Steel Shafts.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 307, 28 December 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

Steel Shafts.

DISTINCT PROGRESS.

Makers Developing the-L*TeeF Of Hickory. ; ; Wt* ~* f mT' When the. Royal and Golf Club approved in 1929 the use of stec-j shafts in British countries, the shaft used was a stiff and rather unresponsive thing (writes J. M. Dillon, a Melbourne golf scribe). In six years wonderful progress in the development of steel for this purpose has been accomplished, and at present the latest steel shaft is almost as responsive and susceptible to "feci'' as the best variety of hickory.

Recently at Royal Melbourne I visited Arthur Le Fevre, an outstanding club maker. Like all artists, even if art:is their work, Le Fevre loves his profession. There have been occasions when he has

"lived" for the making of a special set of golf implements. But when steel shafts became almost universal, thing for a while went out of Arthur's life.

However, the other day, I noted soms of the old love for a true hickory shafs in Arthur's face as he "felt" specimens of the latest steel shafts just xmpacked. Ho was preparing for the construction of a number of "special" Christmas orders, for °these days the hand-made first-class golf club is a coveted present for such occasions.

"What a contrast," he said, "the latest steel shafs are to the ones wo got early in 1930." And he proceeded to trace the development of those thin, light cylinders of steel.

There was, in the original tapering stiff shaft, only a little "give" near the head of the club. Then came a slightly curved, taper which introduced "whip. 3 ' There was a give not only near the head, but just below the grip. A forward move happened by accident. One prominent British professional broke his steel shaft beneath the leather grip. Ho had it welded, but the welding left it not quite as firm in that section as it had been. But the relative weakness underneath the grip seemed to give the shaft more life, and later this element of additional feel was introduced, making the steel still nearer to hickory. Following the twin tapered shafts came the limber shafts, the latter being a development of and improvement on the former. When to these were added the cushion type of grip, particularly in the case of the irons, those who still hoped that the wooden shafts would come back began to realise that steel had been developed to a stage where it was practically all the best hickory had been. And as improvements are still being accomplished, it seems that hickory has been cast into the discard for golf club shafts rjermanently. The time seems here when the expert club maker will derive as much pleasure and have as much scope from selecting! the best from an order of steel shafts as he did in the pre-1929 days in going carefully through his latest shipment of hickory to pick out the finest specimens, Again the touch and skill of the expert constructor of clubs come prominently into the securing of a first-class golf club.