Do Expensive Aftermarket Golf Shafts Still Benefit From PUREing?

Yes. A premium aftermarket shaft can be built to very high manufacturing standards and still have measurable structural variation. SST PURE does not judge whether a shaft is “good”; it identifies the most stable orientation of that specific shaft so it can be installed intentionally.

Last updated: October 1, 2026

Premium does not mean perfectly uniform

Price, materials, design and manufacturing tolerances all contribute to shaft quality. None of them changes the reason SST PURE analyzes shafts individually: the process looks for the most stable orientation of the actual shaft being installed.

Independent Testing: Plugged In Golf

Plugged In Golf analyzed 36 randomly selected iron shafts, 18 steel and 18 graphite, across all flexes and major brands. Average Load Symmetry Index was nearly identical (steel 95.2, graphite 94.8), yet the SST PURE position still reduced out-of-plane oscillation by an average of 64.7% in steel and 75.2% in graphite. There was no correlation between flex and improvement.

READ THE INDEPENDENT TEST →

PUREing is not a shaft-selection service

Choose the correct shaft model, weight, flex and profile first, through a fitting or informed equipment selection. PUREing does not make the wrong shaft fit you. It addresses orientation after the shaft has been selected.

Why this can matter more in a premium build

The more carefully you control head, shaft, length, loft, lie, swingweight and grip, the less sense it makes to leave another measurable assembly variable to chance. That is the strongest case for PUREing a premium shaft.

Every shaft is analyzed individually

Every shaft contains irregularities in straightness, roundness and stiffness. SST PURE therefore does not assume that every example of the same premium model should be installed at the same logo orientation. Why golf shafts are not perfectly uniform.

What golfers should expect

Expect better control of an equipment variable, not a guaranteed yardage gain. Robot and player testing shows orientation can matter under controlled conditions, but the size of the effect varies by shaft and golfer.

A better buying question

Instead of asking “Is this shaft expensive enough that PUREing doesn’t matter?”, ask: “If I am investing in this exact shaft, do I want its installation orientation measured or assumed?” See what SST PURE costs.

Frequently asked questions

Does PUREing make a cheap shaft into a premium shaft?

No. PUREing does not change the shaft model, materials, weight or design. It changes only how the shaft is oriented in the club.

Do premium shafts have manufacturing tolerances?

Yes. Individual shafts contain structural irregularities. Plugged In Golf’s 36-shaft analysis found high average roundness scores, yet every shaft group still improved in the SST PURE position.

Should I get fit before PUREing?

For a custom build, fitting and PUREing solve different problems: fitting selects the equipment; PUREing addresses shaft orientation during assembly. Many fitters do both in the same build.