how do i know what flex golf shaft i need

1. Find Your Swing Speed. To determine which shaft flex is best for you, you have to find out what your normal swing speed is.
2. Assess Your Driving Distance. If you have a fundamentally sound swing with adequate speed, yet you still struggle to get enough distance, there might be an issue with your ...
3. Feel Your Clubhead. A lot of the time, golf instructors will tell you to feel the clubhead. ...
4. Consider Your Shot Shape. Do you struggle with a slice? If so, it’s very likely that you’re using club shafts that are too stiff.
5. Take Personal Preference Into Account. Finally, consider how you like to play and what you like to feel when you’re swinging the club. ...

Full Answer

How much flex should your golf shaft have?

Determining which golf shaft flex your need (stiff, regular, senior, etc.) requires club fitting and testing. Start by using a launch monitor to analyze your golf swing speed. If your swing ranges between 85 mph and 95 mph then you should start with a regular flex. If your swing speed is faster than 95 mph, then you should try a stiff shaft.

What happens if golf shaft is too flexible?

Jun 12, 2020 · If you’re swinging the driver above 105 mph, it might be time to get some X stiff shafts in your set. Stiff – This range is still considered fast, …

How to tell if your golf shafts are too stiff?

Step 1 Visit a golf store or fitting professional to have your swing evaluated. A professional will be able to assess your swing and speed and recommend the proper flex. Step 2 Extra-stiff flex may...

Should golf beginners play with a stiff shaft?

Sep 28, 2020 · The flex simply refers to how flexible the shaft of the golf club is. This effects the distance, trajectory, and accuracy. As you bring the golf club down to hit the ball, the shaft flexes to allow a more devastating contact with the ball. This can offer you much better shots for less effort, which is often great for beginners.

What is the X stiff range?

X-stiff – This is the range where most high-level players fall. If you’re swinging the driver above 105 mph, it might be time to get some X stiff shafts in your set.

Can you extrapolate your swing speed to driver?

You should consider that your swing speed for your irons might not extrapolate perfectly to driver (and vice versa), so while a certain flex might be right in some clubs, that might not be the case in others.

Is True Spec Golf affiliated with 8AM?

Our friends over at True Spec Golf shared some data with us that illustrates the shaft that’s right for you based on your swing speed throughout the bag. ( True Spec and GOLF.com are affiliates of 8AM Golf ).

What are the different flex categories for golf clubs?

Shafts come in five flex categories: extra stiff (X), stiff (S), regular (R), senior (A) and ladies (L). Generally, the faster your swing the speed, the stiffer the shaft you will need.

What is the best distance to drive a golf ball?

Regular flex may be used by golfers who consistently drive the ball between 225-250 yards and is also a very popular selection. This stiffness is appropriate for mid-high handicappers.

What does flex mean in golf?

The flex simply refers to how flexible the shaft of the golf club is. This effects the distance, trajectory, and accuracy. As you bring the golf club down to hit the ball, the shaft flexes to allow a more devastating contact with the ball. This can offer you much better shots for less effort, which is often great for beginners.

Why do golfers use regular flex clubs?

High-handicappers tend to use regular flex because these clubs can help them in their ongoing quest to lower their handicapper.

Why do seniors need more flex?

If seniors don’t use more flex, they’ll suffer from shorter distances and lower trajectories. Additionally, more flex offers more forgiveness which is always valued for senior golfers.

Does more flexibility mean better golf?

However, this does not automatically mean that the more flex equates to better performance. In fact, more flex can actually worsen some golfers’ games. For this reason, you must choose the right amount of flexibility for your golf clubs.

Can you take a golf club for a test run?

Alternatively, you can find a golf club store that allows you to take each club for a test run. Here you’ll be able to get a good feel of how each flex option feels as you use it, which can be the best method of finding your perfect flex.

Can you opt for senior flex?

Instead, you can opt for either senior or regular flex.

Can you rent golf clubs with Flex?

If there is not one of these stores around your area, you could also rent various clubs with different amounts of flex. This will let you use the clubs for as many shots as you need to make an informed decision. However, the downside is that it might cost more than you want to pay to rent them all out.

How to determine golf shaft flex?

Another way to determine which golf shaft flex you need is based on your current distances. If you are hitting your driver 180-200 yards, then you need a senior golf shaft. If you hit your driver 200-240 yards, the regular is going to be a better choice. The one problem with using distance as the only determining factor is ...

How to know what shaft you need for golf?

The only real way to know precisely the shaft that you need for your golf game is to go for a custom fitting. Not every golfer needs to spend the money on a custom fitting. Although they are sometimes very helpful, custom fittings are best for the player who is genuinely undecided about a senior or a regular shaft.

How important is flex in golf shaft?

How Important Is Flex In A Golf Shaft. The flex of a golf shaft is probably just as important, if not more important than the clubhead itself. Flex is what will make or break a golfer. Even if your golf swing is near perfect, you won’t be able to perform correctly with the wrong flex in the shaft. If you told a golf professional ...

What are the different flex shafts for golf clubs?

When it comes time to replace or upgrade the shafts in your golf clubs, it is essential to choose the proper flex. Golf clubs for men come in four basic flexes, extra stiff, stiff, regular and senior. The regular and senior flex shafts are for the slower swinging player. Some golfers have a hard time deciding if the regular or the senior is going to be the better fit for their game.

