A recent rule change by the PGA has opened the doors for certain manufacturers to release “Interchangeable Shaft Technology” into the market in the coming year. The assertion is that this will “revolutionise” the game for amateurs.

The major selling point behind this interchangeable club system is that in just a matter of seconds one can swap out the shaft depending on the day’s conditions and the type of course. Shafts designed to produce lower ball flight, for example, would help on windy days, and shafts that offer higher ball flight (and thus more carry) would make sense on wet days.

Now this all sounds great in theory but how will it evolve in practice? Most of the new interchangeable systems give you one club head with three different shafts, all of which you’d buy. That seems like an awful lot of expense when one of them probably fits and the other two don’t over 80% of the time…

And that’s not all. Whist most of these new systems offer changeable shafts for your driver in varying flexes and weights they’re still provided in what manufacturers call the “standard” length of 45” – 46”. The average length of driver shaft on the PGA Tour for the last three seasons is 44.5”, so if the best swingers in the world know they can’t get enough accuracy out of a 46” driver what chance do we have?

Tom Wishon, the leading name in custom club making & design will tell you that the average golfer is “consistently inconsistent” and certain swing tendencies will occur some 80-90% of the time. The answer then, as always, lies in custom fitting. Go see your local PGA club pro when you next decide a new set of clubs is in order and in just a few minutes he’ll identify those variables which occur repeatedly in your swing and then fit your clubs to match, for free.

Still undecided? If you’re interested in hearing more of Mr. Wishon’s thoughts on this newest innovation click here to listen to the full interview.