Is that because the OEM shafts are targeting the typical off the shelf buyer who buys stiffer shafter than they really should?...and knowing that, they are trying to put something in their hands that will give them a better experience? It makes sense to me.
Also, I checked out shaft stiffness recommendations vs club head speed at several manufacturers sites this weekend:
Fujikura: R= 80-90, S=90-100
Aldila: R=90-100, S=100-114
UST (depending on shaft weight, varies & overlaps): R= 85-90<=>95-100, S= 95-100<=>105-112
http://www.ustgolfshaft.com/docs/Cha..._AllShafts.pdf
[quote=SolidRockGolf;67943]There is no "scale" for stiffness of shafts concerning flex but they do like to go by butt CPM's which can be extremely different then how the tip feels.
Keep inmind that all shafts have playing characteristics so some will be stouter then others, lighter weight, softer tips....etc so the map is very larger for the average golfers.
Now if your talking about standard stock OEM shafts then you looking at shafts that tend to come softer and are now becoming lighter. With the race for the longest, best looking, best feeling club getting more and more intense every year, your going to find that now days they have lengthened the drivers by .5", softed up the shafts of choice and dropped the average weight by 10 grams for their stock versions. Since the heads are maxed out they have to make you thing you CAN hit their new club further.
I will put it this way... A new Aldila NV 65 will profile 3-5 CPM's stonger against an OEM installed Aldila NV 65.[/quote]