30 Oct Does PUREing Matter More for Drivers, Irons or Wedges?
PUREing helps most in the clubs that bend the most and the clubs you hit most often: the driver and the irons. Independent tests found distance gains with both. Wedges and putters can be PUREd too, but the benefit there is mostly about feel and consistency across the set.
Driver: the most bend, the biggest miss
The driver has the longest shaft in the bag and the fastest swing speed, so its shaft bends and twists more than any other. Small instabilities are magnified, and at driver distances a slightly different face angle at impact becomes a much bigger miss.
In a blind driver test by Plugged In Golf, ten golfers hit identical drivers, one PUREd and one not. The PUREd driver averaged 6.3 yards more total distance and 3.7 yards more carry, and 8 of 10 golfers hit it farther. Accuracy results were mixed.
One thing to know with drivers: if you have an adjustable hosel, changing the setting can change the shaft’s orientation. Read how to keep a PUREd driver PURE.
Irons: consistency through the set
Irons are where precision matters most, because you’re aiming at a target, not a fairway. You also hit them more often than any other club. When every iron is PUREd, every shaft in the set behaves the same way, which makes distances and dispersion more predictable from club to club.
In Plugged In Golf’s six-iron test, the PUREd club gained more than 7 yards of total distance, finished 2.2 yards closer to the center line, and tightened left-to-right dispersion by 2.1 yards.
Wedges: feel and consistency
Wedge shafts are shorter and swung more slowly, so they bend less. The performance gain from PUREing is likely to be smaller than in a driver or iron. Many golfers still PURE wedges so the whole set feels consistent, especially when the wedges use the same shaft as the irons.
Putters
Putter shafts barely flex during a stroke. PUREing a putter is about feel and consistency rather than measurable distance or dispersion.
Where to start
- Building a new set: PURE every club. The cost per shaft is lowest on a new build, and the whole bag stays consistent.
- Retro-PUREing clubs you own: start with your driver and irons.
Club Champion owns SST PURE, and the tests above were conducted at Club Champion.
Frequently asked questions
Is PUREing worth it for a driver?
Yes. Drivers bend the most of any club, and in blind testing PUREd drivers averaged about 6 yards more total distance.
Should I PURE my wedges?
If you’re building a set, yes, for consistency. If you’re retro-PUREing on a budget, prioritize your driver and irons.
Does PUREing help a putter?
Putter shafts barely bend, so the benefit is mainly feel and consistency.
Read next: Which Shafts Benefit Most from PUREing? · Is PUREing Worth It?