Inspired By Robot Testing
Inspired By Robot Testing
Most golfers think golf shafts are incredibly complex, and in many ways they are. But when it comes down to it, they there are only three essentials for a golf shaft:
- Be durable (i.e. don’t break)
- Suit a golfer’s swing type
- Do the same thing every time
Good (And Bad) News
The good news is that golf shafts are incredibly durable. Most of us have put that to the test with a few accidental bumps and mishaps.
When it comes to matching your swing style, there are plenty of shaft options, too, although we can argue that many of those options don’t deliver what they promise.
Now for the bad news. Today’s golf shafts are not consistent, and that has to do with the way 99.9% of them are made.
What Robot Testing Revealed
We know golf shafts are inconsistent because we’ve studied them. GEARS is used by top equipment manufacturers in their robot testing because robot testing removes almost every variable. It allows equipment manufacturers to isolate highly specific aspects of their club designs so they can maximize overall performance. GEARS is also the only available technology that accurately measures the movement of the shaft during the swing.
We could hardly believe it when GEARS showed us that even the most popular shafts on tour are inconsistent. They don’t do the same thing every time.
The reason is the way they’re made. Most shafts are made with a process akin to “sheet wrapping,” and it’s a manual process (humans do it). It’s currently the industry standard because it offers a lot of design flexibility, particularly in creating extremely lightweight shafts, and it is generally cost effective. But it is, by nature, not a consistent process. There are seams and even bubbles that form during manufacturing.
Achieving True Consistency
We know golfers aren’t consistent. We think their shafts should be. So we decided to do something about it.
Our solution: advanced filament winding. It’s a robotic manufacturing process that allows us to create shafts that are 100% seamless, meaning they do the same thing every time. It is, by nature, a consistent process.
We’re now in the process of developing shaft profiles tailored to different swing types based on our extensive library of real golfer data. Our new shafts, called OVVIO, will soon be available through our worldwide network of GEARS Fitters.
GEARS x L.A.B. Golf Putter Shafts
Looking to improve your consistency right now? We just launched a collaboration with L.A.B. Golf on a putter shaft that offers these same benefits. Since putters are swung at about the same speed across the golfing population, no fitting is required. You can try one in a new L.A.B. Golf putter.
OVVIO Is Coming Soon
To stay in the loop about OOVIO, you can sign up for our email list below. By the way, “OVVIO” means “obvious” in Italian—fitting for a company that’s taking on what others have missed.