Shaft Material is directly linked to shock absorption, but it also can affect swing-speed. The two major choices in shaft material are steel and graphite. It is a common misconception that graphite always provides more club head speed. Graphite provides more concentration of weight in the head, but this does not always result in a faster club head speed. It depends on each individual. Graphite is also notorious as being more inconsistent from shaft to shaft, although it is getting much better. Just experiment with different shafts. Many professionals have graphite in their woods and steel in their irons. This is a popular combination