How fast should a golf shaft be?

Some golfers will decide which shaft they need based on swing speed alone. If your swing speed is between 75 and 85 miles per hour, then you will need a senior shaft. If you are between 85 and 95 miles per hour, then the regular shaft will be the best choice. You can get your swing speed measured at a local golf fitting center.

How many percent of golfers keep the shaft the same?

If you told a golf professional that they had to play with new clubs, but they could keep the clubhead or the shaft the same, ninety-nine percent would choose to keep the shaft the same. With all of the variables in the game of golf, it is so essential to make sure that your golf shaft is appropriately fitted to your swing.

What is a senior flex shaft?

The regular and senior flex shafts are for the slower swinging player. Some golfers have a hard time deciding if the regular or the senior is going to be the better fit for their game. We have put together some great information about senior and regular flex golf shafts so you can choose an option that will work well for your golf game.

What is the best way to choose the proper amount of flex in your golf clubs?

A clubfitting with a golf professional is the recommended way to choose the proper amount of flex in your golf clubs.

What are the ratings for shaft flex?

There are five generally used ratings for shaft flex: Extra Stiff, Stiff, Regular, Senior and Ladies, usually denoted by the letters X, S, R, A and L ("A" is used for Senior because this flex was originally called "amateur").

Why is softer flex better for macho men?

Choosing a softer flex often has the effect of forcing macho men to slow down their swings. And slowing down the swing often makes those macho men into better golfers. And the fact is, the harm in hitting a shaft that is too flexible is much less than the harm in hitting a shaft that is too stiff.

What happens if your flex doesn't match your swing?

Having a flex that doesn't match the needs of your swing will result in the clubface being misaligned at impact, causing your shots to go off-target.

What is the key to a club fitting?

The key, short of a club fitting, is hitting lots of different clubs and watching the effect that changing shaft flex has on your shots. If you find a flex that feels good and produces a good ball flight, there's a good chance that's the right flex for you.

What happens if your drives go left?

If your drives go left, you might benefit from a stiffer flex; if your drives go right, you might benefit from a softer flex.

What is important to think about in golf clubs?

It's important to think about the shafts in your golf clubs, and specifically whether you are playing the right amount of flex. David Cannon / Getty Images

Why do golfers buy shafts?

The problem is that buying a shaft because someone else uses it is like buying a size 44-long jacket because that’s what Tiger wears. It can be counterproductive to your game to purchase a shaft that isn’t right for you.

What shafts do you need for a slow swing?

Slow swing speeds will generally require softer-flex shafts, while high swing speeds need stiffer shafts; due to variations in swing patterns, however, swing speed is only one portion of finding the right shaft. Briand’s recommendation is to use your current driver shaft as a baseline.

What does low torque mean on a shaft?

5. Torque. A low torque measurement means that a shaft has greater resistance to twisting, while a high torque measurement means it will twist more easily.

What happens if you have a longer shaft?

As Briand says, a longer shaft will cause a less consistent strike on the face, and the golfer will tend to hit the ball closer to the heel. A shorter shaft, on the other hand, will cause a more consistent strike pattern, but impact location will tend to be on the toe. A golfer’s physical size, arm length, swing speed, consistency, ...

What happens if your driver shaft is too stiff?

Generally speaking, a driver shaft that’s too stiff will cause shots to launch too low, with too little spin and low peak heights. A shaft that’s too weak, on the other hand, may cause shots to spin too much, fly too high, and widen dispersion patterns.

How many inches is Rickie Fowler's shaft?

A look at Rickie Fowler's fairway wood shaft, which measures 42 inches with 0.5 inches of tipping.

Does tipping a shaft change the bend point?

Remember, though, that tipping a shaft will change the bend point, and it’s also irreversible, so make sure you know the purpose behind tipping your shaft. 2. Weight. The weight of a shaft has a similar correlation to performance as flex.

What is the most popular decision a golfer makes?

One of the most popular decisions golfers face is whether to get a regular or stiff shaft in their irons, hybrids, fairway woods, and driver. Most resources will tell you to make that decision based on your swing speed. Unfortunately, they are wrong.

Is there a standard for shaft flex?

There Are No Standards for Flex. There is a lot of misinformation amongst golfers (and companies) regarding flex. The most important thing to understand is that there are no standards when it comes to shaft flex. One company’s “regular” could be another company’s “stiff.”.

Is graphite shaft lighter than steel?

Graphite tends to be lighter, but many companies are offering steel shafts in much lighter versions. Long story short, using your swing speed to choose a stiff versus regular shaft is not enough information. You need to know more about your golf swing tendencies and, more importantly, have someone who actually knows shafts well enough to match ...

Did Nick Price find a stiff shaft?

Despite having similar swing speeds, each player needed a much different shaft flex. Nick Price couldn’t find a shaft that was stiff enough for him. He applied so much force to the shaft with his swing length and tempo that he needed a much stiffer shaft profile compared to Fred Couples.

Can you buy a shaft based on your swing speed?

If you purchase a shaft based only on your swing speed and nothing else, you are just guessing. Other characteristics, such as weight, are important. Generally speaking, golfers with slower swing speeds can benefit from a lighter shaft and vice versa. That can be addressed using a graphite or steel shaft.