Europe’s leading shaft distributor, Over The Top Golf, is expanding its remit with the launch of the Advanced Golf Shaft Dynamics Certification. Held this September, the new one-day course is designed to give club fitters a deeper grasp of shaft performance through practical, hands-on application.
Limited to just 20 spaces, fitters who complete the course will walk away able to explain exactly what happens to a shaft during the swing — and why it matters. They’ll be equipped to talk golfers through droop, deflection and torque with real confidence, turning a highly technical subject into a clear, compelling part of every fitting.
Since the introduction of launch monitors, manufacturers and fitters have discovered that much of what was once believed about optimising shaft performance was incorrect. As technology has advanced, fitters now have access to far richer insight into how a shaft behaves throughout the swing.
“Premium fitting is moving forward at an incredible pace, and fitters need access to the latest knowledge as well as the best products,” explained Oliver Turnill, Managing Director at OTT Golf. “This certification has been built to give fitters a much clearer picture of what’s really happening to the shaft. Our goal is to help them make more informed recommendations and deliver an even higher standard of custom fitting.”
The programme is hosted by former European Tour player John Lawson at his world-class fitting studio in Paris. A club fitter and trainer for the French Golf Federation and PGA member, Lawson holds an extensive list of credentials, including TrackMan Master, Wright Balance Level 8 and European Ambassador, SAM PuttLab Level 2, Swing Catalyst Level 2, and Edel Master Fitter status. He is widely regarded as one of the leading independent voices on shaft dynamics, with knowledge that is unparalleled in the field, and presents for GEARS at the PGA Show each year. Attendees will benefit directly from his research, working alongside GEARS motion capture technology to see shaft behaviour play out in real time.
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Taking place on 21 September in Paris, the brand-agnostic course is aimed at professional fitters who want to strengthen their technical foundation and back up their recommendations with hard evidence rather than guesswork. It costs £500, and successful participants receive an official Over The Top Golf Certification in Advanced Golf Shaft Dynamics.
The day starts by separating fact from folklore, examining what the shaft genuinely contributes to performance. From there, attendees move into the three core mechanics at play: shaft droop, the downward bend that alters dynamic lie angle; deflection, the forward-and-back bending as the shaft loads and unloads, which shapes timing and delivery; and torque, the twisting around the shaft’s axis that affects feel and stability. Rather than reshaping ball flight on their own, these forces work together to sharpen a golfer’s consistency.
Later sessions turn to design — how weight, flex, bend profile (EI) and torque interact to shape feel, launch conditions and repeatability. With GEARS providing objective, visual data throughout, fitters can watch these characteristics unfold in real time and connect them back to their own fitting process.
Above all, the certification is about translating theory into results on the fitting bay floor. Graduates leave equipped to recommend shafts with greater conviction, explain their reasoning to golfers in plain terms, and support every fitting with measurable proof rather than opinion.
For more information, visit ottgolf.com.
To book the Advanced Golf Shaft Dynamics Course, please
contact on +44 (0) 1243 213 601 or email info@ottgolf.com
