Proof in Performance: SST PUREing for Better Golf
Shaft technology leads to consistency, accuracy when applied to aftermarket shafts
Is golf’s best technology a secret? Most golfers aren’t aware of the SST PUREing process, or the benefits that come with a set of PUREd shafts. Amateur golfers are constantly seeking out the latest and greatest equipment as seen on the PGA Tour, so why aren’t they flocking to the technology that PGA Tour professionals have trusted for over 15 years – the same technology that’s helped win over $1.5 billion?
It’s a good question, and one that has a layered answer. Nick Sherburne, co-founder of Club Champion, the nation’s premier club fitter and builder, and Matt Saternus, founder of Plugged In Golf, set out to understand why more golfers aren’t playing PUREd shafts, and to test the technology’s claim of game improvement.
“Knowing what I know from years in this industry, I’m baffled that more golfers aren’t aware of SST PURE,” said Sherburne. “There’s a reason that Club Champion recommends all shafts be PUREd, and even includes it free with our custom built woods – a $30 value. Golfers who truly want consistency should start with PUREd shafts.”
Awareness is the first layer in answering the question above; you can’t seek something out if you don’t know it exists. So what is SST PURE? It’s important to understand that golf shafts are not manufactured perfectly straight or perfectly round. Irregularities can cause problems when the shaft twists and bends during a swing. SST PURE Shaft Alignment identifies the most stable bending plane or “neutral-axis”, to allow for the club head to be installed in the proper orientation.
But does that alignment really matter in the grand scheme of your golf game? That’s the second layer to answering our question, and it’s something that Saternus explored in a previous edition of Golf Myths Unplugged via Plugged In Golf. Saternus tested whether PUREing delivers measurable benefits or if it’s just another placebo.
“For this test, we used two seemingly identical six irons,” he explained. “The clubs had the same head, shaft, grip, loft, lie, length, swing weight and total weight. The only difference was that one shaft had been SST PUREd and the other had not.” All of the testing was done at Club Champion in a controlled environment.
The test consisted of seven golfers, whose handicaps ranged from the mid-teens to scratch. Each player hit ten shots with the PUREd six-iron and ten shots with a non-PUREd club without knowing which was which. The test concluded that the PUREd shafts led to significant distance increases. On average, the testers gained over seven yards of total distance with the PUREd iron compared to the non-PUREd club. That’s nearly a full club of extra distance despite the clubs having the same loft. The greater distance came largely as a result of greater club head speed, ball speed and smash factor. Players swung the PUREd club nearly 1 MPH faster and generated an extra 2.8 MPH of ball speed.
The study also concluded that PUREing does, in fact, boost accuracy. On average, the test group was 2.2 yards closer to the center line with the PUREd six iron. That’s the difference between a makeable birdie putt and a challenging two-putt. On the PGA Tour, that would be the difference between being #1 in proximity to the hole and being 91st.
PUREing helped players land their shots nearer the centerline and also helped to narrow their dispersion pattern. The average distance between players’ farthest right and farthest left shots was 2.1 yards smaller with the PUREd iron than with the non-PUREd iron. To sum it up, Saternus wrote, “The SST PUREing process is no placebo. It is one of the most impactful technologies that we’ve ever tested.” The full test can be found here: https://pluggedingolf.com/does-pureing-a-shaft-improve-performance-golf-myths-unplugged/
SST PUREing is available for all new clubs purchased and built through Club Champion, as well as existing clubs that golfers would like retro-PUREd. All Club Champion fitting studios are equipped with advanced analysis technology, and highly trained certified fitters and builders to take you through an intensive and educational club fitting. For more information about Club Champion or SST PUREing, visit www.clubchampiongolf.com or call (888) 340-7820.
Media Contacts
Cassandra Norris | 815.272.5966
cassandra@clubchampiongolf.com
Leonard Finkel | 760.822.3465
leonard@clubchampiongolf.com
