Before I get to the research experiment, let me say this: No one has ever “figured out” what to do.
Although some golfers are better at putting, than others or are more proficient than before, no has figured out how to perfect the technique, grip, shaft design, head design and face design, hosel design, toe-hang, or swing weight.
Golf has seen countless trends, fads, and waves over the years.
Some ideas are short-lived. Some ideas only last a couple of rounds or for a handful of people. The golf world moves on.
Some ideas can spark a paradigm shift in the golf industry, helping to improve golfers and the industry as a whole.
Is the graphite shaft a fad? Are we at the forefront a major shift in what is considered a “normal putter”?
Scotty Cameron putsters at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
In 2023, golfers who use steel-shafted drivers on the tee boxes would be using an ancient technology. They may even be mocked by other players.
Will we be using graphite shafts in all putter heads? In 20 years, will every putter be equipped with a graphite-based shaft?
As someone who covers the PGA Tour every week, I can say that graphite shafts have gained more traction with PGA Tour players. Each week there are more players who test the product and switch to graphite putter shafts.
There was only one choice for your putter’s shaft a few decades back: steel.
There are a variety of shafts available for PGA Tour players in a range different flex and weight options.
Collin Morikawa’s putter-shaft prototyping taught me that it is not always easy finding the right balance between stiffness and weight when using a graphite shaft. However, finding this balance can be successful.
Some PGA Tour golfers are finding that graphite and composite shafts provide greater stability and, therefore, less face twisting during the stroke.
Finding the right weight and feel for speed/control is still important. Stability is not the only thing to consider, as there’s also human motion.
Odyssey putters at the Sanderson Farms Championship.
Composite shafts are now more common and many manufacturers sell graphite shafts. The list of graphite shaft manufacturers and options continues to expand.
What putter shafts are the best players on the PGA Tour using? What putters are used by the top players on the PGA Tour? What putters are used by the best players on the PGA Tour?
Is this a temporary shift or a trend?
This story will serve as a baseline for future comparisons, so we can see if graphite putter-shaft users are increasing or decreasing.
In this article, I tracked down the top 25 golfers ranked according to the Official World Golf Rankings in order to determine what type of putter shaft they are currently using. I then tracked the top 25, ranked according to the Strokes gained: Putting category, for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour.
The results of the ZOZO Championship 2023 are listed below.
I’ll be back in 2024 and see if anything has changed.
Top 25 Official World Golf Rankings
- Scottie Scheffler: Steel
- Rory McIlroy : steel (black)
- Jon Rahm : Steel
- Viktor Hovland : Steel
- Patrick Cantlay : Steel
- Xander Schauffele: Steel (Black)
- Matt Fitzpatrick: Steel
- Max Homa : Steel
- Brian Harman : Steel
- Wyndham Clark: Steel
- Tom Kim : Composite
- Tyrrell Hatton : Steel
- Collin Morikawa: Composite (Mitsubishi Diamana 105-gram Prototype)
- Jordan Spieth : Steel
- Tommy Fleetwood – Steel
- Cameron Young : Composite
- Keegan Bradley: Steel
- Brooks Koepka: Steel
- Cameron Smith : Steel
- Sam Burns: Steel (Black)
- Jason Day: Steel (Black)
- Tony Finau: Steel
- Sepp Straka : Composite – Odyssey Stroke Lab (all-steel and half-composite).
- Rickie Fowler: Steel
- Justin Thomas Steel
Take-Aways
- Four (4) of the Top-25 golfers in the current OWGR use a composite shaft
- Four (4) golfers out of 22 who use steel shafts have a shaft with a black finish.
- Silver steel shafts are used by 17 of the top 25 golfers in the OWGR.
Top 25 Strokes: Putting
- Maverick McNealy : steel
- Taylor Mont: Black (Black)
- Denny McCarthy: Steel
- Harry Hall : Steel
- Xander Schauffele: Steel (Black)
- Max Homa : Steel
- Tyrrell Hatton : Steel
- Sam Burns: Steel (Black)
- Justin Suh: Steel
- Matthew Fitzpatrick: Steel
- Andrew Putnam: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
- Sam Ryder: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
- Tommy Fleetwood – Steel
- Brendon Todd: Steel
- Sahith Theegala : steel
- Adam Scott : Composite
- Eric Cole : Composite
- Harris English Steel
- Peter Malnati: Steel
- Keegan Bradley: Steel
- Brian Harman : Steel
- Adam Hadwin : Composite
- Alex Noren – Steel
- Aaron Baddeley: Steel
- Nicolai Hojgaard: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
Take-Aways
- Six (6) out of the 25 top-ranked putters are using composite putter shafts
- Four (4) golfers are using steel shafts with a black finish.
- Strokes gained: Putting is used by 15 of the top 25 golfers.
Conclusion
The PGA Tour offers a good way to learn about the latest equipment used by the top players around the globe.
It was surprising to see that fewer of the top 25 players were using graphite than I had thought. There are more graphite-shafted putters than players among the world’s top 25. I’m certainly not saying that there’s any correlation between the two, but there is definitely a difference.
This story can be a good way to encourage you to experiment. You should try one if you want to be like the best golfers in the world.
Ask your local pro fitter or teacher if they can test a new graphite shaft next time you get the chance. It could be the answer. Maybe it’s not. It is best to find out.
