Equipment
Breakthrough Golf Technology’s new Stability putter shafts, from CEO Barney Adams
The new wave of putters have trended larger and heavier in order to create more forgiveness and stability of the putter head at impact. But what about the putter shaft?
According to Breakthrough Golf Technology (BGT) — founded by golf equipment legend and former GolfWRX contributor Barney Adams — the current steel putter shafts are not stable or strong enough to keep the heavier putter heads from oscillating or twisting at impact. BGT also says the strongest part of most steel putter shafts is just below the hands, “…where it does the least good.”
BGT’s new “Stability” shaft uses multi-material designs and geometries in order to create a more solid feel and reduce the “wobble,” as Barney Adams puts it, throughout the stroke.
Related: We first spotted Stability shafts on K.J. Choi’s putter at the Valero
“When I first learned about the product I knew that it could be significant,” Adams said in a press release. “It’s a step forward in golf equipment technology. What has been rewarding for me is that the Stability Shaft works better for amateurs. Pros are great putters and while the shaft does help them, it’s the inconsistency of the amateur that it corrects most.”
The Stability shafts have four main technological components, according to the company.
- Eight layers of high-modulus carbon fiber with a no-taper design in order to reduce torque
- A 22-gram aluminum insert for reinforcement
- A 7075 aluminum “connector” allows attachment to any tip diameter regardless of bend profile
- The stainless steel tips are made to have “extremely consistent wall thickness,” for greater strength, and they have a “smoke PVD finish to add protection from corrosion and rusting”
The shafts are designed to deliver the face more squarely than putters with standard steel putter shafts, and a “lower launch for a predictable roll, resulting in better distance control,” according to the company.
Here’s how it works, according to BGT:
The Stability Shaft is currently available for $199.99 at golf retailers in the U.S. and Canada.
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Stability putter shafts
From the desk of Barney Adams:
In 2011, Adams Golf acquired YES putters. The employee who came with the acquisition was Blair Philip. Although I had no functional affiliation with Adams Golf, I stopped in periodically to visit.
During one of my stops, I was introduced to Blair. I wasted no time in telling him that my putter experience went back to the early 70’s and my association with Dave Pelz. It was fodder for some good-natured ribbing and that was the extent of our relationship.
About 5-years later, Adams Golf had been acquired by TaylorMade and when I saw Blair he said he passed on the opportunity to be involved in the acquisition.
Rather, he wanted to start his own putter business. He went on to tell me that his putter line was unique in that his research had uncovered a basic flaw in steel shafts. He described the flaw as the excessive weights of heads vs. shafts. Specifically, that they responded with oscillation during the stroke. Because of this ‘wobble’ the head didn’t return to the ball in a perfectly square position and the ability to achieve a consistent roll.
His improved shaft was heavier, stiffer and wider in the tip. He thought it was a success; he had eliminated the “wobble.” I told him essentially “nice try” but no chance. The adjustment errors caused by a much heavier shaft with a wider OD exceeded the initial problem he was trying to fix. The only way he stood a chance was to come up with a shaft that fixed the oscillation problem and required absolutely no adjustment by the player. Today, I’ve been playing with a prototype for a while and I can honestly say, that although the shaft isn’t magic, I have been putting remarkably well. What I especially like that in every instance the feedback was pristine.
Blair and I have formalized our love of the game and have become partners in what is now Breakthrough Golf and the Stability shaft for putters. And now you know how it all started.
See what GolfWRX members are saying about the Stability putter shafts
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- Kevin Tway what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wells Fargo Championship. More photos from the event here.
Driver: Ping G430 LST (10.5 degrees)
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 6 X
3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (15 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 80 TX
5-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2 (18 degrees)
Shaft: Mitsubishi Diamana D+ 90 TX
Irons: Wilson Staff Utility (2), Titleist T100 (4-9)
Shafts: Mitsubishi MMT 100 TX (2), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (4-9)
Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (48-10F @47, 52-12F @51, 56-14F), SM7 (60-10S)
Shafts: True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue X100 (48-56), True Temper Dynamic Gold Tour Issue S400 (60)
Putter: Scotty Cameron T-5 Proto
Grip: Scotty Cameron Black Baby T
Grips: Golf Pride Tour Velvet Plus4
More photos of Kevin Tway’s WITB in the forums.
