Technology is a rolling train. Since man invented, well anything, technological advancements have come fast and furious. Golf has not been without its landmark advancements.

From the Steel headed driver to the solid core golf ball, there have been advances that have changed the face of the game.

Now a new advance……shafts YOU can change. When I worked in Vegas we had a full time repair guy who really knew his craft. He could rewhip a wood driver in 2006 as fast as if he were doing 200 of them a day. In 2006, how many of your friends played a wooden driver? He was one of the best.

Now, technology is, seemingly, trying to replace him.

If you have yet to take a look at new drivers, the big push is interchangeable shafts. While you have been able to swap shafts in and out by taking them to a repair shop, now you are able to use a special wrench and screw the shafts out and change them.

While I am a big fan of employment, and let me be straight, the repair guy is NOT going to vanish completely, I think that this advancement is groundbreaking in terms of the technological advancements in the golf world.

The best part of this is not that you can just swap shafts from regular to stiff. The best part is that you can, hopefully eventually, get different shafts to rotate in and out of your driver that will produce different ball flights.

While this is not going to matter to the “grip it and rip it” amateur, like my Father, this is huge news to the guys that used to try different shafts in hopes of maximizing performance from course to course and day to day.  What a great idea for the guy whose swing is tuned to a point that it does similar things most times and is looking to keep his swing the same and change the dynamics of the ball flight.

Think about that….I can swing take the same swing and hit it lower than yesterday by turning a screw? Really? Well sign me up! I play a few rounds a year where the wind blows like……well the wind. Wouldn’t it be great for me to just swap a shaft and take a swing and see a penetrating, perfect ball flight for those conditions.

So where do I get this wonderful toys? You say? Try these models on for size and see how things go. Keep in mind that you have to buy the driver then, if you want multiple shafts, you have to purchase multiple shafts too.

My favorite of the “swap and swings” is the Taylor Made R9 series. They have a standard R9 and a TP r9. They also have a 460 cc version of this driver. The shafts are plentiful and cover a wide variety of specifications to accommodate any golfer. Most of the shafts range from $70.00 or so up to $200.00, depending on the style you choose, so be sure to choose the specs that are best for you.

Taylor Made is not the only manufacturer to take this technology and run with it. In fact, Callaway had the “I-Mix” system in place long before the R9 made its debut. The I-Mix system allows you to buy either the FT-9 or the FT-IQ head and any of the available shafts that they may have. They have a massive amount of shafts available so chat with any golf professional and they will be able to help you choose the one that takes your game to the next level.

The #1 player in the world plays Nike and they have a shaft swap system called “Str-8 fit.” The Dymo and Dymo 2 drivers are all fitted with the technology that allows for face angle changing just like the Taylor made. At this time they do not have an interchangeable shaft system, but give them time, they will.

No matter which you choose, consider the possibility of a couple of shafts in order to maximize your game. Try a few and see what they do, you might be amazed at where technology can take you.

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