ABSTRACT
We present a new non-destructive method to measure the flexural rigidity distribution along the length of a golf shaft. It greatly improves upon the conventional shaft deflection board apparatus by performing many measurements, using high-accuracy linear displacement transducers, on cantilevered configurations of various lengths. The data are subsequently analysed using the Euler-Bernoulli slender beam equation by modelling the shaft as a number of segments each having uniform properties. The procedure was validated on a tube of known physical characteristics and measurements were then performed on actual golf shafts. Many new practical applications can be envisioned to exploit these measurements.
