We looked at every hickory shaft order we've had in 2026. Half the wood shafts people picked were stiff. Two out of three orders had more than one shaft in them. And seven in ten came with something else in the box, usually leather grips. Here's what that says about how hickory players are actually building clubs.
The short version:
- Stiff is the most popular wood flex at about half, then regular at 27% and extra stiff at 22%.
- Two-thirds of orders had two or more shafts.
- 72% of shaft orders included something besides shafts. Suede grips were the most common add-on by far.
- Summer was our busiest stretch. Shaft orders picked up sharply from July on.
Most people aren't buying one shaft
I figured most folks would buy a shaft to fix one broken club. That's not what happened.
| Shafts in the order | Share of orders |
|---|---|
| 1 | 34% |
| 2 to 4 | 37% |
| 5 to 9 | 16% |
| 10 or more | 13% |
Two-thirds of orders had two or more. That's somebody reshafting a set, or building a few clubs at once. And about one order in eight is 10 shafts or more. Those are club makers and folks working on whole sets, and they're a big reason we stock deep instead of a handful at a time.
Stiff is the most popular wood flex
We sell wood shafts in three flexes. Here's how people chose:
| Flex | Share of wood shafts |
|---|---|
| Stiff | 51% |
| Regular | 27% |
| Extra stiff | 22% |
Half of everybody picked stiff. Nearly three in four went stiff or stiffer. My read is that a lot of hickory players today come from modern golf and swing with modern speed, and a whippy shaft just doesn't hold up to that. If you're not sure which one fits you, ask us before you order.
Woods edge out irons
Wood shafts outsold iron shafts, a bit over half to a bit under. That lines up with the Club Builder, where drivers, brassies and spoons have been the most popular builds. Now that the builder does irons, we'll see whether iron shafts close the gap.
A shaft is rarely the only thing in the box
Seven in ten shaft orders had something else in them too. In rough order, here's what showed up most often alongside shafts:
- Suede leather grips, in more than four of every ten shaft orders
- Club assembly, where we put the club together for you
- Hosel bore-out, so the shaft fits the head
- Tacky leather grip wrap
- Grip tacks and whipping thread
People aren't buying parts. They're finishing clubs. A shaft means you'll need a grip, underlisting, and thread for the hosel, so we keep all of it in the same cart.
Buyers come back mid-build
A good share of shaft buyers come back for more shafts, some of them several times. When somebody's mid-build, the next part needs to be on the shelf the week they need it. That's the whole reason we're buying deeper.
Questions we get a lot
What flex hickory shaft should I buy?
Stiff is the most common choice. About half the wood shafts we sold in 2026 were stiff, 27% regular and 22% extra stiff. If you're unsure, ask us before you order.
How many hickory shafts do people usually buy?
Most buy more than one. Two-thirds of our 2026 shaft orders had two or more, and about one in eight had 10 or more.
What else do I need with a hickory shaft?
A grip, underlisting, whipping thread for the hosel, and glue. 72% of our shaft orders included something besides the shaft, most often suede leather grips.
How much does a hickory golf shaft cost?
$15 each at Old World Hickory Golf, for woods or irons.
Do more people buy wood or iron hickory shafts?
Wood, slightly. Wood shafts were a bit over half of the hickory shafts we sold in 2026.
How we counted
These percentages come from every hickory shaft order in our store from January 1 to September 24, 2026, all flexes, wood and iron. Customer details stay private.
Shop hickory shafts or build a club.
Brad Harvey
About Old World Hickory Golf. Old World Hickory Golf is shop in the Portland, Oregon area selling vintage and antique hickory golf clubs, club heads and club-building supplies. Co-owner Brad Harvey has spent more than 30 years working on hickory clubs and 24 years coaching golf.
