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Do graphite shafts have an advantage over steel shafts, in irons?

For example, in the 2007 Golf Magazine Club Test, the r7 Draw irons were fitted with ReAx 55 shafts.

These were the highest rated irons in any category in that test, and I just wondered if r7 Draws would have rated just as highly with a good set of steel irons.

- k

I would discount the magazine the second that they rated directional biased irons the top in their testing...then I would flip through the magazine and count the Taylormade ads...

55 gram shafts would play pretty soft, and they would defnetly be lighter than ANY steel shaft out there...draw biased irons would most likely draw the ball in the hands of many players...add to the mix the extra length found in many graphite shafts sets across the board when compared to standard lenght steel shafts as well as the strong lofts of the r7 irons, I bet that they send the ball out there a long way, have active tips that help get the ball up and would find lots of support for those two attributes in the minds of many golfers...

That is absolutely correct!!!

I would say that it really depend on the golfer. 55 gram Graphite isn't going to be a shaft for customers hitting the ball with any type of aggressive swing.

Now some Graphite shafts are getting alot better for golfers to choose from. I know the NEW EnZo Nano-pipe iron shafts along with the Aldila NV 105 Iron shafts are really stable with a nice heavy feel. Those shafts are going to be as stable as Steel, feel like Graphite (smooth) and swingweight great.

Well, I'd still like to know the difference in graphite and steel, regarding flight, distance, accuracy ....

I didn't know graphite shafts were longer, so that helps, but how much longer generally.

- k

graphite isn't always longer anymore. Flight, distance, accuracy all depend on the type of shaft you use. Not all graphite is the same.

Now the 55gram (by assumption) would offer more spin, a higher launch, and a softer feel. It would/should only work for golfers with smooth swings.

I would question a magazine who has more Taylor Made Ads than the other manufacturers. However, it is variable on what is going to get chosen, depending upon the 'testers' and their respective skill levels.

In reality, I would think that if the club fits you, it doesn't matter what the magazine says.

A 55 gram iron shaft is on the far side of crazy. Like others have said, there is no way a shaft can be produced at 55 grams and have any amount of stability whatsoever. That is either a shaft option for women and seniors (still extremely light for those golfers), or Taylor Made is so he||-bent on distance that they've lost their senses completely.

In my honest and somewhat reliable opinion, throw any idea of ReAx 55 shafts out of your head unless your 5-iron swing speed is under 40 MPH and your tempo and transition are slow and soft.

If you want graphite shafts in your irons for the specific purpose of shedding the extra weight of steel and gaining a couple MPH of clubhead speed, look at shafts in the 85 to 95 gram range (I believe there is a newer UST ProForceV2 95 iron shaft). Standard weight steel shafts are around 130 grams in full length. Superlight steel models are in the 110 gram area. Pay close attention to the bend point and torque ratings and try to learn how those attributes will affect the way the shafts play for your swing.

Not all 55 gram shafts will lack stability. I happen to have 3 54 gram driver shafts, with torque ratings of 2.4*, which is very low, even for a good 75 grams shaft. So let's not say ALL too quickly.
As for the test, I looked at the distance the testers are hitting their irons in their profiles, and most all of them are very short hitters. Some only get 145 yards with their 5 irons, which is 5 yards less than I normally hit my 9 iron. Hard for me to have much faith in the test results when all the testers are that short. And as has been mentioned, the magazine does take AD money.