Aretera Golf are quickly making a name for themselves in the aftermarket shaft market, and their impressive technology is now being expanded into even more players than before.
It’s clear to see for anyone that spends time with their leadership that Aretera Golf is an ambitious company. Boasting more than 80 years of collective experience of golf’s technology, design, and logistical aspects between their key figures, the team behind the aftermarket shaft brand know the industry inside and out.
This insight has allowed Aretera to push quickly into a new market, with their expertise bringing unique innovation within the shaft space through EC1 and, earlier this, AO2 family lines.
Both models are built using modified bias layer structures that bring a sense of feel and feedback back into golfer’s hands, an element that, for some, has been missing in modern design.
The early success is now being followed up with line extensions to allow more players than ever to benefit from the brand’s now-signature smooth stability.
EC1 Blue Hybrid: expanding the family
For the first part of the late-2026 release, Aretera have returned to their earlier design, the EC1, but with a twist for a related, but different part of the golf bag: the hybrid.
The new EC1 Blue isn’t to be pigeon-holed by Aretera choosing that name, however.
The three separate weight options – 65g, 80g, and 95g – and four shaft flexes mean players can benefit from a more than serviceable selection within the profile, and that’s before we even get onto the technological improvements.
When we spoke to co-founder and lead designer, Alex Dee, he was keen to point out that the wood shafts would be just a starting point for both their ambitions and engineering, with the announcment of the Aretera EC1 Blue Hybrid being the next step on the road.
While Alex has also been incredible in giving us his industry-leading views on the future of golf equipment and the inclusion of Ai in design, the EC1 Hybrid shaft is still a classically human construction.
The Coreless Design, which spreads the 45º bias plies throughout the shaft instead of concentrating them at the center like many other models, provides a highly stable and strong product without costing the golfer loss of feedback.
There’s still a pleasing ‘kick’ through impact providing great awareness of head position and heightened feedback, but with consistent control and delivery at any speed.
The one elephant in the room is within the name.
Aretera shafts are known for coming in both Blue and Gray variations, with the Gray being 7% stiffer in the tip section.
EC1 Blue Hybrid stands out by virtue of the lack of a Gray companion in this short edition, although Aretera are always developing options, so we’re sure there will be an eventual matching profile to come down the line.
ModelFlexLength (In.)Weight (g)Tip Outside Diameter (In.)Tip Parallel (In.)Butt Outside Diameter (In.)Torque (º)EC1 Blue Hy 6524268.3703.6003.6EC1 Blue Hy 6534269.3703.6003.3EC1 Blue Hy 8034283.3703.6003.0EC1 Blue Hy 8044283.3703.6002.7EC1 Blue Hy 9544295.3703.6002.4EC1 Blue Hy 9554296.3703.6002.1AO2 35g: lightweight integrity
In addition to the new hybrid model in EC1, the latest mainline wood profile, the AO2, is also seeing an expansion in its offerings.
The new 35-gram option is being added to the AO2 Blue alongside the 45-75g weights to build out the company’s ultra-lightweight choices.
Lightweight doesn’t mean soft in this sense, though, regardless of what convention tells you. Yes, you’re going to get something better to swing for lower speed players who want an easier time moving through the ball, but it won’t come with a loss of control.
The 35-gram AO2 Blue maintains mid-level torque (around 5º, depending on flex) for continuity of off-center stability, i.e. higher ball speed and more carry distance – that’s in contrast to many other ultra-low weight shafts, that will often be in the 8º or 9º range, sacrificing stability for easy swinging.
All in all, both the EC1 Blue Hybrid and the ultra-light AO2 Blue shafts represent a solid step forward for Aretera, and only make me curious to see how they continue to innovate and expand on their offerings in the near future.
The Aretera Golf EC1 Blue Hybrid and AO2 35g shafts are available worldwide through all authorized retailers and golf club fitting studios. You can find your nearest dealer or explore the other shaft families, through the Aretera website.