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how to determine flex for golf club shaft

by Dr. Alicia Lindgren II Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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How Do I Select the Right Shaft Flex for a Golf Club?

  • Step 1. Determine your overall swing speed by visiting your local golf shop if it is equipped to provide swing speed...
  • Step 2. Identify the golf shaft flex point, which is where the shaft primarily bends when hitting the golf ball.
  • Step 3. Pick a shaft torque rating that decreases with the increased stiffness of the...

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.

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?

  • Golf ball flying too high
  • Difficulty feeling like you can control where the golf ball goes
  • No consistency in shots
  • Continually missing shots to the left or hitting hooks
  • Feeling like you aren’t getting the full distance potential out of your shots

How to tell if your golf shafts are too stiff?

How To Know If You Need Stiff Or X Stiff Flex. To know what golf shaft you need, you will need to know your swing speed. The faster your swing, the more stiff of a golf shaft you are going to need. When you swing the club fast, the club needs more resistance and a stiffer shaft. Head to a local golf shop and have your swing speed tested.

Should golf beginners play with a stiff shaft?

Stiffness or Flex

  • Swing Speed. The stiffness or flex of the shaft is a much-neglected aspect of your golfing equipment as most golfers are more interested in the brand, or technical features, or ...
  • Indications. ...
  • Over Correcting. ...
  • Classification. ...
  • Beware, Don’t Over-Compensate. ...

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How do I know what flex golf shaft I need?

Some General Guidelines About Shaft FlexTake a look at the distance you hit your driver. ... If you have a very smooth swing, you might benefit from a softer flex even if you swing fast. ... 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 shaft flex do I need for my irons?

Should You Use Regular or Stiff Flex Shafts?6-iron Carry Distance6-iron Swing SpeedShaft flex (all clubs)< 130 yards60 – 70 mphSenior Flex131 – 155 yards71 – 80 mphRegular Flex156 – 175 yards81 – 90 mphStiff Flex> 176 yards91 + mphX-Stiff FlexApr 13, 2021

What flex should my golf clubs be?

Each of these different aspects of golf club shafts that can influence the performance of your club, and each must be carefully considered before you put in an order....– Golf Shaft Flex Chart.Carry DistanceSwing SpeedFlex240 to 275 yards95 to 110 mphStiffOver 275 yardsOver 110 mphStiff or Extra Stiff2 more rows•Oct 15, 2019

How do I know what golf shaft is right for me?

5 factors to help you find the right driver shaft for your swingFlex. Generally speaking, a driver shaft that's too stiff will cause shots to launch too low, with too little spin and low peak heights. ... Weight. The weight of a shaft has a similar correlation to performance as flex. ... Length. ... Kick point. ... Torque.

How do I know if I need a stiff or regular shaft?

To check your swing speed a shot tracking device will be the most accurate method. Based on your swing speeds here are our recommendations: 80-95 mph swing speeds should use regular shafts. 90-105 mph swing speeds should use stiff shafts.

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 does shaft flex 5.0 mean?

extra stiff plusYou 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”.

What happens if 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.

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.

How can I tell my swing speed?

Divide the ball speed by 1.5 to get the estimated swing speed for your drive. Alternatively, you can divide the carry distance by 2.3 to estimate the swing speed at impact, but the result will not be as accurate.

Is there a big difference between regular and stiff flex?

The regular flex golf shaft is more flexible and easier for slower swing speed golfers to swing than the stiff flex golf shaft. A stiff flex golf shaft creates more resistance in the swing of a golfer. Therefore when they attempt to hit the ball with a bit more speed, they can get the incredible distance.

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.

How to know flex for shaft?

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 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.

What is extra stiff flex?

Extra stiff flex is for players with a swing speed over 100 mph, and their shots cover the 300-yard range. This flex is the right choice for professionals.

How many different shaft flex categories are there?

These are the five different shaft flex categories. You can select the right shaft flex as per your requirements.

