This 6-time tour winner uses two different shafts in his iron set. Should you?

Augusta National

Q: I read that Russell Henley uses different shafts in his longer irons than in his shorter irons. Is this something everyday players should consider?

A: You are correct. Henley does use two different iron shafts, but in theory, he’s using four. Although the True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 shafts in his shorter irons are the same weight at 130 grams, the True Temper AMT Tour White X100 in his 4- through 6-irons weighs 115 grams in the 4-iron, 118 grams in the 5-iron and 121 grams in the 6-iron.

The AMT stands for Ascending Mass Technology where the shaft weight is 3 grams heavier as you move down the set. The idea being that lighter shafts in the longer clubs make them easier to swing, resulting in more speed and help getting the ball in the air. In short, it gives those harder-to-hit irons a consistency boost. These shafts also promise more height to give players a better chance of holding the green instead of coming in low and running off the back.

As for heavier shafts in the scoring clubs, assisting launch with those is not as critical. In higher lofted clubs, distance control and accuracy are paramount. The heavier shafts deliver a more penetrating, predictable flight to help golfers prevent high, weak shots. Basically, they give players more control on the type of approaches they hit and a legit chance of sticking it close.

The scenario described above is the primary reason Cobra made a change to its One Length irons. Originally all the shafts in the One Length set were the same weight. On the surface that made sense: same length, same weight. However, the shorter length in the long irons ended up making it difficult to get those clubs airborne. In subsequent One Length offerings, the long-iron shafts were made lighter to assist launch.

To answer your question, using different shafts is absolutely something to consider, and now you don’t even have to go to two different types. Offerings such as AMT effectively do that for you. Think of it as the shaft equivalent of a blended set of irons, where different head designs are used to optimize each club. Here, you’d optimize performance using shaft technology.