how to determin correct flex for golf irons

1. Determine your overall swing speed by visiting your local golf shop if it is equipped to provide swing speed measurements.
2. Identify the golf shaft flex point, which is where the shaft primarily bends when hitting the golf ball.
3. Pick a shaft torque rating that decreases with the increased stiffness of the shaft flex. Extra-stiff shaft flex ratings will normally have a torque rating approaching 2.
4. Hit practice shots with clubs shafted to the same flex rating but made by different manufacturers before making a purchase.

Full Answer

How do I choose the right flex for my Irons?

Choosing the right flex for the iron depends on the club you use for hitting a 150-yard shot. If you’re about to take a 150-yard shot, consider using these flex for your irons. For a 9 iron, use extra stiff flex. For an 8 iron, use stiff flex. For a 7 iron, use regular flex. For a 6 iron, use soft regular flex. For a 5 iron, use senior flex.

How to choose the right flex for your golf clubs?

When selecting a flex for the shaft in your clubs, the tradeoff is between accuracy and distance. 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.

What does flex mean on iron shafts?

However, another that people use as a bragging point is the flex of their shaft. This can get tiresome and it can mean that some golfers play a shaft that isn’t quite right for them, just so they can say they play this or that. Well today I want to go into this topic with a particular focus on iron shafts.

How do you tell if a golf club shaft is too flexible?

The ball may tend to go left, or to the draw side, for a right-handed golfer (because with a too-flexible shaft, the clubhead may tend to come into the ball closed). Shots may tend to feel more solid, even when they aren't. Men like to hit golf clubs with Stiff shafts.

What golf shaft flex is right for me irons?

Determine the Proper Shaft Flex for Your SwingIf You Can Hit 150 Yards with a...Then Your Optimal Shaft Flex Is...PW or 9-IronExtra Stiff Flex (X)6- or 7-IronRegular Flex (R)5-Iron/Hybrid or 4-Iron/Hybrid(Male or Female)Senior Flex (A/M)1 more row•Apr 6, 2022

What golf club flex should I use?

– Golf Shaft Flex ChartCarry DistanceSwing SpeedFlexUnder 200 yardsUnder 75 mphLadies or Senior200 to 240 yards75 to 95 mphRegular240 to 275 yards95 to 110 mphStiffOver 275 yardsOver 110 mphStiff or Extra StiffOct 15, 2019

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.

How do I know if I need stiff or regular flex irons?

If you have a slower swing speed, you are probably going to want to choose regular shafted clubs because the additional flex will provide a little more power and accuracy. When you swing harder, the stiff flex will be more controlled and give you the punch you need to hit better shots.

What happens if your golf shaft is too flexible?

Having a shaft that is too flexible can also cause the ball to hook uncontrollably, because the shaft bends incorrectly, it will come through with a closed clubface causing the ball to go left, this is because the shaft can't handle your swing speed, and the head is rotating too much.

What does a 5.5 shaft flex mean?

StiffStiff – 5.5. Stiff Plus – 6.0. Extra Stiff Flex – 6.5. Extra Stiff Plus – 7.0.

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.

What happens if 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 swing speed requires a stiff shaft for irons?

between 90-105 mphWho should use stiff flex irons? The starting point for this is swing speed, if you swing your driver between 90-105 mph then you will probably need a stiff shaft. This will benefit you by delivering great control of your club during your swing and stop you spraying it everywhere.

Can a high handicapper use stiff shafts?

Stiff shafts are appropriate for men with single-digit handicaps as well as some with handicaps 10 to 15 who have high clubhead speed. Stiff flex is available in graphite or steel.

Will I lose distance with a stiff shaft?

If the shaft flex is too stiff, your average distance will remain low.

Do pros use stiff or regular shafts?

Most PGA Tour pros will use stiff or extra stiff in their shafts. It is rare to find someone swinging a regular shaft with the amount of swing speed those guys have.

What Is Shaft Flex?

Shaft flex is the degree to which the shaft will bend or flex during the swing. A more flexible shaft bends easily during the swing and has the potential to produce a longer-ranged shot.

How Does Shaft Flex Impact Your Golf Game?

The shaft flex of your golf club has an immense effect on the game’s outcome as a whole. From high irons to wedges and drivers, you have to make sure they have the correct flex for trajectory, accuracy, and distance.

How to Choose the Shaft Flex for You?

You can know the correct flex for your shaft by evaluating your swing at a golf equipment store. They’ll check all kinds of things like ball speed, distance, clubhead speed, spin, and many other factors. They also try several shafts in the same driver head to give the most accurate results.

What Shaft Flex Should You Use for The Driver?

It would be best if you choose the stiffest shaft flex for your driver because it is often the club that has the maximum swing speed. Since it carries the maximum swing speed, you may consider choosing the most accurate shaft flex.

How to Determine the Right Flex for Your Iron?

Choosing the right flex for the iron depends on the club you use for hitting a 150-yard shot. If you’re about to take a 150-yard shot, consider using these flex for your irons.

Final Thoughts

When selecting a flex for the shaft in your clubs, the tradeoff is between accuracy and distance. Choosing a senior flex helps you to achieve greater distance due to its flexibility but at the cost of lower accuracy.

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Why does my golf ball flex when I swing down?