Why is it important to have the right golf equipment?

Every golfer knows that having the right set of golf equipment is essential to unleash the best performance on the course. Players often underestimate the shaft flex and use the golf shafts that were not suitable for them.

What happens when a golf shaft is too stiff?

A too flexible shaft causes a nasty hook or a pop-up, whereas an extra stiff shaft pushes the golf ball onto the next fairway.

Why is my golf ball too low?

Golfers using a too stiff shaft and having a lower swing speed tend to abrupt the clubface angle at the point of impact, which pushes the ball too early. It results in hitting the golf ball too low.

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.

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 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.

Can you hit the same flex rating on the same golf club?

Hit practice shots with clubs shafted to the same flex rating but made by different manufacturers before making a purchase. Because there is not a U.S. Golf Association mandate for shaft flex ratings, you may see a noticeable difference on the practice range between shafts of the same rating.

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

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.

What is the average speed of a senior swinger?

Senior – Slower swingers fall into this category. Between 72 and 83 mph signifies you need to be hitting senior flex.

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 ).

How to determine flex shaft?

Your starting point should be your swing speed. Measure your swing speed to make sure you are selecting the correct flex. If your swing speed is somewhere in the middle, let’s say you swing right at 97 mph, consider what your current shot shape is. If you typically hit a big slice, that can be compounded by having a shaft that is too stiff, which means a Regular flex shaft is ideal.

What are the factors that determine the shafting of a golf club?

The two largest factors that contribute to the selection of the right golf shafting are your swing speed and swing tempo.

What is a stiff flex shaft?

Stiff Flex or S-Flex 97-104 mph – This flex is for recreational golfers that swing fast. Very common shaft for high-level amateur players.

What happens if the shaft is too soft?

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. If the shaft is too stiff, it will typically cause the clubhead to come through impact a little more open and cause the shot to come off weak and low right. Let’s break down some different flex options based on driver swing speed.

What is shaft flex?

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.

How fast is a ladies flex?

Ladies Flex or L-Flex <72 mph – This option isn’t just for women, but this is where many recreational female golfers find themselves.

Where is the kick point on a golf club?

But this isn’t true. The kick point is actually a small 6” section in the middle of the shaft.

How to measure shaft flex?

The most common way is to clamp the butt end of the shaft, attach a weight to the tip, displace it, and measure the CPM (cycles per minute) or frequency that the shaft oscillates . This can also be done in reverse – clamp the tip and weight and displace the butt.

What is shaft flex?

Mitsubishi Rayon (MRC) and Fujikura told us about how shaft flex is a guideline for connecting swing speed to a particular shaft.

What is the benefit of playing the right shaft flex?

All the manufacturers concur. Fujikura said the benefit of playing the right flex is, “Consistency!” Mitsubishi told us it will “optimize a player’s performance.” And Nippon said, “The correct shaft flex will optimize distance, spin, and dispersion control.”

Is flex only one part of the equation?

While they didn’t agree on much, every shaft manufacturer that we spoke to said that flex is only one part of the equation . MRC noted that torque values will vary widely from model to model, and that has a big impact on performance.

Does shaft flex matter?

With all this disagreement about definitions, measurements, and rules of thumb, does shaft flex even matter? Yes, very much . The one thing that every manufacturer and fitter agreed on, besides the need to be fit in person, is that getting into the correct shaft flex is critical.

Is there a standard way to measure flex?

Given that there’s not a standard way of measuring flex, you can correctly assume that there is no standard for labeling flex either. What one manufacturer calls “stiff” might be “regular” to another. This is why they universally emphasize the importance of fitting.

Is a shaft X stiff or flex?

Regardless of the semantics, we’re talking about the flexibility of the shaft . A shaft that’s X-Stiff will be very rigid and hard to bend. A shaft that’s Senior or A-Flex will be very loose and easy to bend.

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