Golfers don't pay much attention to the shafts in their putters. The length is just about the only attribute of putter shafts that most of us ever concern ourselves with. And with good reason. Compared to the importance of the shaft is full-swing clubs, the importance of the specific shaft used in putters is (aside from its length and weight) miniscule.
Only golfers with the most refined sense of "feel" might be able to interpret, for example, a putter shaft that bends a little more than they like on a long putt; or be able to learn from the vibrations caused by slightly off-center strikes.
But shaft-maker United Sports Technologies (UST) is hoping that its new putter shaft gives more golfers good vibrations.
The UST Frequency Filtered putter shaft is a multi-material shaft, co-developed with Balance Certified Golf, whose purpose is to filter out the "static" of off-center strikes and allow only those vibrations that provide positive feedback to travel up the shaft to the golfer's hands.
"The Frequency Filtered putter shaft provides a scientifically measurable increase in player sensitivity during putting, and the biggest benefits are easily seen in putting distance and directional control," said Shawn Mullin, PGA Tour manager for UST.
The Frequency Filtered putter shaft has been undergoing testing on the PGA Tour for a while (it was used in winning the Michelin Championship in Las Vegas), but is now available to the rest of us through golf shops, component companies and custom clubmakers. The UST Frequency Filtered putter shaft carries an MSRP of $85.
The Frequency Filtered putter shaft features a graphite grip end and a steel tip end. In between is where the Frequency Filter technology is employed. The Frequency Filter device is designed to allow only certain vibration frequencies to pass through to the player's hands, blocking out other frequency ranges.
Vibrations are created when the putter face strikes the ball, and those vibrations differ in characteristics depending on where on the clubface the ball is struck, according to Skip Pankewich, product developer for UST. Pankewich explained that many vibrations are like static noise on a stereo, but some vibrations at selected frequencies are helpful in providing feedback on how the ball was struck.
By filtering out the static noise vibrations, the Frequency Filtered putter shaft permits only those vibrations that provide positive feedback to travel up the shaft, so players can - according to UST - learn to hit more putts on the sweet spot, thus gaining putting distance and directional control.
Will it work? Reaction has been positive from Tour players who've tried the shaft. It seems that golfers who already have that refined sense of feel would benefit from a shaft such as this. The rest of us, however, might not be as able to capitalize, because, first, you must be able to appreciate the "feel," and second, you must be able to interpret that "feel" correctly. Recreational golfers aren't exactly known for their "feel."
For more on the UST Frequency Filtered putter shaft, visit the UST website.