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Editor’s note: This is an excerpt from a piece our Andrew Tursky originally wrote for PGATour.com’s Equipment Report. Head over there for the full article.
The timing of Lowry’s putter changeup was curious: Was he just using a Spider putter because he was paired with McIlroy, who’s been using a Spider Tour X head throughout 2024? Was Lowry just being festive because it’s the Zurich Classic, and he wanted to match his teammate? Did McIlroy let Lowry try his putter, and he liked it so much he actually switched into it?
Well, as it turns out, McIlroy’s only influence was inspiring Lowry to make more putts.
When asked if McIlroy had an influence on the putter switch, Lowry had this to say: “No, it’s actually a different putter than what he uses. Maybe there was more pressure there because I needed to hole some more putts if we wanted to win,” he said with a laugh.
To Lowry’s point, McIlroy plays the Tour X model, whereas Lowry switched into the Tour Z model, which has a sleeker shape in comparison, and the two sole weights of the club are more towards the face.
Lowry’s Spider Tour Z has a white True Path Alignment channel on the crown of his putter, which is reminiscent of Lowry’s former 2-ball designs, thus helping to provide a comfort factor despite the departure from his norm. Instead of a double-bend hosel, which Lowry used in his 2-ball putters, his new Spider Tour Z is designed with a short slant neck.
“I’ve been struggling on the greens, and I just needed something with a fresh look,” Lowry told GolfWRX.com on Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship. “It has a different neck on it, as well, so it moves a bit differently, but it’s similar. It has a white line on the back of it [like my 2-ball], and it’s a mallet style. So it’s not too drastic of a change.
“I just picked it up on the putting green and I liked the look of it, so I was like, ‘Let’s give it a go.’”
Read the rest of the piece over at PGATour.com.
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Equipment
Webb Simpson equipment Q&A: Titleist’s new 2-wood, 680 blade irons, and switching to a broomstick Jailbird
With seven career wins on the PGA Tour, including a U.S. Open victory, Webb Simpson is a certified veteran on the course. But he’s also a certified veteran in the equipment world, too. He’s a gearhead who truly knows his stuff, and he’s even worked closely with Titleist on making his own custom 682.WS irons.
On Wednesday at the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship, I caught up with Simpson to hear about his experience with Titleist’s new prototype 2-wood, how Titleist’s 680 Forged irons from 2003 ended up back in his bag, and why he’s switching into an Odyssey Ai-One Jailbird Cruiser broomstick putter this week for the first time.
Click here to read our full story about Simpson’s putter switch on PGATOUR.com’s Equipment Report, or continue reading below for my full Q&A with Simpson at Quail Hollow Club on Wednesday.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
GolfWRX: It seems like you’ve been a little all over the place with your irons in the past six months or so, and now going back to the 680’s. Is that just a comfort thing? What’s been going on with the irons?
Webb Simpson: Titleist has been so great at working with me, and R&D, on trying to get an iron that kind of modernizes the 680. And so the 682.WS took the T100 grooves, but kinda took the look and the bulk and the build of the 680’s into one club. They’re beautiful, and awesome looking. I just never hit them that well for a consistent period of time. It was probably me, but then I went to T100’s and loved them. I loved the spin, the trajectory, the yardage, but again, I never went on good runs. Going through the ground, I couldn’t feel the club as well as with the blade. So last week, I’m like, ‘Alright. I’m gonna go back more for…comfort, and see if I can get on a nice little run of ball striking.’
So that’s why I went back.
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OK, that makes sense. I know you had done some 2-wood testing recently. Is that in the bag right now?
