The flex of the club allows slower swings to easily hit the ball in the air and improve their feel and control. Regular Flex or R-Flex 84-96 mph – Regular flex is the range that most recreational golfers and a lot of LPGA Pro fall into. Stiff Flex or S-Flex 97-104 mph – This flex is for recreational golfers that swing fast.
| Carry Distance | Swing Speed | Flex |
|---|---|---|
| Under 200 yards | Under 75 mph | Ladies or Senior |
| 200 to 240 yards | 75 to 95 mph | Regular |
| 240 to 275 yards | 95 to 110 mph | Stiff |
| Over 275 yards | Over 110 mph | Stiff or Extra Stiff |
What is the right flex for my golf club shafts?
Selecting the right flex for your golf club shafts is key to getting the most out of your 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 swing speed of a golf shaft flex?
However, each kind of shaft flex has its own swing speed; for example, the stiff one is between 90 and 105 miles per hour. Therefore, you should choose the shaft flex with a suitable swing speed based on your clubhead and the distance that the ball will cover.
How to choose the right flex for your swing?
Choosing a senior flex helps you to achieve greater distance due to its flexibility but at the cost of lower accuracy. On the other hand, the regular flex gives better accuracy and control, but it reduces distance. You need to experiment a little bit to select the right flex for a particular swing to maximize the performance.
Who should use regular flex golf balls?
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 flex should I have on my irons?
In general, golfers with driver swing speeds over 95 mph should play stiff flex shafts, and those under 95 mph should play regular flex. Shafts also come in extra stiff (105+ mph) and senior flex (under 85 mph).
Are golf clubs supposed to flex?
When selecting golf club shafts, it is better to buy a softer flex than a stiffer one. Flex is related to ball trajectory, so if you choose a shaft that is too soft, you might have trouble getting air under the ball. If you slice, a softer shaft may help. If you hook, a stiffer shaft may help.
What flex do most PGA players use?
90% of the top 100 PGA Tour pros use extra stiff or Tour extra stiff flex shafts in their driver. As a whole pro players of woods, hybrids and utility irons again use extra stiff or Tour extra stiff shafts with stiff and stiff+ flex shafts only being more used in irons and wedges.
What is a 5.5 flex on a golf club?
Stiff – 5.5. Stiff Plus – 6.0. Extra Stiff – 6.5. Extra Stiff Plus –7.0.
How do I know if my shaft flex is too soft?
If the shaft is too flexible, you will have a 'whippy' feeling in your hands, and you won't be able to feel the clubhead on the downswing. When the golf ball is struck it will generally have too much spin if the shaft is too flexible, this will cause a 'ballooning' effect on the shot and it will tend to go quite high.
How do I know what flex shaft I need?
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.
Do you lose distance with stiffer shafts?
If the shaft flex is too stiff, your average distance will remain low. If you are struggling with a slice, it is highly likely you are using stiff club shafts. By figuring out the most common type of shot you are playing, it becomes easier to know whether you need a softer shaft.
What happens if your shaft is too stiff?
There are a few tell tale signs that your shafts are too stiff, firstly you will lose the ball to the right, because the shaft is to stiff it will be hard to square up at impact, causing the face to be open when you hit the ball, this is going to produce a fade or slice shot, generally ending up on the right side of ...
What is standard shaft flex?
The most common flex, regular, is designated as "R" on the flex chart and is recommended for golfers who regularly drive the ball 210 to 240 yards and have a swing speed between 75 and 84 mph. Steel and graphite shafts are available in regular flex, which is appropriate for men with mid to high handicaps.
Is a 6.5 flex shaft stiff?
Have you ever wondered what the number designation on your Project X shaft means? You know, the 5.0, 6.0, 6.5 and so on printed on the shaft. These numbers correspond with flexes from “regular” to “extra stiff plus”.
Is a 6.0 shaft Stiff?
5.0 out of 5 stars 6.0 62g is VERY stiff! Great shaft! The only thing I would say to someone who is looking at this is if you normally play a stiff shaft you should go with the 5.5 62g variant. the 6.0 62g shaft is extra stiff in my opinion.
What is a good swing speed for a 7 iron?
An average golfer will swing a seven iron about 75 mph. This number can change based on the weight of the club and if it is steel or graphite. The faster you swing a seven iron, the further it will go. If you can swing at about 85 mph, you will see distances closer to 165 yards.
Is stiff or regular flex better?
The number one fact when you're going to select a shaft for you is how fast you hit the ball. In general, golfers with a fast swing should use a stiff shaft and slowed swings should use a regular flex shaft. To check your swing speed a shot tracking device will be the most accurate method.
What happens if shaft flex is too stiff?
The shaft will flex during a swing, which changes the position of the club head. When you select the right flex, the club face will be square on the ball improving accuracy. If the shaft flex is too stiff, you lose loft and won't control your shots easily.
What happens when golf shaft is too soft?
