In 1992, Davis Love III installed Loomis Golf graphite shafts in his irons. The subsequent four wins on tour had competitors and aficionados scratching their heads and asking what exactly happened to DL3’s game? It turned out that those shafts were the offspring of a high-priced line of fishing rods, invented by Gary Loomis and predicated on flexible, balanced and dense graphite. Given recent events and announcements, Davis might want to re-examine his irons shafts as he prepares for the Champions Tour.

What events? Which announcements? Jeffrey and Robert Meyer, experienced men in the golf industry and owners of Meyer Performance Composites, have opened the factory doors in Wonka-like fashion and are producing the Loomis graphite iron shaft again. Jeffrey Meyer began designing golf shafts at Aldila in 1987. He worked as director of golf shaft development at Acushnet from 1996-2002 and then as director of metal wood development from 2002-2007. His brother, Robert, was an All-American golfer at BYU and played professional golf for about 10 years. Robert Meyer enjoyed success on the Canadian PGA and Golden State Tours. He then served as the PGA tour rep at Graphite Design from 1999-2008.

If you search the name, “Gary Loomis” on major engines, you’re more likely to find references to his fishing rod exploits. His unique carbon fiber construction techniques were honed in his days working on Lamiglass and Talon rods. Until Loomis arrived at the caravan, the world’s finest golf touring pros were hesitant to use graphite in anything other than metals and woods (yes, those were still around). They complained that graphite-shafted irons were too stiff and were rarely balanced through the set. After the major golf success of the 1990s, Loomis sold his company to Aldila or Shimano … or someone else, depending on the report you read. What is certain is that he left the business he had owned since 1973, even though the legendary name, G. Loomis, lived on.

From time to time, Loomis resurfaced, like a more frequent and human version of Brigadoon. In 2008, he spoke at the International Professional Association of ClubFitters exposition, where he maintained that the impact of the golf shaft on effective and efficient clubfitting was never in doubt and that the properties of each shaft had direct impact on the success of the fitting and use of the clubs.

The company’s mission statement discusses “highest modulus materials” and “densest laminates” as attributes. Jeffrey Meyer broke down in layman’s terms precisely what separates Loomis shafts from the competition.

“The Loomis iron shafts are known for their low torque, stability, superior vibration dampening with excellent feel similar to the fishing rods Gary Loomis produces. This is accomplished by utilizing tools with very small diameters, using better materials and taking extra steps in the manufacturing process to ensure that maximum laminate density is obtained. Better materials, better designs and better manufacturing processes result in superior products.”

Today, the Meyer brothers count on the unique quality of the Loomis shaft to be its principal selling point.

“With the assistance of the Mitsubishi Rayon Company, the EFP Tour and EFP 95 iron shafts are made with superior high modulus fibers (40 ton/57 msi tensile modulus) and resin systems combined with their world class manufacturing to produce consistent, high quality shafts,” Meyer said. “These designs also incorporate a proprietary titanium-nickel fiber that help to optimize the balance and feel of these shafts.”

To celebrate the return of the product, the Meyers brothers are focusing the marketing energy on the crossover between golf and collegiate sports. Loomis graphite irons shafts are available in the team colors of 31 major universities.

Given that tomorrow’s pros are today’s collegians, if Loomis shafts catch their eye, the next generation of touring professionals might opt in a dominant way for Loomis shafts, just as the generation of 1990 did.

Visit Loomis’ website for more information.