Wear on a graphite shaft often occurs at the point where the shaft constantly moves against the edge or divider of the golf bag while walking or riding. To combat this wear, golfers use various solutions. Duct tape, electrical tape, and transparent plastic tape are frequently mentioned. But how well do these materials protect a graphite shaft?
Protecting a graphite shaft with duct tape
Duct tape is strong, readily available, and easy to apply around a shaft or over a damaged edge of a golf bag. Electrical tape is also used to cover the vulnerable spot on a graphite shaft.
However, these tapes are not specifically developed for long-term contact between a shaft and a golf bag. They are thin protective layers whose lifespan depends on placement, the bag material, and the amount of movement during transport.
Duct tape can provide temporary protection, but it must be checked regularly to determine if the tape is still intact and actually protecting the shaft.
Transparent plastic protection can hide wear
Some golfers apply a transparent plastic protective layer of some thickness to the shaft. This seems attractive because the protection is barely visible.
Before I developed ShaftSaverPro, I used such transparent protection myself. In practice, the plastic turned out to be too thin. Due to the transparency, it wasn’t clearly visible that the wear continued and the material eventually wore through. When the protection was removed, the graphite shaft was still found to be damaged.
Additionally, in my situation, the softer plastic caused more friction against the edge of the golf bag. As a result, the bag material also began to wear out faster.
The difference between tape and ShaftSaverPro
ShaftSaverPro was specifically developed for the vulnerable contact point between the graphite shaft and the edge of the golf bag. On the section that actually rests against the bag, the protection is at least 1.5 mm thick. The thinner parts of approximately 0.7 mm normally hardly touch the bag.
The material of ShaftSaverPro is hard and wear-resistant, yet remains flexible at the same time. This allows it to conform well to the round shape of the shaft. Due to this combination of hardness and flexibility, ShaftSaverPro is not expected to damage the golf bag.
The protection absorbs the friction that would otherwise land directly on the graphite shaft. When visible wear appears on ShaftSaverPro over time, it is clear that the product has done its job: ShaftSaverPro wears down instead of the shaft.
Long-term protection for the graphite shaft
After months of intensive practical use, no visible wear has yet occurred on ShaftSaverPro. As a result, a single ShaftSaverPro can potentially last for years.
When replacement is eventually necessary, ShaftSaverPro can be removed from the shaft in about one minute. With new high-quality double-sided 3M tape, it can be reattached or used on another club.
Duct tape and transparent tape can be used as temporary protection. ShaftSaverPro was developed as a thicker, more durable, and more controllable protection for the spot where a graphite shaft makes constant contact with the golf bag.
Protect your graphite shafts
ShaftSaverPro is available in packs of 5 and 13.
- 5 pieces: for protecting a number of selected clubs with graphite shafts.
- 13 pieces: for protecting a complete set of clubs with graphite shafts.
