Breakthrough Golf Technology Stability Tour Putter Shaft
Breakthrough Golf Technology first appeared on my radar last year when I reviewed their original Stability putter shaft. The whole point of that shaft was to give players better feel and more stability during the putting stroke. This in turn should lead to more consistency and more holed putts. Well, after having some success out in the field, BGT took feedback from that first year and whipped up an updated design. That design is the new Breakthrough Golf Technology Stability Tour putter shaft. A slimmer profile, crisp feel, and a balance similar to a steel shaft make the Stability Tour an easy transition if you’re looking to upgrade your putting game.
For reference, I had BGT install this shaft in my Scott Readman Concepts IKB-1 putter for testing.
The Looks
The looks are the first immediate difference you notice in the Stability Tour putter shaft. Breakthrough Golf Technology made the overall profile of the Stability Tour much slimmer than its predecessor and went with what they call a “contemporary blackout appearance.” To translate, the Stability Tour isn’t as thick as the original and it has a slick blackout look with red and white graphics. However, don’t be fooled, this black finish is for more than just killer looks.
BGT utilized the black finish to reduce glare off of the shaft to avoid distractions while you’re standing over putts. And ok, let’s face it, the blackout scheme looks cool as hell too.
How Does it Feel?
The Stability Tour’s feel is where I believe the biggest gain comes from with this shaft. Breakthrough Golf Technology utilized 30% more carbon fiber to give the Stability Tour a “crisp and responsive feel.” For reference, the original Stability shaft was a bit more muted in its feel. The Stability Tour, however, is designed to have a stronger feedback similar to steel. That said, you still get a very smooth and soft feel in your hands, but the feedback is more precise.
An important piece of feedback BGT received was that players wanted the shaft to balance like steel. In the new design, BGT moved the balance point to a similar position as a traditional steel shaft so players are able to maintain swing weights. What this means to you is that the putter should swing roughly the same as a traditional steel shaft. This not only makes adjusting to the shaft easier, but makes it more familiar so you don’t have to change your stroke. Of course, if you feel your stroke is the problem, then the original Stability shaft may be worth checking out. But if you like your putting stroke and just want better feel and control, the Stability Tour can help.
On-Course Performance
I just flat out love how my putter felt with the BGT Stability Tour installed in it. Most of the reasons why I love this shaft are discussed in the Feel section, but I’ll try and translate it into my performance experience for you.
Let’s start with the Stability Tour’s stiffness. According to BGT, the Stability Tour is 97% stiffer than a traditional steel putter shaft. This stiffer flex is also key to being able to balance out modern heavier putter heads. Also known as “enough shaft to handle heavier head weights that steel shafts weren’t originally designed for.” BGT strategically targeted a specific area of the shaft to control the flex and torque of the shaft. The end result is that solid feel and perfect balance mentioned in the Feel section.
On the greens, I really liked the roll I was putting on the ball with the Stability Tour. Pair that up with the feel and I started gaining quite a bit of confidence in my putting. This made me feel like I could really attack the hole, but with control. Again, that stiffer profile makes the putter head easier to control and keep your ball on target. Once I dialed in my distances, I felt more dangerous on the greens than I have in a long time.
Final Thoughts – Breakthrough Golf Technology Stability Tour Putter Shaft
Credit to Barney Adams and team for listening to feedback from the Tour and being open to change. Breakthrough Golf Technology took that feedback indicating players wanted similar Stability feel and performance but in a slimmer package and more response. I’d say BGT certainly made that happen. The feel is extremely soft, responsive, and stable! With the Stability Tour shaft in my putter, I felt more confident over the ball and more in control of my putts. The end result was me feeling like I could make anything and not being scared to be more aggressive with my putting.
Have you tried the LA putter shaft ? If so how would you compare the two?
Haven’t tried the LA Shaft, we haven’t worked with them before.
Is their design the same concept?
Yes they claim to be extremely stiff low torque shafts while using dampening layer and zylon material. Rickie Fowler used one and Bryson Dechambeau uses one
I’m impressed with the memory, coming back to the original comment a year later. Nice!
I know Bryson uses a much larger profile LA shaft, I thought Rickie tried a smaller one more in line with standard size. But is that the basic idea of the LA Shaft Rickie used too? I see how the tree trunk Bryson uses delivers something along these lines.
Nobody has commented on Wosofe putters with bent shaft
I’m not familiar with Wosofe. Can you tell us more?