It’s like day-by-day. I used it at Hilton Head every day. Valero, I used it one round. And this week, me and my caddie will do the book every morning, and if it’s a day where we think we need it, we’ll just put it in and take the 3-wood out. I love it because it’s a super simple swap. Like, it doesn’t really change much.
Yeah, can you tell me about that club? I mean, we don’t really know anything about it yet. You know? I haven’t hit it or anything, obviously.
It has grooves like a 3-wood. Spin is perfect. And it’s honestly, like, everything is in the middle of a 3-wood and driver number. Trajectory, spin, carry, all of it. So, a Hilton Head golf course is almost too easy to talk about because, you know, there, so many holes are driver 3-wood.
Valero, our thinking was we had two par-5’s into the wind, and we knew that it would take two great shots to get there in two. So instead of hitting driver-driver, we just put it in. And I used it on those holes.
Hilton was a little easier because it was off-the-tee kind of questions. But Colonial will be a golf course where, you know, there’s a lot of driver or 3-woods. It’s kind of like a backup putter or driver for me now. I’ll bring it to every tournament.
So it’s, like, in your locker right now, probably?
Well, it would be. It’s in my house [because Webb lives near by Quail Hollow Club, and is a member at the course.] It’s in the garage.
Oh, yeah, that’s right. Do you know what holes you might use it out here if it goes in play?
Potentially 15, depending on the wind. Second shot on 10. Could be 14 off the tee. The chances here are pretty low (that he’ll use the 2-wood). But, like, Greensboro would be an awesome club all day. I’m trying to think of any other golf courses.
There’s plenty that it’ll be a nice weapon to have.
It’s interesting, the wave of 2-woods and mini drivers. Like, it’s just really taken off on Tour, and all the companies have seemed to embrace it.
Yeah. The thing I had to learn, it took me, like, at least a week to learn about it is you gotta tee it up lower than you think. I kept teeing it up too high. You need it low, like barely higher than a 3-wood. And that was where I got optimal spin and carry. If you tee it up too high, you just don’t get as much spin and lose distance, I don’t know if that’s just a mini driver thing.
And you obviously have a Jailbird putter this week. What spurred that on?
Inconsistent putting. I’m stubborn in a lot of ways when it comes to my equipment, but I have to be open minded – I just hadn’t putted consistently well in a while. And I’m like, ‘Man, I feel my ball-striking coming along. Like I feel better; for real, better.’
If I can just get something in my hands that I’m consistent with. Being on Tour, you see it every year, guys get on little runs. I can put together four to five tournaments where I’m all the sudden back in the majors, or in the FedExCup Playoffs. You can turn things around quick out here. I’m like, ‘Man, whatever’s going to get me there, great.’
My caddie, David Cook, caddied for Akshay at the Houston Open and he putted beautifully. Then, I watched Akshay on TV at Valero, and he putted beautifully. And, I’m like, ‘I’m just going to try it.’
I’ve never tried it for more than a putt or two, and I just ordered what Akshay uses. It was pretty awkward at first, but the more I used it, the more I’m like, ‘Man, it’s pretty easy.’ And a buddy of mine who’s a rep out here, John Tyler Griffin, he helped me with some setup stuff. And he said at Hilton Head, he wasn’t putting well, then tried it, and now he makes everything. He was very confident. So I’m like, ‘Alright, I’ll try it.’”
And you’re going with it this week?
Hundred percent.
Alright, I love it. Thank you, I always love talking gear with you. Play well this week.
Thanks, man.
See Webb Simpson’s full WITB from the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship here
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Darrell
Aug 25, 2018 at 4:46 pm
Do these guys still have a website? All the ones I see are no longer used.
ogo
May 14, 2018 at 7:15 pm
WOTTA BUNCH OF LIES FOR THE NEUROTIC GOLPER !!
Gary
May 19, 2018 at 7:22 pm
Hear today that Tom Watson had one in the Masters par 3 tournament and had 8 putts in 9 holes and won.
