What is torque?

    You often hear the word "torque" in reference to golf shafts and I often have customers asking what it is. Torque is the shaft's resistance to twisting around its axis. Shaft engineers design shafts with different amounts of torque to create a certain feel with that shaft. Lighter, more flexible shafts will have a higher torque allowing the shaft to twist more. Heavier, stiffer shafts are designed with a lower torque so the shaft twists less. 

    Torque ratings are specified by a number scale. For instance a heavier, stiffer shaft may have a torque rating of 2.5 degrees compared to a lighter, softer shaft with a torque rating of 5.0 degrees. The lower the number the less the shaft will twist during the swing. Most of the twisting of a shaft takes place after impact so torque is more about creating a certain "feel" in the shaft than anything else.