Incorrect flex A golfer using a shaft that is too flexible may experience a ball flight that is too high, a ball that spins too much, or a shot pattern that has inconsistent dispersion.
What happens if your golf shaft is too stiff?
There are a few tell tale signs that your shafts are too stiff, firstly you will lose the ball to the right, because the shaft is to stiff it will be hard to square up at impact, causing the face to be open when you hit the ball, this is going to produce a fade or slice shot, generally ending up on the right side of ...
What does Flex mean in golf clubs?
Golf club shaft flex refers to the bend in a club when a player swings and makes an impact with the golf ball. The shaft flex can have a significant impact on a player’s swing and should be selected based on a few different factors identified by a proper club fitting session.
Swing Speed vs. Swing Tempo
Swing speed is measured in miles per hour. It is very easy to measure this, as most golf courses have speed sticks available to members and customers. But speed isn’t everything. The tempo of the swing is very important. For instance, look at the swing of 2021 Masters Champion Hideki Matsuyama compared to the 2007 Masters Champion Zach Johnson.
Different Club Flex Options
It is important to use the correct flex option that suits your swing. If the shaft is too soft, it will typically flex more through impact and cause the clubhead to close and start the ball to the left with added spin.
Club Shaft Kick Point
The kick point is mistakenly thought of as being a wide variance; the high kick point being up by the grip and the low kick point being down by the clubhead. But this isn’t true. The kick point is actually a small 6” section in the middle of the shaft.
How to Choose the Correct Club Flex
So, let’s take what we have learned from above and apply it to selecting a new driver.
What is the best mph for senior flex?
Between 72 and 83 mph signifies you need to be hitting senior flex. Ladies – By no means do all women’s golfers will fall in this category, but this is where many of the recreational women’s players find themselves.
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.
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 are the flex ratings in golf clubs?
The four main flex ratings are L, R, S, and XS. These stand for Ladies, Regular, Senior, and Extra Stiff. Usually L, R, or S should work fine for the casual player, so it is a good idea to simply try out the golf clubs in the category you fit into. You will find more often than not that this level of flex is perfect for you.
What to consider when choosing golf clubs?
When choosing golf clubs, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by how many things you must take into consideration. The length of the shaft, the weight of the head, the grip, and many other smaller details combine to make clubs that are perfect for your golfing style.
What is the most important factor in golf clubs?
Perhaps the most important factor is that of the flex of the golf clubs that you are buying. There are different flex ratings for different golf clubs and choosing the right one can have a great positive effect on your game. It may be difficult to understand at first, but you should be able to pick a shaft with the perfect flex for you ...
Is it a good idea to pick a golf club?
When you are faced with the choice of picking new golf clubs, it is a good idea to know which one you prefer so that you can choose the one that you will be most accustomed to. Picking the flex level of a new set of golf clubs can be one of the hardest choices you will make, especially if you are new to golfing.
What does flex mean in golf?
"Flex" refers to the ability of a golf shaft to bend as forces are applied to it during the golf swing. Those forces are generated by the type of swing that you have: fast or slow, smooth or jerky.
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 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 shaft do you need for a jerky swing?
A swing that gets jerky at the top—when transitioning into the downswing—will probably need a stiffer shaft. 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 a club fitting demo day?
At demo days, you'll be able to hit many different types of clubs with different types of shafts. Or find a good pro shop with swing bays where you can try before you buy. The key, short of a club fitting, is hitting lots of different clubs and watching the effect ...
Step 1
Determine the speed of your swing as measured by a golf club fitter or at a golf shop with those capabilities. This will help a professional determine what type of shaft is most appropriate for your swing speed.
Step 3
Use an extra stiff shaft for a swing similar to a professional. These shafts are generally reserved for very low handicappers, experienced golfers who are extremely physically fit, those with very quick and accurate swings or adult males with fast swings.
Step 5
Use a regular flex shaft for slower swings typical of high handicappers with slower swings or for female mid-handicappers and senior players with faster swings. Also use regular flex for children and early-teens with slower swings.
How far can a female golfer swing?
This range is an ideal choice for those who reach a swing speed lower than 72 miles per hour, and the distance their ball travels falls below 180 yards.
What are the benefits of golf shafts?
Golf shafts contribute remarkably to the performance of your golf swing and the successful shots of your balls. During the game, the shafts are likely to make some changes to the clubhead’s direction and grip.
Why is swing speed important?
Without a shade of doubt, swing speed is of utmost importance when deciding on the shaft flex to bring home, as the speed of one single swing can directly impact the carry distance. Thanks to this factor, you stand a golden chance of getting a more accurate and powerful shot.
Why Frequency Matters
Cool Clubs measures frequency — and a host of other variables — through our industry-leading S3 Technology ( learn more about S3 here) instead of relying on the catch-all term “flex” to gather precise data that is not available anywhere else.
All Golfers Benefit
Have no fear, 15-handicapper! It’s not just average players who have this trouble. PGA TOUR professionals have issues with their golf shafts all the time.
