Before we get into the research experiment below, I wanted to say something quickly: NO ONE, ever, has “figured out” how to putt.

There are some golfers who are less terrible at putting than others, certainly, or they’re less terrible than they used to be, hopefully, but no one has ever figured out the perfect technique, grip, shaft, head design, face design, hosel configuration, toe hang, or swing weight.

Over the years, there have been countless waves, trends, fads and systems that get introduced to the world of golf.

Some ideas come and go. Some ideas are a flash in the pan, and they work for a few rounds, or for a few people, but the golf world ends up moving on.

But, every so often, some ideas spark a complete paradigm shift, and help move the future of the golf industry forward, while also making golfers better.

Are graphite putter shafts simply a flash in the proverbial pan? Or are we standing at the forefront of a massive shift in what’s considered a “normal” putter?

If a golfer, in the year 2023, stepped on the tee box with a steel-shafted driver, they would be playing the game using ancient technology. And possibly mocked by their playing partners.

Is that where we’re heading with putter shafts? Will every putter have a graphite shaft in 20 years?

From my perspective, as someone who covers golf equipment on the PGA Tour week-in and week-out, it has certainly seemed that graphite putter shafts are gaining more traction among PGA Tour players. More players testing each week, and more players switching.

A few decades ago, there was one option for your putter shaft: Steel.

Now, there’s a broad spectrum of composite shafts that are available to PGA Tour players, offered in a range of different flex-and-weight options.

As I recently learned from Collin Morikawa’s putter shaft prototyping process, it’s not always easy to find the right combination of stiffness and weight with a graphite putter shaft, but striking that balance can prove successful.

Some PGA Tour players seem to be finding greater stability, and thus, less face twisting throughout the stroke, when using graphite or composite shafts.

Putting is putting, though, so finding the right feel and weight for speed/control purposes remains vital. It’s not purely about stability, since there’s still human motion involved.

In general, composite shafts have undoubtedly become more mainstream, and various manufacturers are currently selling graphite shafts to the public. It seems the list of options, and the list of companies making graphite putter shafts, continues to grow.

With all that being said, I wanted to know what the putter shaft landscape looks like at the moment. What are the best players on the PGA Tour using? What are the top-ranked putters on the PGA Tour using?

Are we riding a wave of graphite putter shafts, or is this more of a permanent shift?

I’m considering this story as the baseline data pool for future reference, so that we can look back later to determine if the number of graphite putter shaft users is growing, or shrinking.

In this story, I tracked the top 25 golfers, as ranked by the Official World Golf Rankings, to see what putter shaft style they’re currently using. Then, I tracked the top 25 golfers, as ranked by the Strokes Gained: Putting category for the 2022-2023 PGA Tour season.

Below are the results, as of the 2023 ZOZO Championship.

I’ll see you again in 2024 to see if the numbers have changed.

Top 25 in the Official World Golf Rankings

1. Scottie Scheffler: Steel
2. Rory McIlroy: Steel (Black)
3. Jon Rahm: Steel
4. Viktor Hovland: Steel
5. Patrick Cantlay: Steel
6. Xander Schauffele: Steel (Black)
7. Matt Fitzpatrick: Steel
8. Max Homa: Steel
9. Brian Harman: Steel
10. Wyndham Clark: Steel
11. Tom Kim: Composite (LA Golf P135)
12. Tyrrell Hatton: Steel
13. Collin Morikawa: Composite (Mitsubishi Diamana 105-gram Prototype)
14. Jordan Spieth: Steel
15. Tommy Fleetwood: Steel
16. Cameron Young: Composite (UST Mamiya All In)
17. Keegan Bradley: Steel
18. Brooks Koepka: Steel
19. Cameron Smith: Steel
20. Sam Burns: Steel (Black)
21. Jason Day: Steel (Black)
22. Tony Finau: Steel
23. Sepp Straka: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab, all-steel, half-composite)
24. Rickie Fowler: Steel
25. Justin Thomas: Steel

Takeaways

• Four (4) golfers from the Top-25 in the current OWGR are using a composite shaft
• Four (4) of the 22 golfers who are using steel shafts are using steel shafts with a black finish
• 17 golfers in the top-25 in the OWGR are using silver steel shafts

Top 25 Strokes Gained: Putting

1. Maverick McNealy: Steel
2. Taylor Montgomery: Steel (Black)
3. Denny McCarthy: Steel
4. Harry Hall: Steel
5. Xander Schauffele: Steel (Black)
6. Max Homa: Steel
7. Tyrrell Hatton: Steel
8. Sam Burns: Steel (Black)
9. Justin Suh: Steel
10. Matthew Fitzpatrick: Steel
11. Andrew Putnam: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
12. Sam Ryder: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
13. Tommy Fleetwood: Steel
14. Brendon Todd: Steel
15. Sahith Theegala: Steel
16. Adam Scott: Composite (TPT Prototype)
17. Eric Cole: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
18. Harris English: Steel
19. Peter Malnati: Steel
20. Keegan Bradley: Steel
21. Brian Harman: Steel
22. Adam Hadwin: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)
23. Alex Noren: Steel (Black)
24. Aaron Baddeley: Steel
25. Nicolai Hojgaard: Composite (Odyssey Stroke Lab: Half-steel, half-composite)

Takeaways

• Six (6) of the top-25 putters use a composite putter shaft
• Four (4) of the golfers who are using a steel shaft are using a steel shaft with a black finish
• 15 golfers in the top 25 of Strokes Gained: Putting are using a silver steel shaft

Conclusion

The PGA Tour is a great place to find out about the equipment that’s trending among the best players in the world.

Honestly, there were fewer top-25 players using graphite shafts than I would have guessed. But, there are definitely more graphite shafts being used among the top putters in the world than among the top players in the world. I’m not saying there’s a correlation, but there is a difference.

Either way, take this story as a nudge into experimentation. If some of the best players in the world are trying graphite putter shafts and putting them in play on the PGA Tour, then maybe it’s time you give one a try for yourself.

Next time you have the chance, ask your local professional fitter or teaching pro if you can give a new graphite putter shaft a test. Maybe it’s your answer. Or maybe not. The best way to know is to know.