Rather, when we are discussing torque in relation to golf shafts what we are really talking about is the golf shaft’s resistance to what’s known as ‘torsional twisting’ as a result of applied torque during the golf swing; or the shaft’s tendency to twist along the center axis.

This is a shaft engineering and design factor that has grown increasingly important over time. As head sizes have ballooned, the center of gravity of the head has moved further away from the center of the shaft, meaning that the torque applied to the shaft has increased exponentially. In simple terms, as heads have gotten bigger the tendency of the shaft to twist has gotten higher. Low torque in a golf shaft is important because it means a lower tendency to twist along the axis, which in turn means a club that’s more likely to square up like it is set up, especially with modern, high-MOI heads.

The second problem when discussing torque as it relates to golf shafts is that the numbers are easily fudged. Manufacturers (and in particular their marketing departments) have, for some time, understood the importance of a low torque spec, and they have known how to make that number read as they want it to read.

At issue is the way torque is measured. The torque specification for shafts is the number of degrees the shaft twists under one foot-pound (ft-lb) of torque. Where this is easily manipulated is in the “beam length” used to take this measurement. In short, it matters greatly where one places the clamps. If the manufacturer is seeking to lower their number— and they usually are— then moving the clamps closer together will create a length of shaft more resistant to twisting. It’s amazing how low a high-torque shaft will read once those clamps get into the 5” range.

In contrast, most golfers play their drivers at 45 inches. When designing the new Fierce Golf line of shafts, establishing a protocol that reflected the way that clubs are really built and played was of paramount importance.

Here is how we measured the torque of the new Fierce Golf line (and the standard we believe should be used in all shafts). Assuming a modern, 460cc driver head we inserted the shaft and then measured out to 45" of play length, marking the butt there. Then we subtracted 11" from the butt to allow for the grip (the grip contributes more to twist than the shaft in this section of any club). We then clamped the butt of the shaft at this point. On the tip end, because the first 1½ "of the tip of the shaft is epoxied into the head, and therefore has no torque, we do not account for this area and use a 1" clamp beginning 1½" from the shaft tip.

Our guarantee to our customers is that the torque measurement of all Fierce Golf shafts will be measured to this standard, now and in the future. The performance of our shafts will always be a function of the best available shaft science, not the whims of the guys in marketing. We urge you to test our shafts against the best that any of the competition has to offer. We believe that you’ll agree, no one builds a shaft so Fierce!