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what golf club shaft flex should i use for my irons

by Dr. Ericka Gaylord Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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. For a 4 or 5 iron, use ladies flex. Final Thoughts. When selecting a flex for the shaft in your clubs, the tradeoff is between accuracy and distance.

Determine the Proper Shaft Flex for Your Swing
If You Can Hit 150 Yards with a...Then Your Optimal Shaft Flex Is...
6- or 7-IronRegular Flex (R)
5-Iron/Hybrid or 4-Iron/Hybrid(Male or Female)Senior Flex (A/M)
Any Iron/Hybrid lower than 4 or any Fairway Wood (Females or Juniors)Ladies Flex (L)
1 more row
Apr 6, 2022

Full Answer

Which golf shaft flex do I Need?

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.

Do you have the right flex shafts in your Irons?

As you can see, there are so many options for the flex of your shaft that there will be something out there for your swing. 80% of golfers fit into a regular or stiff shaft so you are probably going to be fitted with one of them. If you’re not sure that you have the right flex shafts in your irons then book yourself some time with a club fitter.

Who should use stiff flex Irons?

Who 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.

What flex should I choose for my club?

You want a flex that is suited to your swing speed so that the club doesn’t bend too much or too little when you swing it. Regular flex, as the name would suggest is the flex that suits most golfers, senior flex is a little less stiff and better suits slower swing speeds.

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What flex shaft should I use on 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 I have on my golf clubs?

If you're between 97 and 104 mph with the driver, you need a stiff flex. Regular – Now we are getting into the range where a majority of recreational golfers fall, and also where many LPGA pros fall. If you're between 84 and 96 mph, regular is going to be best for you.

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 swing speed requires a stiff shaft for irons?

What swing speed requires a stiff shaft? Golfers at driving speeds over 90 mph should generally use a stiff shaft.

What does 5.5 shaft flex mean?

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

What happens if shaft flex is too soft?

If a golfer is using a shaft that is too flexible, here are the likely results: 1. The ball will possibly fly higher for any given loft. If the golfer is using the proper loft for his or her swing mechanics, this could cause a slight decrease from the golfer's maximum potential distance.

How do you pick iron shafts?

Generally, players are looking for either Distance, Distance and Control, or Control. With regards to the shaft - The lighter the shaft, the longer the overall club length and more flexible the shaft is (within the players flex range), the greater the potential for distance gain.

Does shaft flex matter in irons?

Shaft flex letters are 'essentially irrelevant,' according to an expert club fitter. Most golfers in the world know that shaft flex makes a difference to performance and feel in golf.

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 ...

How fast should you swing 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.

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 swing speed do you need for a 3 iron?

If you use a 3-iron or wood, your swing speed is probably less than 60 mph; a 4-iron is 60-75 mph; a 5-iron is 75-84 mph; a 6- or 7-iron is 84-93 mph; and an 8- or 9-iron is over 93 mph.

What happens when 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 5.0 shaft flex mean?

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”.

What does flex do in a golf club?

The flex is a rating of a golf club shaft's ability to bend during the golf swing. All shafts, no matter how stiff, exhibit flex under the forces of the golf swing. A player with a very fast swing will require a shaft with less flex, while a player with a slower swing will need a shaft with greater flex.

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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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.

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.

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 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!

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.

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.

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.

How fast can a golf driver swing?

Elite golfers can create swing speeds that far exceed what is on the chart above and so they require stiffer shafts. On top of stiff you also have extra-stiff which would be for swing speeds over 105mph. When some tour golfers swing the driver they can generate 115mph and more, some even exceed 120mph!

What is the difference between a stiff shaft and a regular shaft?

The main difference is that a stiff shaft is harder to bend than a regular shaft . This is usually created by adding more material to make the shaft up which can often also make them slightly heavier. The more force you create in your golf swing (higher swing speed) the stiffer you will want your shaft.

What do people brag about in golf?

In golf there are a few things that people like to brag about around the club. How far they hit a driver, how high their swing speed is and what their handicap is to name a few. 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 ...

What type of shaft is used for irons?

You have three main choices when it comes to your irons. You have the classic steel shaft, the graphite shaft or the innovative SteelFibre (a graphite shaft surrounded by a very thin layer of steel fibre).

Which shaft bends the most during a swing?

This is a larger jump than what’s above, it is more like the difference between regular and stiff shafts. Ladies flex is the shaft that bends the most during a swing as ladies tend to have the slowest swings. I think this name needs to change, however, if you don’t create much speed then this is the shaft for you.

How fast should a driver be to swing a golf club?

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.

Why do you need a regular shaft?

A regular shaft will help maximise the distance you can generate from your golf swing. This is when you need to be honest with yourself and if you need more help then accept it. Even if that means playing a senior flex in your forties, if it will help you then go for it.

Regular Vs Senior Flex Shafts For Irons – Which One Should You Be Using?

One of your biggest enemies in golf is your ego. From trying to hit a club less just so you can tell your friends or playing a stiffer shaft than you should, we golfers are bad for this.

What Regular Vs Senior Flex Is All About

Like “ladies tees”, senior flex is one of those phrases in golf that I hate.

How Does It Effect Performance?

As you can probably imagine, all of these problems above will cause you to lose accuracy.

How To Know If You Need Regular Or Senior Flex In Your Irons?

The answer here is all about swing speed, Do you know how fast you swing you driver?

Swing Speed And Flex Table

From the article in the last paragraph, here is the table from True Spec Golf to help you quickly get an idea of what shaft flex should work best for you.

What Swing Speed Should Use Regular Flex?

If you swing your driver with a speed between 84-96 mph then you should be playing regular flex through your bag.

How Will The Shaft Flex Affect Distance And Accuracy?

Using the wrong shaft can cause you to lose both distance and accuracy. A shaft that flexes too much will cause to

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 is shaft flex?

There is no standardization in the golf industry as to shaft flex which means that one brand’s stiff flex shaft might be the equivalent of another brand’s regular flex shaft, and a particular brand’s regular flex shaft might be the equivalent of another brand’s senior flex shaft, and so on.

When the shaft is correctly oriented in respect to its inherent flex plane, it will resist twisting to any other

When the shaft is correctly oriented in respect to its inherent flex plane it will resist twisting to any other position when placed under load and will remain stable through impact. It is as if the club-head is riding on rails through the impact zone.

What iron did Jack Nicklaus bend?

There is a story concerning Jack Nicklaus where he bent his #8 iron (his favorite iron) during a tournament round. He took it to the tour van to replace the shaft and told the technician that it was a stiff shaft. Upon testing, the technician told Jack that it was, in fact, a regular flex shaft. Jack berated the technician for a few minutes ...

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