Independent SST PURE Testing: What Plugged In Golf Found
Plugged In Golf, an independent golf equipment publisher, has tested SST PURE in five “Golf Myths Unplugged” studies using real golfers and Trackman launch-monitor data. In their original 6-iron test, the PUREd iron went more than 7 yards farther and finished 2.2 yards closer to the center line, and 6 of 7 golfers preferred its feel.
Last updated: October 1, 2026
SST PURE has published its own robot testing from Golf Laboratories (see the robot test results). The studies below are different: they were designed, run and reported by Plugged In Golf, with human golfers. Each summary reports what the publisher found, including results that were mixed or showed no difference. Testing for these studies took place at Club Champion, an SST PURE licensee, as Plugged In Golf states in each article.
The studies at a glance
| Study | Testers | Clubs | What Plugged In Golf reported |
|---|---|---|---|
| Does PUREing a Shaft Improve Performance? Jan. 2016, updated Apr. 2026 |
7 golfers, scratch to mid-teens handicaps | Two otherwise identical 6-irons | Over 7 yards more total distance, 2.2 yards closer to the center line, 2.1 yards tighter dispersion; 6 of 7 preferred the PUREd feel |
| Can PUREing Improve Your Driving? Apr. 2026 |
10 golfers, +3 to 19 handicap, 90 to 120+ mph | Two otherwise identical drivers | +3.72 yards carry and +6.31 yards total on average; accuracy results mixed; 80% correctly identified the PUREd driver by feel |
| Does PUREing Matter for Slow Swingers? Sept. 2026 |
16 golfers in stiff, regular, senior and ladies flex groups | Pairs of otherwise identical irons | Regular, senior and ladies groups gained roughly 7% carry; 14 of 16 gained ball speed; at least half of each group preferred the PUREd shaft |
| What Shafts Need SST PURE the Most? Mar. 2023 |
36 randomly selected iron shafts | Steel and graphite, all flexes and weights | Both materials improved; graphite improved more (75.2% vs. 64.7% average); no correlation between flex and improvement |
| Should You PURE Your Putter Shaft? Feb. 2022, updated Apr. 2026 |
14 golfers | Matching putters, PUREd and un-PUREd steel and graphite shafts | Mixed: some testers improved impact location and consistency; no distance benefit on mishits; “won’t hurt your performance, but you may not see any improvements either” |
Does PUREing a shaft improve performance? (6-iron test)
This is Plugged In Golf’s original SST PURE study. Seven golfers, from scratch to mid-teens handicaps, hit two otherwise identical 6-irons, one PUREd and one not, with 10 shots each on Trackman.
- Distance: over 7 yards more total distance with the PUREd 6-iron, with about 1 mph more club speed and 2.8 mph more ball speed.
- Accuracy: 2.2 yards closer to the center line, and dispersion (furthest left to furthest right) 2.1 yards tighter.
- Feel: 6 of 7 testers said the PUREd club felt better.
Plugged In Golf’s conclusion: SST PURE “is no placebo, it’s one of the most impactful technologies that we’ve ever tested.”
Can PUREing improve your driving? (2026 driver test)
Ten golfers from a +3 to a 19 handicap, with swing speeds from about 90 to over 120 mph, hit two otherwise identical drivers on Trackman, one with a PUREd shaft.
- Distance: on average, +3.72 yards of carry and +6.31 yards of total distance. Eight of 10 testers hit the PUREd driver farther overall.
- Accuracy: mixed. Dispersion range was 2.5 yards smaller, but total offline distance was virtually identical.
- Feel: 80% of testers correctly identified the PUREd driver, often describing it as more stable.
Does PUREing matter for slow swingers? (2026 swing-speed test)
Sixteen golfers, four each in stiff, regular, senior and ladies flex, hit pairs of otherwise identical irons, one PUREd, on Trackman, to test whether PUREing only helps fast swingers.
- Distance: the regular, senior and ladies flex groups gained roughly 7% more carry with PUREd irons; the stiff flex group gained less than 2%.
- Ball speed: 14 of 16 testers improved their average ball speed.
- Accuracy: the stiff flex group finished 2.5 yards closer to the center line on average; other groups showed smaller improvements.
- Feel: at least half of each group preferred the PUREd shaft.
Plugged In Golf’s conclusion: “You don’t need to be a high speed player or a low handicapper to feel the benefits.”
What shafts need SST PURE the most? (36-shaft study)
To test the idea that modern shafts are already consistent enough, Plugged In Golf randomly selected 36 iron shafts, steel and graphite across all flexes, weights and major manufacturers, and measured them on an SST PURE system.
- Consistency: steel and graphite scored almost the same on the Load Symmetry Index (95.2 vs. 94.8), so modern shafts are well made.
- Improvement: both still benefited. Off-plane oscillation improved 75.2% on average for graphite (range 53% to 94.7%) and 64.7% for steel (range 46.4% to 79.9%).
- Orientation: for the graphite shafts, the average SST PURE position was 75 degrees from logo up.
- Flex: no correlation between shaft flex and the amount of improvement.
Should you PURE your putter shaft? (putter test)
Fourteen golfers tested matching putters with PUREd and un-PUREd steel and graphite shafts, without knowing which was which, on short putts (SAM PuttLab) and long putts (Foresight).
- Impact and consistency: two testers improved their impact location, and a few improved their stroke consistency score; most performed the same with either shaft.
- Mishits: no benefit for distance or distance consistency; a slight start-line advantage for the PUREd graphite shaft.
- Feel: no tester correctly identified both PUREd shafts.
Plugged In Golf’s conclusion: PUREing a putter shaft “definitely won’t hurt your performance, but you may not see any improvements either.” The benefit is far clearer in full-swing clubs.
Plugged In Golf’s independent SST PURE guide
For a third-party overview of what SST PURE is, steel vs. graphite, retrofitting existing shafts, spining and FLO, installation and adjustable hosels, see Plugged In Golf’s guide.
Read Everything You Need to Know About SST PURE →
How this fits with SST PURE’s own testing
SST PURE’s published Golf Laboratories robot tests isolated shaft orientation with a swing robot: PUREd drivers finished 13.2 yards closer to the center line and carried 5.1 yards farther on average. Plugged In Golf’s studies add real golfers of different skill levels and swing speeds. Results vary by golfer, club and shaft, and no study guarantees a specific gain for every player. See all SST PURE testing.