Key Takeaways

• Two double-blind, TrackMan-measured studies by Plugged In Golf's Matt Saternus tested SST PURE on irons and drivers — a decade apart — and found consistent performance benefits.
• The iron study showed 7+ yards of average distance gain, 2.2 yards closer to target line, and 2.1 yards tighter dispersion with the PUREd club.
• The driver study found 3.72 yards of extra carry and 6.31 yards of extra total distance on average with the PUREd shaft.
• SST PURE is not spining or FLOing — it uses proprietary hardware to precisely locate the Neutral Axis of a shaft and install the clubhead in alignment with it.
• Every club built at Club Champion is SST PUREd as a standard part of the build process — not an optional upgrade.

In This Article

• What SST PURE Actually Is
• Study 1: Iron Performance — The Original Test
• Study 2: Driver Performance — The Sequel, a Decade Later
• What Both Studies Tell Us Together
• Why SST PURE Works — The Physics Explained
• Who Benefits Most from SST PURE
• SST PURE at Club Champion
• Book a Fitting with SST PURE Standard in Every Build
• Frequently Asked Questions

Introduction

Most golfers have never heard of SST PURE. That is surprising, because it has been standard practice on the PGA Tour for over 15 years, used by players whose combined career earnings exceed $1.5 billion. It is standard in every Club Champion build shop. And it is one of the most impactful — and most misunderstood — steps in the club-building process.

SST PURE Shaft Alignment is a precise scientific process: identifying the most stable bending plane of a golf shaft — what SST calls the Neutral Axis — and installing the clubhead in the correct orientation relative to that axis. The premise is that shafts, however well manufactured, are never perfectly round or perfectly straight. Those imperfections create inconsistency. PUREing eliminates them.

But does it actually work for real golfers swinging real clubs? That is the question Matt Saternus, founder of Plugged In Golf, set out to answer — twice. Below is a summary of both studies, what they found, and what those findings mean for your game.

What SST PURE Actually Is

SST PURE Shaft Alignment is not spining. It is not FLOing. Those are older, less precise methods attempting the same goal. SST PURE uses proprietary hardware to precisely measure shaft properties — not approximations based on feel or manual flex tests — and installs the clubhead oriented to the shaft's most stable bending plane, called the Neutral Axis.

Every golf shaft — however well manufactured — has slight imperfections. No shaft is perfectly round; no shaft is perfectly straight. When the shaft flexes and rotates during the downswing, these asymmetries cause it to deviate off its intended bending plane. The clubface arrives at impact slightly off from where it should be, and energy transfer is slightly less efficient. SST PURE finds the plane where those asymmetries are minimized and aligns the build accordingly.

Study 1: Iron Performance — The Original Test

Test Methodology

Equipment: Two identical 6-irons — same head, shaft, grip, loft, lie, length, and swingweight. One PUREd, one not. Players: 7 golfers, handicaps ranging from mid-teens to scratch. Protocol: 10 shots each with both clubs, randomized order. Double-blind — no player knew which club was PUREd. Technology: All shots measured by TrackMan. Testing conducted at Club Champion.

Distance Results

The distance findings were decisive. The PUREd 6-iron produced meaningfully more carry distance on average — nearly a full club's worth — despite having identical loft to the non-PUREd club. The gains came through improved energy transfer: players swung the PUREd shaft faster and generated more ball speed. The shaft was moving more predictably through the downswing, allowing the body to release more efficiently.

Accuracy Results

Accuracy improvements were equally compelling. The PUREd iron produced shots that landed an average of 2.2 yards closer to the target line. Saternus put this in vivid context: on the PGA Tour, that proximity differential would separate the top-ranked player in proximity to the hole from the 91st-ranked player. Dispersion also narrowed — the spread between each tester's farthest left and farthest right shots was 2.1 yards smaller with the PUREd club.

Myth Verdicts — Study 1

• BUSTED: PUREing doesn't improve distance. Busted convincingly — 7+ yards average gain, driven by faster swing speed and higher ball speed with the PUREd iron.
• BUSTED: PUREing doesn't improve accuracy. Busted — shots landed 2.2 yards closer to the centerline; dispersion pattern narrowed by 2.1 yards on average.
• MIXED: PUREing doesn't improve feel. Results were directional — several testers preferred the PUREd club, but the feel difference was not statistically conclusive across the full group.

Study 2: Driver Performance — The Sequel, a Decade Later

Test Methodology

Equipment: Two identical drivers — same model, loft, shaft, flex, grip, length, and swingweight. One PUREd, one installed logo down. Logos painted over on both. Players: 10 golfers, handicaps +3 to 19, swing speeds 90 to 120+ MPH. Protocol: 10 shots each with both drivers, randomized order. Double-blind — no player knew which was PUREd until after testing. Technology: All shots measured by TrackMan. Testing conducted at Club Champion.

