About Golf Putter Shafts

Here’s something about putters. While you might not pull out a wedge or an iron on every hole, you’re going to use a putter at some point, with the sole exception of draining a whole in one.

Therefore, you might have had the question at some point or other: does the golf putter shaft really matter all that much?

Well, it’s clear enough that putter club heads can make a difference, based on how they are weighted. And it’s clear that a driver shaft’s flex and stability can make a difference when driving.  

But putter shafts? These are low-force mechanics. How much does a shaft really matter if you have a good club head?

Well, it won’t fundamentally change how you putt, but it can have an impact. Let’s talk about golf putter shafts and some of the specifics that can influence your performance on the green.

Length

Strictly speaking, length is not an attribute of putter shafts, since it is both relevant and relative to the shaft in question and not the club head, but it still makes a really big difference.

That said, length must be fitted to the golfer, not to the putter head. Once you know your measurements, all that matters is that all putter shafts are appropriately fitted to your dimensions.

It is however important that you work with a fitter, because if the length is not properly matched to the golfer, you won’t be able to putt accurately, or else you’ll need to overcompensate in order to do so, which can badly compromise your putting form.  

Neither situation is good. Just make sure you work with a fitter who takes your measurements and sets you up with a putter shaft that’s the right size for you.

Material: Steel or Composite

Traditionally, golf putter shafts have been made of steel alloys. Steel is heavy, but it is very strong and very stiff.

Weight doesn’t matter as much here as it does with iron and driver shafts, but it can have an impact on the putt (more on that in a moment). The stiffness is a positive thing, as is the fact that the simplicity of steel putter shafts makes them easier to care for.

When used properly and stored responsibly, there is virtually no risk of damaging a steel putter shaft. The only thing to be aware of is that steel can rust if put away when wet or stored in a chronically humid environment.

The stiffness of steel is also a benefit, as a stiffer putter shaft is also better. With effectively no torque, with good form, it is easier to keep a putter head perfectly square with a steel shaft. The flipside is that steel putter shafts tend not to have a soft feel, even though they can offer good feedback.

Today, there are graphite putter shafts that offer some of the relative benefits of steel with a few of their own. Though they are more difficult and technically challenging to manufacture, graphite shafts can offer better feedback with comparable stiffness to steel.  

The challenge has been to create graphite putter shafts that are as stiff as possible while offering better feedback than steel. Some graphite putter shafts, like the BGT Stability One, come close to this sort of performance.

These are extremely stiff putter shafts which offer extremely low torque - in the area of one degree - while compromising with a softer feel, which steel lacks. This helps result in a shaft that squares the putter face perfectly and which is swing-balanced, but which offers better sensitivity and general feedback to the golfer.

In addition to steel and graphite shafts, there are shafts made with multi-material construction that offer a balance of traits between the materials.

The tradeoff here is largely one of price, as graphite and composite putter shafts tend to cost more than traditional steel shafts.

Weight and Flex

Weight and flex are also two considerations with putter shafts, though the significance is different here than it is with driver shafts.

With a driver shaft, a heavier shaft can be harder to swing. Therefore, a lower swing weight is generally preferred for players with slower swing speeds. That paradigm doesn’t really exist with putters.

If anything, a heavier shaft carries more mass and swings more smoothly. Either way, weight is not necessarily something that putter shaft manufacturers have gotten too hung up on in development, but it is still something to consider in your choice of the best shaft for your purposes.

Flex is another thing. Whereas in driver shafts, sometimes a little more flex is a good thing because it offers golfers with slower swing speeds a mechanical advantage, flex is a crutch with putters.

The primary goal of a putter shaft is to do everything possible to keep the putter face square with the ball at the point of impact, if not through the entire putt sequence. Both torque and extra flex will result in minor club head oscillations that can result in terrible inaccuracies when putting, especially at greater distances where it matters most.

Therefore, while weight is more or less a nonentity here, flex is of primary importance and all else being equal, you want the stiffest possible putter shaft, whether you are looking at steel or graphite composites. 

The stiffer the shaft, the fewer clubhead oscillations and aberrations it will result in or exacerbate, and the more stable, consistent, and accurate it will be overall, especially for slightly longer putts. That can make all the difference in the world on the green.

Work with a Club Fitter to Get Custom Putter Shafts

Here because you’re in the market for a new putter for your golf bag, or for a new shaft for your current putter? Take a look at our full collection of shafts, which includes Breakthrough Golf Technologies putter shafts, and get in touch with us if you have any questions about shaft specifications.

Also, we encourage you to work with our fitters to find the ideal shafts for your style of play and for your skillset, regardless of what club or shaft pairing you’re looking for.