Once you have selected the ideal golf shafts for your clubs, you would be forgiven for thinking that the hard work is done. But in reality, aligning and optimizing your clubs is super important if you want to get the most out of your shafts.
So, with that in mind, we introduce you to SST Pure – an alignment process that is trusted by recreational and professional golfers alike.
By the end of this article, you will have all of the information that you need to decide if SST Pure is a worthwhile process and what you can expect should you have your golf shafts professionally aligned this season.
What is SST Shaft Pure Alignment?
Unfortunately, golf shaft manufacturing isn’t perfect, and it results in irregularities in the stiffness, straightness, and roundness of your chosen shafts. SST Pure has been developed in recognition of this and seeks to correct any imbalances or irregularities once the shafts have been manufactured.
SST professionals analyze any irregularities that exist within golf shafts and are able to make specific corrections. Some of the most common irregularities are seen in the transition between backswing and downswing, and it’s an area that often needs some work.
SST Pure involves more than fifty-six steps in order to address, analyze, and potentially fix any of the irregularities found within a shaft. When done correctly, the SST Pure process can result in huge improvements in terms of feel and accuracy.
Given the impressive potential results of SST Pure, let’s take a closer look at how it works and whether it can be beneficial to your golf game this season.
Does SST Pure Work?
There’s no doubt that SST Pure works, and it has been trusted by PGA Tour professionals for more than a decade.* In fact, SST Pureing your clubs can increase your distance off the tee, improve your accuracy, and enhance the feel of your shafts.
Central to the process is that SST Pure shaft alignment calculates the most stable bending plane – also called a neutral axis – which is used as a marker for ensuring that the clubhead is installed in the correct orientation with this point.
While you might think that it’s the responsibility of a golf shaft manufacturer to provide precision shafts without the need for this process, the reality is that the manufacturing process employed by most brands doesn’t allow for such fine margins.
Therefore, you can consider the SST Pure process as leveling up your shafts and providing a competitive edge. If you’re competing at the top level of the game, this can be the difference between a win and a second-place finish, which is why so many Tour players use it.
How Much Does SST Pure Cost?
The cost of SST Pureing a shaft costs anywhere between $40 – $75. In some instances, the cost of the process is included in the purchase price of a new shaft, but other times it is an additional price. If your shaft needs to be disassembled, it can cost a little bit more due to the additional cost of labor.
SST-qualified practitioners offer Pureing across the licensed network, and you can identify a viable SST option close to your home or place of play.
Although the process seems a little pricey, it’s helpful to look at it as a necessary adjustment to your clubs if you want to get the very best out of them. After all, it’s not necessarily worth investing in super expensive shafts for your clubs if they don’t actually work to your expectations.
Therefore, if you want to remove any irregularities from your shafts, the SST Pure process is worth it, even though you need to consider it as an extra cost to go with the price of buying the shafts.
How Much Does an SST Pure Machine Cost?
The current cost for the SST Pure Machine is $1,495.00 which also includes free overnight delivery.
What Does SST Pure Stand For?
SST Pure stands for the Plane of Uniform Repeatability ** and refers to the process of finding a shaft’s most stable orientation based on a player’s specifications. There are lots of acronyms in the golf industry and it can be difficult to keep up with them!
But the process of Pureing a golf shaft takes its name from the act of finding the ideal plane of a shaft, which can then improve accuracy and increase distance. After all, it stands to reason that when a golf shaft is optimized, it is capable of a higher level of performance.
SST Pure is patented golf technology and is only available through the licensed network. In other words, the only way that you can get your clubs officially improved by SST Pure technology is to find a fitter with access to an SST Pure machine.
This is one of the reasons why the technology is highly sought-after and relatively expensive, as it’s not something that every club fitter is capable of doing. Therefore, if you’re keen to make the most of your golf shafts, you will need to approach an SST Pure fitter directly.
Do PGA Tour Players SST Pure their Shafts?
Yes – the majority of PGA Tour players SST Pure their shafts. In fact, more than $2 billion has been won on the PGA Tour by players who have gone through the process of getting their shafts aligned by an SST Pure fitter.***
In many respects, the entire SST Pure process is set up for PGA Tour players, as they are the golfers who are most likely to benefit from such fine margins in the game of golf. This leads many to question whether the process is worthwhile for recreational golfers.
But in our opinion, if you’re planning to spend a large sum of money ($200 – $300) for a brand-new, high-performance shaft, it makes sense to spend that little bit extra on SST Pure. After all, it gives your shafts the best possible chance of being optimized to your preferences.
So, while the majority of PGA Tour pros SST Pure their shafts, it’s also a good option for recreational and amateur golfers, as it helps to improve your accuracy and distance, which is something that everybody can get on board with.
Is there an SST Pure Fitter Near Me?
The way that SST Pure works are that certain golf fitters and retailers license the patented system and buy an SST Pure machine. This then enables them to carry out the process of optimizing your golf shafts.
But it also means that not every golf store or club fitter has access to SST Pure technology. Only those that have purchased a machine and joined the SST network can offer the service, so you will need to check for distributors within your state.
Helpfully, some chains – including Club Champion Golf – are part of the SST Pure network, making it a little easier for you to identify SST Pure fitters near you.
A simple Google search will help you find the closest SST Pure fitter to you, and you can reach out to the fitter and schedule an appointment if you want to optimize your shafts.
Who Owns SST Pure?
The person responsible for the patented technology is Dick Weiss, a Florida businessman with a history in club making. The concept and process have been around since the 1990s, and it was approved for use on the PGA Tour in 1999.
Since the turn of the century, the SST Pure model has become incredibly successful, as club fitters and golf outlets have invested in the technology to optimize the shafts of all golfers, not just those that compete at the highest level.
Every year, more fitters join the SST Pure family as licensees, and the technology is available across the US and further afield in Asia and Europe.
The fact that SST Pure is used by more than 75% of PGA Tour professionals and countless recreational golfers highlights just how popular this shaft optimization service is and showcases the success of Dick Weiss’ business concept.
Conclusion
When golfers first hear about SST Pure, they immediately question whether it’s worth it. After all, when you invest in expensive shafts for your golf clubs, it seems strange to then have to pay to have them optimized!
But as we have explained, the SST Pure process is necessary if you want to get the very best out of your golf shafts, regardless of how much they cost.
So, if you haven’t done so already, the SST Pure process can provide you with a slight edge out on the golf course, which can help to improve your distance and accuracy.
Sources:
- https://pluggedingolf.com/does-pureing-a-shaft-improve-performance-golf-myths-unplugged/ *
- https://www.golfwrx.com/654509/sst-pure-a-deep-dive-into-the-technology/ **
- https://www.jdsclubs.com/sst-pure-shaft-service ***