DJ Morris
May 4, 2018 at 6:21 am
This looks very similar to the UST shaft, BUT 7 times the price… WTF?!?! https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ust-Mamiya-Frequency-Filtered-Straight-370-Tip-Putter-Shaft-Part-13474/202236936308
Someone
May 4, 2018 at 2:32 pm
my thoughts exactly. there’s gotta be some type of patent or copyright infringement going on.
Michael
May 4, 2018 at 4:21 am
Dear Mr. Adams,
what’s the difference between your new design and the UST Frequency Filtered Putter shafts?
Cheers,
Michael
Barney Adams
May 4, 2018 at 8:00 pm
I had to look that shaft up. Basically no similarity although some visual. Our shaft is specifically designed to House an internal spacer at the point where the oscillation occutrrs ( thanks to a loan of a special camera operating at 100,000 frames per sec.) ( that’s not a misprint ) This stops face wobble and guarantees a face square to the intended line UST does not reference shaft oscillation and the mitigation process. We are very familiar with the shafts mentioned in Wrx comments and literally dozens more: tested all of them against our specs. Took 3+ years to develop the product just introduced. Yes it’s a shaft but a VERY complex product
steve
May 14, 2018 at 7:11 pm
So now we must consider putter shaft oscillations that appear at 100,000 fpm ??!!! 😮
Face wobble only occurs on bad miss-hits and misaligned putter head path due to bad putting form. So you’re telling us that your shaft can self-correct to save bad golfers?
steve
May 14, 2018 at 7:12 pm
ooops … that’s “100,000 cps” …. 😀
Barney Adams
May 3, 2018 at 10:48 pm
I think one of the great values the shaft provides is in practice. Your feedback is 100% pristine.
kourt
May 3, 2018 at 5:06 pm
Haha first you needed a bigger grip on your putter, then you needed a high moi mallet putter head, then you needed the revolutionary sight lines, now you need to top it off with a $200 putter shaft because the shaft wobbles too much? marketing at its finest.
Barney Adams
May 3, 2018 at 4:48 pm
There was no bigger skeptic than me early on. But you can’t refute data and by that I mean thousands of putts. Also in the back of my mind a stat I never understood; the significant difference in make percent outside 3-4’ on Tour. As for the $199 price, I’d love it to be $49 but Technology isn’t cheap.
ViagrGolfer
May 3, 2018 at 12:17 pm
My Scotty feels so inadequate impotent now that I know it’s cause it’s got a wobbly steel shaft. I’m gonna get one of these fantastic Stability shafts which I know will stiffen my putter and get the most out of my Scotty head. 😀
acew/7iron
May 3, 2018 at 10:21 am
Johnjohn is right…I looked up the HOG putters on Ebay and there it was:
“This putter has the upgraded HOG Graphite FAT Shaft”
So like all things under the Sun…This is not a new idea
john33nink
May 3, 2018 at 12:53 am
continuously i used to read smaller content which also clear their motive, and that is also happening with this paragraph which I am reading at this time.
ned
May 2, 2018 at 11:55 pm
Soooo …. putter head design is in confusion and now the putter shaft is dubious!!!
It’s a wonder anybody can putt with those $399 phony anser ripoff boutique design putters…. which shows that golffers are suckers for new toys.
Johnjohn
May 2, 2018 at 9:57 pm
Look at the old HOG putters, they were promoting the thicker, more stable shafts them. Had one in their putter. Which btw was made by machine putters, beautiful milling
cinch bugs
May 2, 2018 at 2:21 pm
Tipping instructions for the big dogs at WRX who will need to make it more stout due to SS…
Johnny Penso
May 4, 2018 at 11:12 am
Comment of the day right there…lol.
alexdub
May 2, 2018 at 2:10 pm
If they want the GolfWRX crowd interested, they better offer it in X flex.
DB
May 3, 2018 at 1:45 pm
Look at the torque numbers – 1.0, it’s basically an XX.
GolfWRX is sold.