Distance Results

The driver test confirmed the iron test's distance findings, with more nuance given the speed variance of the group. At the group average, the PUREd driver produced a small uptick in club speed (0.28 MPH) and ball speed (0.88 MPH) — and more meaningful gains in carry (3.72 yards) and total distance (6.31 yards). Six of ten testers produced greater carry distance with the PUREd shaft.

Accuracy and Feel Results

The accuracy data showed notable variance across the group — partly a function of the wide speed range tested. Five of ten testers achieved better total offline numbers with the PUREd driver. The directional finding was consistent with Study 1, even if the magnitude was harder to isolate at the driver level. On feel, results were split: some testers described the PUREd driver as noticeably more stable through impact; others noticed no difference. This pattern suggests feel sensitivity varies by golfer and that the performance gains are measurable in data even when not always consciously detectable.

What Both Studies Tell Us Together

Taken together, the two Plugged In Golf studies form the most rigorous publicly available evidence base on SST PURE's performance impact. Across different club types, different golfer pools, different swing speeds, and a decade of testing evolution, the directional conclusions are consistent: PUREing produces measurable performance benefits in distance, accuracy improvements that vary by golfer and club type, and improved feel for some players.

Critically, both tests were double-blind and used TrackMan to capture objective data. Saternus designed both tests specifically to remove placebo effects and brand bias. The findings are the result of rigorous methodology, not manufacturer claims.

Why SST PURE Works — The Physics Explained

Every golf shaft — however well manufactured — has slight imperfections. No shaft is perfectly round; no shaft is perfectly straight. When the shaft flexes and rotates during the downswing, these asymmetries cause it to deviate off its intended bending plane. The clubface arrives at impact slightly off from where it should be, and energy transfer is slightly less efficient than it could be.

SST PURE finds the Neutral Axis — the bending plane where these asymmetries are minimized — and installs the clubhead in alignment with it. When the shaft bends in the direction it is most stable, it returns to the same position at impact more consistently. The result is more predictable face angle, better energy transfer, and a swing that does not have to unconsciously compensate for shaft instability.

Who Benefits Most from SST PURE

The Plugged In Golf data suggests that PUREing benefits golfers across handicap levels — the iron test included players from mid-teens to scratch, and the driver test extended from +3 to 19. The performance gains appear across both lower and higher handicap players, though the magnitude and detectability of feel differences varies individually.

Where PUREing tends to show the most dramatic impact: graphite shafts (which have naturally higher manufacturing variance than steel), driver shafts (where shaft instability is amplified by length and speed), and premium aftermarket shafts where golfers have already invested in optimized performance and deserve to extract maximum value from that investment.

SST PURE at Club Champion

Every club built at Club Champion is SST PUREd as a standard part of the build process — not an optional upgrade. The SST PURE machine is in every Club Champion build shop, and every Master Builder is trained to use it as part of the standard assembly protocol.

Golfers can also bring in existing clubs to be retro-PUREd: the shaft is removed, PUREd, and reinstalled in the correct orientation. The reason it is standard rather than optional is the same reason the testing data supports it: when you have already invested in a fitting, identified the right head and shaft, and built clubs to exact specifications — not PUREing those shafts leaves a measurable performance benefit on the table. It is the final step that ensures the precision of the fitting carries all the way through to impact.

Book a Fitting with SST PURE Standard in Every Build

Not an upgrade. Not optional. SST PURE is standard in every build shop, on every club, at every Club Champion location. When you invest in a fitting and a custom build, you deserve to know that the shaft in your club is oriented for maximum performance — not installed at random. That is what SST PURE guarantees.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is SST PURE the same as spining or FLOing a shaft?

No. Spining and FLOing are older, less precise methods that attempt to locate a shaft's most stable orientation through manual flex tests or feel-based assessments. SST PURE uses proprietary hardware to precisely measure each shaft's properties and mathematically identify the Neutral Axis. The process is more accurate and repeatable than either spining or FLOing.

Does SST PURE work on steel shafts as well as graphite?

Yes, SST PURE works on both steel and graphite shafts. Graphite shafts tend to show the most dramatic impact because they have naturally higher manufacturing variance than steel. However, even steel shafts are not perfectly uniform, and PUREing ensures the most stable bending plane is aligned correctly in the build regardless of shaft material.

Can I bring my existing clubs in to be SST PUREd?

Yes. Club Champion offers retro-PUREing on existing clubs. The shaft is removed from the clubhead, run through the SST PURE process to locate the Neutral Axis, and reinstalled in the correct orientation. If you have premium aftermarket shafts already installed and want to ensure they are oriented for maximum performance, this is a straightforward process at any Club Champion location.