When you swing down, the shaft will flex as a way of storing up energy. When that energy is released into the back of the ball, you will be able to launch the ball into the air as a result of what the shaft is doing. Of course, that will only happen when you have the right shaft. If you have a shaft that is the wrong flex for your swing, ...

Why does my golf ball fly high?

When you are using a club shaft that is too soft for your swing speed , the ball will consistently fly high and will often be pushed to the right. Rather than a powerful high shot that travels a great distance, shots hit with a shaft that is too soft will just float up into the air as a result of a high spin rate.

What are the two categories of golfers?

Leave a Comment. Golfers can generally be divided up into two categories – those who obsess over equipment, and those who completely ignore it. It seems that the average golfer is either concerned with every last detail of the clubs they use, or totally disinterested in even learning about the basics. In other words, some golfers feel that ...

Why is my golf club face closed down?

Without enough swing speed to properly bend the shaft on the way down, the club face will usually be closed down at impact – leading to that low and left pattern. In this case you will also have trouble generating backspin, meaning that you may not be able to hold greens easily when hitting iron shots.

Does shaft flex make you a good golfer?

Good equipment isn’t going to make you a great golfer – but it can help you become the best version of yourself on the course. Specifically, finding the right shaft flex for your clubs can help you to create a nice trajectory with a reasonable spin rate from your driver on down through your wedges. Take the time to figure out which shaft flex works ...

Can a stiff shaft cause a bad swing?

Just as a shaft that is too soft can cause trouble, a shaft that is too stiff can lead to disappointing results as well. However, the ball flight patterns that you notice are going to be completely opposite when the shaft is too stiff for your swing. Most likely, you will find yourself hitting low shots that are frequently pulled to ...

Do you need to monitor your golf swing?

Instead, you are going to need to monitor the status of your equipment on an ongoing basis for as long as you are a golfer. Your swing is going to change over time, so you need to make sure your equipment adapts to those changes.

What is a shaft flex?

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.

Different types of shaft flex available

There is a chart that will help you to determine the correct flex for you, which we will include below. However, the best way to find the ideal flex for you is to attend a professional fitting. If you don’t want to do this, though, don’t forget to refer to this chart to help you make your decision.

How to find the best golf shaft flex?

If you don’t want to get a professional fitting for the flex of your golf clubs, there are some alternative methods to ensure that you choose the right option.

Final Say

We hope that this article has given you some insight into the right golf shaft flex for you. There are various options out there for you to try, and there are multiple options for how you can go about finding the best flex for you.

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 is a golf shaft flex point?

Identify the golf shaft flex point, which is where the shaft primarily bends when hitting the golf ball. Low flex points will result in higher ball trajectories with less difference observed across steel shaft flex options than with graphite shafts.

What is the shaft of a golf club?

By Jackson Lewis. With the improvement in golf club technology since 200, the golf club shaft has become one of the most important components of any club. The shaft is the primary instrument by which the swing energy is transferred to the club head when striking a golf ball.

How to maximize energy transfer during club head impact with the golf ball?

To maximize the energy transfer during club head impact with the golf ball, the shaft flex must be matched to the golfer's overall swing speed.

What clubs hit the golf ball from 150 yards?

If there is not a facility convenient to your location, the rule of thumb measures to use for clubs that are used to hit the golf ball from 150 yards are: Ladies Flex for a 3 iron or wood; Senior Flex for a 4 iron; Regular Flex for a 5 or 6 iron; Stiff Flex for a 6 or 7 iron and X-Stiff Flex for a 8 or 9 iron.

How to determine golf shaft flex?

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.

Why do golf clubs have shafts?

During the golf swing the shaft causes deflection (bend) that causes the clubhead to be in a forward and toe downward position relative to the grip of the club.

What is the best shaft for golf?

Steel – A steel golf shaft is usually stronger and more durable (less likely to snap) than a graphite shaft. It’s also less expensive and sometimes stainless steel is used in the creation of the steel shaft. There is also two variations, stepped steel and rifle steel.

Why does my golf shaft have a slice?

When the golf shaft is too stiff, it doesn’t unload properly at impact. This can lead to the face staying open and result in a slice golf shot. Beware, a slice isn’t always an indication the shaft is too stiff so if you already have a slice, it could be caused by another fault in your golf swing.

What shafts do golfers use?

For most golfers, a graphite shaft works great. Most iron sets are made with graphite shafts as well so you get that material type by default usually unless you specifically seek out steel shafted irons. With steel shafts, you may find that golf shots are easier to control.

What is the most common shaft material used in golf clubs?

Graphite Shafts. Graphite – this type of shaft is usually lighter weight compared to a steel shaft but it’s less durable and more expensive to make. Graphite is one of the most common shaft types used in golf clubs and can arguably be considered the main shaft material used, beating out steel.

What to know about golf shafts?

In today’s guide we will review everything you need to know about golf shafts. Picking out the proper golf shaft is very important as it will impact several components of your golf swing. For example, picking the wrong golf shaft flex can cause you to hook or slice the golf ball. It also can hinder the total distance the ball flies by having too much spin or too low of launch. But don’t worry, at the end of reading today’s guide you’ll be much more educated on the buying process and how to pick out the right golf shaft. Lets Get Started!

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 ...