Startup shaft company Aretera began to make a name for itself with its first two shaft products, the EC1 and Alpha 1.
But its latest product, the AO2, is a product that could help the company make a real breakthrough on the PGA Tour.
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On GOLF’s Fully Equipment, co-host Johnny Wunder brought out company co-founders Alex Dee and Chris Elson to discuss the new AO2 and why they expect it to become a “very popular shaft on the PGA Tour.”
“This is an overall profile type where the handle section is more active, while, you know, the midsection and tip section are stiffer, which has historically been very popular on tour,” Elson said. “We have incorporated the coreless design carried over from the EC1 as well as the Powergrid material for increased stability for tourists, so we expect it to be an even more innovative and performance-based product than many other shafts with similar profiles.”
Areterra AO2 Blue Wood Shaft
Areterra AO2 Blue Wood Shaft
AO2 stands in a class of its own with its intelligent design, refined craftsmanship, and meticulous manufacturing. With an active handle and solid mid-to-tip, the AO2 translates premium engineering into shot repeatability. We understand how difficult it is to navigate the numerous variables between swing dynamics and shaft profile in play. That’s why we strategically engineered just one difference between the blue and gray profiles: tip stiffness, to simplify the process and tailor spin and launch to a player’s swing type.
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While this is a great shaft for the typical PGA Tour player, one of the reasons the EC1 has become so popular is that it has the potential to fit golfers of all skill levels.
Elson expects the AO2 to be a good fit for golfers of all types of speeds.
“This is not just a shaft profile that performs well for someone cruising on a 122. That’s why we also make a 45-gram version, because we tend to look at that profile type and look at the combination of shaft profile and swing type,” he said. “And you often see guys who have a slow release, are aggressive at the bottom of their swing, and hold the angle type of players who do very well with this type of profile. That swing type doesn’t necessarily have to be someone who’s cruising at 122. You could have someone who’s a little older, maybe a little older, who has a slightly shorter swing, is faster in transition, and still holds the angle.”
Aretera AO2 Gray Wood Shaft
Aretera AO2 Gray Wood Shaft
AO2 stands in a class of its own with its intelligent design, refined craftsmanship, and meticulous manufacturing. With an active handle and solid mid-to-tip, the AO2 translates premium engineering into shot repeatability. We understand how difficult it is to navigate the numerous variables between swing dynamics and shaft profile in play. That’s why we strategically engineered just one difference between the blue and gray profiles: tip stiffness, to simplify the process and tailor spin and launch to a player’s swing type.
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$420.00 from Fairway Jockey
View Product
“We’re going to promote this as a tour product because that’s what it is. But if you have the right swing type, it should also work very well for people with slower swing speeds.”
For more on Wonder, Dee, and Elson, listen to the full episode of GOLF’s Fully Equipment here or watch below.
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The post What makes Areterra’s latest shaft “level up”? |Full Equipment first appeared in Golf.

